Jorge Posada Reaches Milestones

During the inter-league series between the Yankees and the Houston Astros this past weekend, Puerto Rican Jorge Posada blasted his 250th and 251st career homeruns of which both were Grand Slams. What is more impressive is that with his 2 Salamis that occurred in consecutive at-bats across two games, is that he becomes the 1st Yankee to do so since fellow Yankees catcher Bill Dickey did so in 1936. I find that especially impressive since I would have garnered a guess that Don Mattingly would have hit consecutive grand slams in that magical season on 1987 when Donnie Baseball slugged 6 grand slams for the season. But that is not all in terms of historical accomplishments for Posada.

Posada is now one of only five catchers to amass 250 home runs, 1,500 hits and 350 doubles over the course of a career. Who are the others four? Johnny Bench, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk and Ivan Rodriguez. That puts Posada in elite company since Bench, Carter and Fisk are already enshrined in Cooperstown and the best defensive catcher in the last 15 years (and not much of a slouch at-bat either) Rodriguez will join them five years after he decides to hang up his chest protector and mask.

What separates Posada from his fellow catchers on the list? He is the only one of the five to reach all that plateau while winning four World Series (1998, 1999, 2000, 2009)*** Note, Posada played 8 games for the Yankees in 1996 but was not on the post-season roster. The other four have won four World Series combined (Bench 1975, 1976 with the Cincinnati Reds, Carter 1986 with the New York Mets, Rodriguez 2003 with the Florida Marlins). Kind of makes the case for Jorge Posada to be inducted to the Hall of Fame a bit more convincing. Time will tell if he joins fellow Core Four members Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera in the Hall when they decide to end their illustrious careers.

FH