This weekend brought news that free agent and career New York Yankee Jorge Posada is planning to announce his retirement. The news doesn't come as a complete shock, given Posada's advanced age and diminished ability, but it'll still be weird to think of baseball without him in it.

Over at the New York Times, Tyler Kepner took the opportunity to reflect on the person that Posada has been throughout his entire career. A snippet:

When Jorge Posada signed his final contract, after the 2007 season, he had never been on the disabled list. This was a matter of pride for Posada, and considering the rigors of so many years as a catcher, a minor miracle.

But just four weeks into the next season, on a Sunday afternoon in Cleveland, Posada succumbed to the pain in his fraying right shoulder. He was scratched from a start 12 minutes before the first pitch.

There are many more snippets. Those are just the first two paragraphs. Read the rest, if you have some time. It's a different kind of article, especially at this time of year, and variety's the spice of life.