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Jorge Posada hasn’t thrown away his catching glove.
The Yankees great is now helping Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez prepare for the upcoming season by catching him during offseason workouts in Florida. Gonzalez caused a mini-stir around Posada when the lefty posted photos to Instagram of the two.
“I messed around and took a picture and posted it and he said, ‘Oh, man, now everybody thinks I’m coming back!'” Gonzalez told MASN.com.
Posada, 42, has not played since 2011 and this will likely be as close as he gets to a return, but that’s not to say he hasn’t been a considerable help to Gonzalez.
“Patience,” Gonzalez told the website, when asked what he’s learned from the four-time World Series champ.
“You’ve got to learn how to hit your spots, learn how to mix it up. Change signs. There’s things that he teaches you that you sit back and start analyzing. It’s a lot of work as a pitcher. He’s had Hall of Famers in his hands. … You just sit there and listen. How many times are you going to have a four-title guy coming up to you to give you information?”
Posada and Gonzalez ran into each other in the gym to start the unlikely battery. Posada has caught Gonzalez the past two Tuesdays at the University of Miami.
“I think Jorge is a great mentor,” Gonzalez said. “He’s a childhood dream, always dreamt of pitching to Jorge Posada. It’s not that often you get a guy that is more than happy to catch a bullpen for you, especially with four titles. He’s an inspiration, he’s an idol. He’s everything you could possibly think of and more.”