Posada's teammates, Yankee fans in his corner

When Jorge Posada came through with a clutch pinch hit to knock in two runs and help the New York Yankees clinch the American League East division, you could see and feel the excitement not only in the stands, but in the Yankees dugout.

Even the normally stoic Derek Jeter was elated by Posada's clutch hit. In speaks volumes not only about Jeter's affection for his long-time pal, but also to the way the rest of his teammates feel about him. It seems that Posada has not engendered any lingering harsh feelings in his clubhouse after his unwise decision to pull himself out of a game against the Boston Red Sox.

Not that I expect any of these good feelings to sway Joe Girardi. The Yankees manager will make his own decision about putting Posada on the postseason roster and emotion won’t play any part in it although some will say Girardi’s lack of affection will (probably the reason he didn’t let Posada catch Mariano Rivera’s record-breaking save). But Girardi indicated that he would put Posada on the playoff roster, probably acknowledging that having Posada’s experienced, battled-tested bat on the bench would be an advantage in the postseason.

But no matter what happens with Posada in October and beyond, he can take comfort in the fact that his teammates and Yankee fans are firmly in his corner.