Jorge Posada reveals rift with Yankees: 'Don't think they want me there'
· Yahoo Sports
Former New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, who won five World Series rings as a member of the team's "Core Four" during his playing career, says he no longer feels welcome by the organization.
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On a new episode of "The Show" podcast, Posada told New York Post writers Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman that the current version of the team needs a coaching staff that will "push" them to be more accountable to themselves and each other.
But he said he doesn't think he'll be involved in any official capacity.
“I could, but I don’t think they want me there, to tell you the truth,” Posada said on the episode, which premiered on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
“I don’t feel welcome when I go there, you know? Even in spring training, I don’t feel like – I’m just like, I don’t know, like, I don’t feel welcome. I don’t feel like they want me there, so I don’t go.”
The five-time All-Star was part of the Yankees' "Core Four," along with shortstop Derek Jeter, starting pitcher Andy Pettitte and closer Mariano Rivera, that won four World Series titles from 1996-2000. He later won a fifth ring in 2009.
Posada, who spent his entire 17-year major-league career in Yankee pinstripes, didn't go into any specific details about his rift with the organization.
“I don’t know what happened. I’d rather just move forward,” he said. “My last season of my career was a really tough one when it comes to handling everything in my part and also the Yankees toward Jorge Posada. So, it’s tough to go back and feel that again.”
The five-time All-Star had his number 20 retired by the Yankees in 2015 and has been a participant in the team's Old Timers' Day ceremonies.
However, his final season in 2011 was tainted by public disagreements with the team about playing time and his shift from playing catcher to serving as designated hitter.
Posada, a fan favorite for his emotional style of play, said on the podcast that the current Yankees squad seemed to lack some of his trademark fire, and that the players need leaders in the clubhouse to uphold the team's high standards.
"[Mental mistakes are] magnified during the playoffs," he said. "So during the season, if it happens and you don't address it, that's when it becomes a problem. So it needs to happen more during the season and make these guys more accountable."
The Yankees were eliminated from this year's playoffs when they were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League division series.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jorge Posada reveals rift with Yankees: 'Don't think they want me there'