“I have never been nervous on a baseball field, ” he said. For the game, the Yankees wore a shoulder patch bearing Posada’s likeness and his number.
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More than any franchise in professional sports, the New York Yankees honors its heroes of the past and its greatest events of its lengthy and illustrious history. Maybe it’s because Andy Pettitte see’s a little bit of himself in Sabathia, being that he did the exact same thing towards the end of his own career, or maybe it’s because Andy Pettitte is just that good of a teammate, but either way, it’s working.
As we reported earlier on Yanks Go Yard, the retired pitcher has been one of CC’s biggest advocates and closest role models during his attempt to convert from a power pitching work house to an off-speed finesse pitcher. “He knew how to push my buttons and get me going”.
The fans in The Bronx got to watch the four World Series and five All-Star berths in the big leagues. His accomplishments as a Yankee rank him with the graets who preceded him at that position, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Bill Dickey and Thurman Munson. Posada’s mother and father, his sister, his wife and son and daughter were present to share the happy day with the former Yankees catcher. Not only was it Pettitte’s best pitch, but it was also the pitch that kept him successful through the end of his 18-year career.
“I’m proud of you, kid”, Berra wrote. He was even better in the postseason, appearing in a major league record 119 games behind the plate.
“The passion, the determination he had to win, the dedication, going through tough times, adversities, family issues – but he was there [for us]”, Mariano Rivera said. “But he brought an attitude”.
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“He was obviously a very skilled player”, said Joe Girardi, who mentored Posada when they were teammates in the late 1990s. “It definitely put a pit in my throat”.
