I don't know the answer to the title question. I have a hard time imagining the Yankees continuing to play Posada if he continues to hit so poorly, and I also wonder about the possibility of him retiring on his own.
But check out how historically poor his start has been.
Here are the guys (age 38 and older) since the 2002 season who had the most 0-fer games with at least 3 plate appearances in their team's first 34 games of the season:
| Rk | Player | Year | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jorge Posada | 2011 | 19 | Ind. Games |
| 2 | Brian Giles | 2009 | 16 | Ind. Games |
| 3 | Gary Sheffield | 2007 | 15 | Ind. Games |
| 4 | Raul Ibanez | 2011 | 15 | Ind. Games |
| 5 | Jason Giambi | 2009 | 15 | Ind. Games |
| 6 | Fred McGriff | 2002 | 14 | Ind. Games |
| 7 | Steve Finley | 2005 | 14 | Ind. Games |
| 8 | Vinny Castilla | 2006 | 14 | Ind. Games |
| 9 | Frank Thomas | 2007 | 13 | Ind. Games |
| 10 | Gary Sheffield | 2008 | 13 | Ind. Games |
| 11 | Barry Bonds | 2004 | 13 | Ind. Games |
| 12 | Jim Thome | 2009 | 12 | Ind. Games |
| 13 | Frank Thomas | 2008 | 12 | Ind. Games |
| 14 | Sammy Sosa | 2007 | 12 | Ind. Games |
| 15 | Tom Lampkin | 2002 | 12 | Ind. Games |
| 16 | Jeff Kent | 2006 | 12 | Ind. Games |
| 17 | Ken Griffey | 2008 | 12 | Ind. Games |
| 18 | Luis Gonzalez | 2007 | 12 | Ind. Games |
| 19 | Brady Anderson | 2002 | 12 | Ind. Games |
Posada is way out in the lead here. And the seasons appearing on this list were the last in the big leagues for Giles, Castilla, Sosa, Lampkin, and Anderson.
Here are the leaders for previous 10-year periods:
1992-2001:
| Rk | Player | Year | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Brett | 1992 | 13 | Ind. Games |
1982-1991:
| Rk | Player | Year | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Schmidt | 1988 | 18 | Ind. Games |
1972-1981:
| Rk | Player | Year | #Matching | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hank Aaron | 1975 | 19 | Ind. Games |
1962-1971:
| Rk | Player | Year | #Matching |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernie Banks | 1970 | 14 |
Amazing, huh? Posada has been afforded an opportunity usually reserved for the all-time greats. I mean...think about that list of guys. Banks, Aaron, Schmidt, Brett, and...Posada? Don't get me wrong, I think Posada has had a fabulous career. I also think he's been allowed to play for too long and that it might well be time to hang 'em up.
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