We only part to meet again. -John Gay
The Yankees will eventually have to say goodbye to jorge Posada, whether he likes it or not. Jorge has not publicly stated that this is his last season, and the Yankees are not about to extend the aging designated hitter. Whether it is during this season, or after this season, the Yankees and Jorge Posada will separate in the near future.
Jorge Posada will almost positively not be happy about it. No one is happy when they are told they can't do their greatest skill, and Jorge was not happy any of the times the Yankees told him. When Jorge was told he would not be catching this year, he was angry. When Jorge was placed ninth in the Yankees lineup, he was outraged.
Judging by the controversy from earlier this season Posada considers himself a "true Yankee," which to some fans gives him extra perks, such as being able to hold onto a job he clearly does not deserve. Posada certainly agrees with these fans, and Posada likely thinks the media and fans will rip the Yankees if they cut their longtime employee.
The fans may be upset, yes. Some fans were upset when Bernie Williams was only offered a minor league deal. Bernie Williams has returned to Yankee Stadium since. Some fans were upset when Joe Torre and the Yankees parted ways. Joe Torre will return this season.
Goodbyes are almost always temporary. I'm sorry Jorge Posada and Jorge Posada fans, but Posada needs the Yankees more than the Yankees need Posada. The Yankees have retired the numbers of seventeen players. Jorge Posada has been employed by one franchise, that will be happy to invite him to future events, and possibly even make his number the eighteenth. It's Jorge's call for the future.
"One problem with gazing too frequently into the past is that we may turn around to find the future has run out on us." -Michael Cibenko
Jorge Posada surely remembers his glory days. The World Series victories, the clutch hits, the celebrations, the fans having his back at all times.
Every time someone criticizes his current play, Posada must stop and think to himself "but I hit twenty-two home runs in 2009!"
The past is nice and dandy, but the present and the future are what matter right now for the Yankees. After this season Posada does not have a future with the Yankees.
I expect Mariano Rivera to go out on his own terms, as he is not human. Even Derek Jeter I think will know when it's time to hang up the cleats. (At least I hope)
I sincerely hope that Jorge Posada goes on a hot streak and ends up becoming an asset for the Yankees for the rest of the season. This is not a post saying Jorge cannot possibly resurrect his season. This is a post saying how Jorge will likely react, and the sad reality he needs to face.
The future is Montero. The past is Posada. That is the sad reality for our beloved #20.