I alluded to this very recently in my Top Ten Reasons the Yankees Lost in 2008 post. This kind of primadonna crap gets on my nerves. Apparently Jorge Posada is gearing up to DH for Puerto Rico in the WBC. This report is coming from ESPN Deportes, but I'll give the hat tip to RAB for breaking it and the report can be reached here.
While this report is in no way confirmed, we can assume fairly easily that this is something Jorge wants to do. We can also assume, just as easily, that is certainly something that the Yankees do not want him to do. It's a tough call. I'm sure he's dying to play. He never wanted to go on the DL or even get the surgery in the first place last year, so I'm pretty sure he's itching to see some live pitches. I get it and normally I wouldn't have a problem.
The thing is, Jorge is 37 and coming off of reconstruction surgery in his shoulder. Naturally the Yankees want to keep him in-house so they can get their own readings on Jorge's recovery and rehabilitation. Also, they want to ensure that Jorge breaks camp healthy and with all his throwing strength. Any sort of head-first slide, collision at the plate, or what-have you could erase all the hard work he put in over the Winter. It's just a better way to keep tabs on a key player coming off of a serious injury. After all, the Yankees committed 4 more years to him and a bunch more millions before the injury-shortened '08 season. The least Jorge could do is obey the wishes of the team. We'll see about that.
In the interest of fairness though, if I was Jorge I'd stay as far away from any Yankee Spring Training. All the strength and conditioning work that gets done there leads to some horrific season ending injury for a hefty percentage of the team. Obviously I'd prefer Jorge to stay in Florida this Spring and root for Puerto Rico on TV, but all he's really doing is giving the Romaine's, Montero's, Molina's, Cervelli's, Cash's, and maybe even the Nutt's of the world to get some more time in behind the dish they wouldn't normally with Jorge in camp. If he does go to the WBC though, I'd just tell Jorge to get used to DH'ing. Once Matsui's gone he's got 2 more years where he'll be doing it exclusively.
1 comment:
I don't really know what your stance is on the subject, seeing as you understand both sides, but it's really simple. I love Jorge, he's always been my favorite Yankee and I also believe he is truly the most undervalued, unappreciated Yankee of our time. But, seeing as $13 million was already wasted on him last year and that we need to squeeze 3 more years out of him, he needs to think about his #1 commitment.
He finished the year on the DL, so under MLB rules the Yankees are allowed to withhold him from the WBC. It may piss him off but, oh well. You need to be healthy, you need to gain strength, you need to learn the new pitchers and above all, you need to be under surveillance of the team doctors and trainers to make sure you're healthy. Anything can happen in a game of baseball, whether you DH or not, that can hurt Jorge again, and if the Yanks want to start getting a return on the $52 million they spent on him than they need to, and will, hold him back from the WBC. Love you Jorgy, but no WBC this year.
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