Fans Support Jorge Posada, Attempt To Give Him A Lift

As if the Yankees needed another distraction. The struggling Yankees are in a major slump and dropping in the standings. On Saturday, the distraction of Jorge Posada asking out of the lineup became a major issue, taking away from the game itself.

Throughout Saturday night, if you stopped by many sports websites, blogs, as well as twitter, everything was full of comments, assumptions, and questions about the Yankees veteran catcher-turned-DH. Some fans seemed to support Posada while others had some negative things to say, calling him a “baby” and a “diva.”

By no means am I standing behind the actions of Posada, but you have to feel for the guy just a little bit. Posada has always been a passionate ball players, one whom would always give you 110% on the field. The rumors were always there that he was tough to get along with at times, especially for some pitchers. The one thing nobody ever questioned was Posada’s desire to play and play the game the right way.

That’s what made Saturday’s events even more upsetting. It is apparent there is at least a small rift between Posada and the Yankees. Is it Posada and Girardi, Posada and Brian Cashman, or just Posada and the organization in general?

We are talking about a player that has meant so much to the organization. A player that has gone from a full time catcher just last season, to now only DH’ing. That can’t be easy on any player, and it certainly can’t be easy when the results are not there. Posada has struggled this season.

When Sunday came around, everyone had time to sleep on it and calm down. Posada arrived at Yankee Stadium and talked with manager Joe Girardi. Posada apologized to his former teammate and current manager. At least for now, the people involved are saying the issue is in the past. Posada’s teammates are sticking by him as well.

Yankees captain Derek Jeter is close friends with Posada and did not see anything wrong with the situation. Jeter said that Girardi always tells his players to let him know if they need a day off.  He felt there was no need for Posada to address the entire team after apologizing to Girardi.

“Obviously, he’s frustrated,” Jeter added. “He’s not the only one that’s had a slow start. I know how frustrating it can be. It can weigh on you after a while.”

It was evident on Sunday at Yankee Stadium that the fans were behind Posada, possibly trying to lift his spirits. The fans got to it right away. During every home game, the “Bleacher Creatures” in the right field seats go through their “roll call” in which they chant each starting players name. So, on Sunday, the roll call which normally ends with Alex Rodriguez did not stop there.

After the fans got through the starting players, they went to one of their long time favorites, Jorge Posada. A “Jorge, Jorge” chant began, and the veteran gave the usual wave. That is a show of loyalty from some of the toughest fans in all of sports.

That was not the end of it either. Posada pinch-hit for Andruw Jones in the eight inning and received a standing ovation when his name was announced. The opposing pitcher, Boston’s Daniel Bard, even recognized the show of support from Yankee fans.

“I heard the energy from the crowd,” Bard said. “I think that’s pretty cool that they’re standing behind him, but I still wanted to get him out.”

Posada worked a nice at bat to draw a walk against Bard.

“Jorge is loved in our clubhouse,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Jorge is loved by the fans. Jorge has meant a lot to this organization. I’m not surprised. This has been a great player for a long time.”

Yankees fans are generally very knowledgeable of their team. They are the first fans to get on a player if they are not producing. However, when the smoke clears and the dust settles, these fans know their history and take pride in their players. Posada may be approaching the end of his career, but Yankees fans will always remember just how much this guy means to them and the organization.

There is still a lot of baseball to play this season and the fans will be pulling for Posada. Baseball is a funny game, sometimes it’s the littlest thing that gets a player going. Maybe the fan support in last nights game can help put this potentially ugly issue to rest and lift the spirits and play of Posada and the rest of this Yankee team.