Yankees Drama Heats Up

Added on May 16, 2011 by Scott in

MLB

No matter the season, there’s never a dull moment in Yankee land. The aftermath of Jorge Posada’s weekend temper tantrum has caused ripple effects throughout the world of baseball and the Yankees clubhouse. Further exacerbating the controversy were Derek Jeter’s comments which excused Posada’s behavior. Jeter sticking up for his friend and teammate might seem fitting with his character, but management is reportedly none too pleased by his stance.

Posada’s frustrations about being moved to 9th in the order are understandable. However, he’s been around long enough to know the writing was on the wall. He’s 39, in the final year of his contract, and hitting a woeful .165 as the full-time designated hitter. Posada is fortunate he wasn’t outright benched; if he wasn’t one of the greatest players in the team’s storied history, that would’ve been the correct move to make by manager Joe Girardi.

Does Posada deserve a fair amount of leeway? Sure, he’s earned it, and fans are right to show their support for him. But he should also act like a professional and accept the fact he’s in a terrible slump which is hurting the team. Pitching a childlike fit is not the expected reaction from a leader with 17 years of experience who has won four World Championships.

The Yankees are mired in a five-game losing streak and just got swept by the hated Red Sox. They’ve slipped from the top spot in the AL East and are hitting .249 as a team, which is 16th in the Majors.

More pressing than records and stats is the ever-widening rift between aging Yankees and current management. Jeter’s contentious offseason contract negotiations laid the groundwork for what happened this past weekend.

It doesn’t take a psychiatrist to deduce Jeter and Posada are at odds with the powers that be. It’s no secret general manager Brian Cashman wasn’t thrilled about handing the soon to be 37-year-old Jeter a three-year deal last December. It won’t be shocking when Posada isn’t brought back next year.

Pro sports is a cutthroat business. How to handle aging stars with eroding skills has always been a touchy subject. That being said, it all comes down to wins and losses. Living off reputation lasts only so long. Even when the names on the back of the jerseys are Posada and Jeter.

Source: ESPN.com