The LoHud Yankees Blog

Jorge Posada was wearing a white t-shirt under his uniform for batting practice yesterday from Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Ala. It’s where he went to school, which is probably something not a lot of Yankees fan know.

Jorge is from Puerto Rico and comes from a baseball background. His uncle, Leo Posada, was an outfielder with the Kansas City A’s in the early 1960s. His father, Jorge, also is a baseball man.

When Posada was 17, they wanted him to go to the United States to play ball. A scholarship at a four-year school was in the works but Jorge did not get the SAT score he needed. Several junior colleges in Florida called, but Jorge Sr. did not want his son subjected to the south Florida nightlife.

“Then Calhoun called, it was perfect timing,” Posada said. “It was decided that is where I would go. I had no idea where Alabama was.”

Without having previously seen the campus or having met coach Fred Frickie, Posada showed up in Decatur in 1990, a shortstop and third baseman in complete culture shock. He quickly became the team’s best player and was the team captain in 1991. The Yankees selected him in the 24th round of the 1990 as a draft-and-follow guy and signed him after the 1991 juco season.

Had Posada not signed, he was going to attend the University of Alabama.

“The rest is history,” Posada said.

Posada is already in one Hall of Fame, by the way. He’s a member of the Alabama Community College Athletic Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2006. Calhoun also retired his No. 6.

Both Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman were quick to say yesterday that Eric Hinske can play first base, third base, right field and left field.

They are correct in the sense that he has played those positions in the past. But as far as third base goes, he should not.

Hinske has played 68 innings at third base since the start of the 2007 season, making two starts for the Pirates this season and four for the Rays last season. Based on the metrics, it is by far his weakest position. Most of his time at third base came early in his career.

Said one exec to Joel Sherman for his blog:: “If the Yanks think he can play third base one time a week for A-Rod, they are crazy. He stinks there.”

That’s pretty blunt. Probably pretty accurate, too.

Hinske is a passable corner outfielder. Having him fill in at one of those spots on occasion and take some pokes at that right-field wall is not a terrible idea. It might even be a good idea once in a while.

All that said, it’s nearly a mortal lock that Hinske starts at third on Tuesday in Minnesota when A-Rod gets a day off, assuming they actually give him a day off.

Mariano Rivera threw out the first pitch and the fired the last as the Yankees beat the Mariners. That’s six in a row.

Eric Hinske brings the Yankees some versatility. This notebook also has an update on A-Rod, Brian Bruney and Tony Romo. Yes, Tony Romo.

Phil Hughes has taken to the bullpen.

Bernie Williams played last night, too. That would be the guitar at a performance close to his home. Good story here by our interns, Tony Olivero and Peter Ferraro.

Because of the rain delay, there was less time to write for the newspaper, so I had to pick my spots for interviews after the game

A little Girardi, a little Matsui, a little Jeter, some Mo, some Bruney, some Hughes.

I passed on Joba because he wasn’t going to be a very big part of the story. The game was decided long after he was gone. That is usually the case with him.

Frankly, Joba has become boring. The Yankees are 10-5 in the games he starts but he has only six decisions. His ERA is 3.89, which is just OK. He has allowed 79 hits in 81 innings, pretty good. He has 73 strikeouts, not bad. The 40 walks are too much.

He’s just sort of there. Joba is averaging roughly 5.1 innings per start, far too little. He pitches with no rhythm, he seems uninterested in challenging hitters until he has to and then afterward says the same things, about how he’s learning and how good he feels.

Tonight was his 27th start, just about a full season. We should be close to seeing some sort of consistency, maybe a stretch of three or four good starts in a row. Instead we get a flash here or there then three more 5.1 inning specials.

I still think he’s a starter and deserves every chance to prove that. But somebody needs to sit Joba down and tell him. “Look, this is what you want. Start showing us that.”

He’s too good to be boring.

Brian Bruney on his outing tonight:

“That’s my bad, obviously. I thought I threw the ball pretty well tonight. I can go home on sleep on that. I’m fine with it. It’s not like I’m out there walking guys to their bases every time. I feel good. That’s baseball, man. The ball bounces six inches to the right and we got a double play and I’m out of the winning. I was OK with the way I threw the ball tonight. Obviously the results weren’t there. As long as we get a W, I honestly don’t care.”

Don’t blame Joe Girardi for using Bruney in the eighth inning. He, like every other manager, paints by numbers and Bruney is the Eighth Inning Guy. So if there is a lead, he pitches in the eighth inning.

You’d like to think common sense would come into play. Phil Hughes had just retired the side on nine pitches and was throwing 96. Just leave well enough alone. If you’re going to use him in the bullpen, then use him.

But the good of staying with Hughes was outweighed by the risk of somebody asking why Bruney didn’t pitch. Or somebody asking whether Hughes was now the Eighth Inning Guy.

Someday a manager will come along, throw the book away and just manage the game by what he sees with his eyes, not what he fears. But until then, don’t blame Girardi. He’s just doing what he’s trained to do.