According to Joe Torre in his book “The Yankee Years” it was the leadership of the team that made for the success the Yanks haven’t really seen since 2000. The 2009 Yankees are still sporting three of those leaders led by Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada. Jeter and Rivera are having career years, but Posada seems to be drawing negative attention, not necessarily for how he plays, but for how he leads.

Some thought that Jorge had lost something defensively when he sat out earlier this year with a right throwing-shoulder injury which would make him vulnerable to run on. Surprisingly, that has not been the case, as Posada has shown a strong and accurate arm since his return from the DL. His trouble has been in pitch calling, being in sync with his pitcher, and framing and receiving the ball to benefit his pitcher. All of this has added up to basic approach conflicts with his staff, talk of “personal catchers,” and second-guessing of his skills.

In the recent series with the Red Sox in Boston, starter Andy Petitte
was more deliberate than usual while shaking off a host of pitches Posada was calling for. This led to mound conferences, peaks into the dugout, frustration on behalf of Posada, and recycled pitching sign sequences. Borderline pitches always give the hitter the benefit of the doubt because Jorge has a bad habit of moving his mitt with the pitch’s momentum as opposed to holding a stiff glove and framing the pitch in the strike zone for the umpire. It’s becoming apparent that this stuff is starting to take its toll in the clubhouse.

Surly A. J. Burnett has used Posada’s catching as his excuse for choking in Fenway. His lack of love for Posada has clearly become a sore spot for Yankee manager Joe Girardi, who should know a thing or two about catching. Unfortunately, Posada is at that stage of his career where he doesn’t suffer criticism very well and his willingness to accept it and adjust his game is hard-headed, if not non-existent.

All of this makes for good drama for the fans because it plays out on TV camera on every pitch. Posada’s most common gesture is to point the ball in one hand and his mitt simultaneously to his chest and suggest “just throw it to me” after errant pitches. His tolerance for failure to do so has a short fuse, that often ends up as an issue in the dugout and a point of irritation for his pitchers.

As a reliable, solid hitting switch-hitter, Posada may now see more time as a DH and an increase in innings for backup Jose Molina. Unless of course, Jorge finds a way to lead himself out his pitcher’s doubt.