WHY POSADA DESERVES TO BE IN THE HALL OF FAME

Okay, so over the last two weeks I have been building up a head of steam to write this article! So sit back because you are about to read a good 'ole fashion rant! What am I so steamed about? How the hell could anyone think Jorge Posada does not belong in the Baseball Hall of Fame? For those of you who think he does not belong, let me ask you a few questions....

• Have we watched the same player who played over 1,800 games?

• Have we watched the same Jorge Posada who played his entire 17-year-MLB career with the New York Yankees and was part of 5 World Championships?

• Did you and I watch a Yankee catcher who was also a 5-time All Star as well as earning 5 Silver Slugger Awards?

• Do you know that there are currently just 13 catchers in the Hall of Fame and only ONE catcher ranks ahead of Posada in the "triple play" categories (Yogi Berra)?

• Do you also know that since 1901...let me repeat that, 1901, Posada holds the following ranks among ALL catchers who have ever played the game: 8th in Home Runs (275); 7th in Doubles (379); 3rd in Walks (936); 5th in OPS (.848)

• Do you know Posada is only the fifth MLB catcher with 1,500 Hits, 350 Doubles, 275 Home Runs, and 1,000 RBIs in a career?

• Do you know Posada is the only MLB catcher to ever bat .330 or better with 40 Doubles, 20 Home Runs, and 90 RBIs in a single season?

Oh, I'm just getting started...

Let's take a look a just how dominant Jorge Posada has been for more than a decade at his position...Keep in mind, during Posada's career there are two other catchers whom people assume are a lock for the Hall of Fame: Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza...

• Since 2000, Posada has the MOST RBI in MLB as a catcher with 816, and no one is even close. Ivan Rodriguez is 2nd with 687 RBI

• Since 1998, Posada has the MOST Home Runs in MLB as a catcher with 240. That's more than both Mike Piazza and Ivan Rodriguez.

• During his career, Posada finished in the top 10 for the AL MVP voting twice.

• As a catcher Posada finished in the top 10 for On Base Percentage four times.

So if the above statistics don't convince you that this man belongs in the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible, then lets take a look at his post season statistics. The following rankings are all time MLB rankings, not just Yankee rankings...

• 2nd all time in games played (125)
• 3rd all time in doubles (23)
• 4th all time in Hits (103)
• T-9th all time in RBI (42)

Look, if you take all those statistics above, Jorge Posada is one of the GREATEST catchers of all time! That's a fact! That cannot be argued based on the numbers alone! And to me, when you look at the life Jorge leads off the field, how could you leave this guy out of the Hall of Fame? His amazing work with The Jorge Posada Foundation is admirable. So why would you leave a man/player out of the HOF who not only put up all time statistics but whose character off the field is second to no one who has ever played the game?
Jorge Posada is not only one of the greatest Yankees of all time but one of the greatest men who ever put on a MLB uniform. Even Diana Munson, widow of the great Thurman Munson, said today that Jorge Posada "brought her back to caring about baseball." Mrs. Munson today also said she has now "loved two catchers in her lifetime". Think about that? What does that tell you about this man? I think Hall of Famer Peter Gammons said it best on MLB Network when he said when you consider the position Posada played, when you stack his numbers against all the catchers throughout the history of MLB and, the success Posada has had throughout the post season, it would seem impossible Jorge doesn't make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I concur Mr. Gammons!

Hip, Hip...JORGE! Forever!

--Mikey Blue, BYB Senior Writer
Email: DonnieBaseball2323@gmail.com
Twitter: @MikeyBlu23

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