Who

A Yankee for his entire career, Posada is the team's starting catcher.

Backstory

Posada grew up in Puerto Rico, the son of a Cuban who fled Castro's regime, and was a multi-sport athlete in high school. After attending junior college in Alabama, he was drafted by the Yankees in 1991 as a second baseman, then switched to catcher in the minor leagues. He made his major league debut in 1995. After winning the starting job in 1998—the same year he famously caught David Wells' perfect game—Posada became a major part of the teams that won three straight World Series from 1998 through 2000. He reached his peak as a hitter in the early 2000s, earning four straight All-Star selections from 2000 to 2003 and even coming in third in the MVP voting in 2003—ahead of more highly touted teammates like Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi.

Of note

Posada has been a reliable presence behind the plate for over a decade, and has also been one of the best-hitting catchers in the league for much of that time as well. Now in his mid-thirties, though, he's on the downslope of his career, and whether he still has something left in the tank has become a matter of debate. Although a shoulder injury kept him sidelined for much of the 2008 season, he's expected to return to the spotlight as a starting catcher in 2009.

No joke

He's one of the few pro hitters who doesn't use batting gloves. As an alternative, Posada urinates on his hands to toughen them up—but unlike fellow hand pee-er Moises Alou of the Mets, Posada claims that he only does it during spring training.

Namedrop

Shortstop Derek Jeter is his best friend on the Yankees and was best man at Posada's wedding. Posada had a notoriously testy relationship with former Yankees ace Randy Johnson, often leading the Yankees to replace Posada with backup catchers during Johnson's starts.

Family ties

His father, Jorge Posada Sr., is a scout for the Colorado Rockies, and his uncle Leo Posada was a major league outfielder in the early 1960's.

Personal

He's married to Laura Posada, an attorney from Puerto Rico. The couple has two children, Jorge Jr. (born in 1999) and Paulina (born 2002). His son Jorge Jr. suffers from craniosynostosis, a deformity of the skull; Posada's family foundation supports families of children with the disease. In 2003, Posada bought a $3.1 million unit in the Seville on East 77th Street, and in 2007 he bought an adjacent unit in the building for $3.5 million, with the intention of combining the two. Posada has an off-season home in Tampa Bay, Florida.