After the New York Yankees crushing Game 5 defeat at home to the Detroit Tigers, Jorge Posada declined to say if he played his last game for the Yanks.
The veteran Yankee had tears in eyes during his postgame interview with reporters as he talked about his relationship with Yankees fans over his 16 years in pinstripes, the emotions after losing and if last night was indeed his last game as a Yankee.
“They have been awesome,” Posada said. “The fans have been unbelievable to this team and to me.”
If it was Posada’s last game, the proud catcher turned DH, did all he could to keep the Yanks in the game. Posada went 2-for-4 and finished the series with a .429 batting average—easily the most consistent hitter during the five game series.
Posada also had an opportunity to plate Alex Rodriguez, but the ball was hit too hard, and A-Rod was held up at third.
“Losing is tough period,” said Posada, as he was surrounded by reporters, “but losing at home is even tougher and especially now. I thought we did everything possible to win the ballgame but…they made the right pitch at the right time.”
“It’s a tough one,” he said, shaking his head.
The owner of five World Series rings, and a member of the “Core Four,” Posada has seen his ups and downs with Yankees fans over the years. Some criticized his mobility behind the plate during his tenure; others questioned why manager Joe Girardi would start the 40-year-old in the playoffs after his struggles this season.
Posada didn’t take solace in the fact that he had a successful ALDS, after the team failed to get past the Tigers and their army of righthanded starters.
“We lost, you know, that’s what I look back on…I really have no words. We lost.”
When he was asked if this was his last game in pinstripes, Posada said: “I don’t know, that’s a tough one. We’ll see.”