In an era of free agency and frequent player movement, it's hard to envision that record ever being broken.
At this point, it's also hard to envision an 18th season together for the remaining members of the Core Four, which already has lost the retired Andy Pettitte.
Jorge Posada, who is in the final season of his contract at 39, has had a brutal start to the season in his new role as a full-time DH. Posada has shown signs of life lately, with five hits in his last 15 at-bats to raise his average to .161, but still has a ways to go before even reaching the Mendoza Line.
Posada has said his struggles are not related to the adjustment to the DH role, but hitting coach Kevin Long has indicated the transition is still a work in progress. That's to be expected, especially for a former catcher, a player used to be involved in every pitch.
The problem is that, with Posada's catching skills having deteriorated to the point the Yankees don't even want to use him as a backup, his value lies strictly in his bat, which has been mostly cold. And his struggles as a DH are not limited to this season. Posada has a career .209 average in 115 games in that role.
Over the weekend, as Posada was in the midst of an 0-for-19 stretch, manager Joe Girardi said he would rotate different players in the DH slot when the Yankees go extended stretches without a day off.
The one positive Posada can point to is retaining his power, as his six homers and 14 RBI verify. However, that might not be enough to convince the Yankees – who had moved away from having strictly DH types in recent years – to bring him back, not unless Posada's hitting improves dramatically.
Remember, this is the club that drew a line in the sand with the beloved Bernie Williams back in 2007, and the five-time All-Star never wore the pinstripes again. The same might happen with Posada after this season.
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