#20 jorge rafael posada | c

2000 highlights:
set career highs in every major offensive category, batting .287 with 28 hr and 86rbi in 151 games (136 starts at catcher, eight at first base and three at dh)... with 107bb, drew more walks in a single season than any other yankee catcher (wally schang had 78 bb in 1921) - had 95bb while appearing in a game at catcher in 2000, breaking the club record for most walks in a single season by a catcher (wally schang, 1921; and bill dickey, 1939; drew 77bb at catcher)... with 26 home runs as a catcher, fell four shy of tying yogi berra for the most home runs in a single season by a yankees\ catcher (berra hit 30 home runs in 1952 and '56)... threw out 34-of-104 would -be base stealers (33%)... team posted a 4.67 era in games he caught (1182.oip, 613er)... was selected to his first all-star game by manager joe torre and was 0-for-2... in 13 games batting from the second spot in the order, hit .364 (20-for-55) with 12r, 3hr and 10rbi... tied his career high in hits on 4/5 at anaheim and was 4-for-4 with 3r... homered from both sides of the plate (#4 and 5) for the third time in his career on 4/23 at toronto, going 3-for-5 with 2r and 3rbi - along with of bernie williams, became the first pair of players in major-league history to hit switch-hit home runs in the same game - was also his fourth career multi-hr game... hit three-run "walk-off" home run (#7) in the ninth and was 4-for-5 with 4rbi in 5/5 win vs. baltimore - his four hits tied a career high... made third career start at 1b (first of 2000 season) and was 1-for-2 with 1 double and 2bb on 5/20 at cleveland... set career high with 4bb (previous high was 3bb, done six times) and was 0-for-1 on 5/30 vs. oakland... established a career high with 4r, hit 2-run hr (#13) and was 2-for-4 with 2bb on 6/16 win at boston... was ejected on 7/1 at tampa bay for fighting and served a one-game suspension on 7/17 vs. philadelphia... hit his 17th homer of the season (tying a career high established in 1998) and was 4-for-4 with 3r, 2 doubles, 3rbi and 1ibb on 7/28 at minnesota... battled second for first time in career, tied a career high with four hits (sixth time) and was 4-for-5 with 2r, 2 doubles and 4rbi on 8/4 vs. seattle... hit two home runs (#18, 19) establishing a single-season career high and was 2-for-4 with 3rbi in 8/5 loss vs. seattle - was the fifth multi-hr game of career (second of 2000)... hit game-tying 2-run hr (#24) and drove in a season-high five runs on 8/23 vs.texas... his 29rbi in august were fourth most in the a.l. behind only mike sweeney (31), carlos delgado (31) and frank thomas (30) - also was tied with rafael plameiro for third in the a.l. with 24bb, trailing only jim thome (28) and greg vaughn (28).

personal:
was signed by leon wurth...uncle, leo posada, is a minor-league hitting instructor for the dodgers...father, jorge sr., is a scout for the rockies...was a baseball all-star in 1988-89 at colegio alejandrino high school...also participated in basketball, volleyball and track...in 1991, he received an associate\s degree from calhoon community college in decatur, al...at calhoon, he was voted best hitter in 1990 and was a co-captain and all-conference selection in 1991...was also voted best glove at calhoon that season...first name pronounced hor-hay.