Jorge Posada, who has been the regular catcher for the New York Yankees for most of the last decade and more, announced his retirement from baseball at an emotional news conference at Yankee Stadium Tuesday morning:
“I could never wear another uniform,” said Posada. “Being a part of seven World Series and having five rings was something I never imagined, and being a part [of] it was just priceless. I will forever be a Yankee.”
Tributes and quotes from various New York celebrities were compiled by ESPN New York, but perhaps the best tributes came from teammates, even those who were with the Yankees only a short time, such as Kerry Wood:
Congrats to #20 Jorge Posada. Awesome career, I was honored to throw to him for 2 months. #ballplayer
And opponents, such as Torii Hunter:
I just want to say it was a honor competing against Posada for all this years. God bless him and his family in the next chapter of his life.
Posada’s numbers don’t quite put him in Hall of Fame territory, but it would not be surprising to see the Yankees someday retire his No. 20.