Thanks, Jorge.

This likely will not come as a surprise to anyone, but Jorge Posada has said that he will not be back with the Yankees in 2012. The writing was on the wall early this year when he refused to bat 9th and lost ABs throughout the year. Although he did rebound and ended up being fairly productive, especially in the ALDS, it was obvious that the 40-year-old wasn't in the Yankees plan moving forward.

He's nearly the only Yankees catcher I have ever known, and there is certainly an emotional attachment. When you think of your favorite team and the players they had growing up, a few guys usually stick out at each position. Jorge will always be my catcher when I look back on the Yankee teams of my youth.

It's odd to think about it, but Jorge is borderline Hall of Famer. I don't think he'll get in, but given the position he played and the numbers he put up, he'll certainly have an interesting case. He was a switch-hitting catcher who hit for power and got on base a lot (career .373 OBP). His stats compare favorably to several HOF catchers, including Gary Carter. Now, he was never the defender that Carter was, and certainly his defensive shortcomings could be looked at negatively when his case does come up. However, he was the primary catcher on four World Series Winners (he won five total), six AL Pennant winners, and caught David Wells' perfect game (this shouldn't be factored in, but I know it's something that catchers cherish). He also appeared in a staggering 125 post-season games, which is basically another full season for a catcher. Take a look at this graphic from baseball-reference.com:

Jorge has stated that he may explore other options for continuing to play. Selfishly, I hope he doesn't, but if he does, I wish him the best of luck - as long as it's not in Boston.

Here are a few Jorge cards from my collection.