The talented, tall, blonde right-hander hated pitching to the offensive-first catcher. The numbers backed up his contention that the pairing was ineffective. The preference was the strong defender who could not hit.
So as much as Joe Girardi disliked the concept of personal catchers, the then-Yankees manager relented for the good of A.J. Burnett and his 2009 club. He lined up Jose Molina to catch Burnett rather than Jorge Posada.
Girardi recognized the minefield. Unlike Wilson Ramos, Posada had a legacy in New York, a leadership foothold in the clubhouse. Thus, disrespecting Posada, particularly sitting him in the playoffs when Burnett started, carried the potential for internal discord.