It shouldn't have happened.

This whole “Posada” incident never should have happened. His manager, his GM, both had ample opportunities to stop this from being news, to stop the other players in the clubhouse from having to field “What about Jorge?” questions AFTER getting swept this weekend. Not to mention this is NOT dying anytime soon, not in NY.

The only thing I can think of is they both wanted this to get here. Everyone in the mix has to shoulder blame. Jorge for asking out of the lineup, which, short of injury, you just don’t do, his manager for leaving him hanging, and the GM for tossing him completely under the bus. I think they both hoped he’d bow out, retire, move on or something. Something OTHER than what actually happened. Now it’s sitting there, and the players in the clubhouse are going to have to deal with this question for awhile.

There have been instances in both cities where this stuff has broiled over and surfaced, but there have been far far more that haven’t when Torre and Tito were managing against each other. I can remember many times Terry taking the obvious bullet for a player everyone knew was or should have been outed, but he understood that in this market a players actions, no matter how selfish they appear, affect everyone in the clubhouse.

The games’ hard enough, having to grind through a 4 hour win or loss, and then answer questions about it, and then answer questions about stuff like this wear a team out. They test and push chemistry in bad ways, and it’s already hard enough to do what they do successfully, without adding another ‘problem’ to the mix.

What happens when the next player thinks about going to the manager with a problem? Does he have my back? Can I trust him? Those are two questions ANY manager that wants to win NEVER wants his players to consider when thinking about walking into his office.

Now you have a team struggling, answering all the dumb questions that come with the good ones, AND having to answer or fend off questions about a teammates character, loyalty, and commitment. That sucks.