The second member of the group to retire was Posada. He endured a tumultuous season that saw him lose the starting catcher job to Russell Martin, drop to 9th in the Yankee lineup after batting .165, bench himself, and then lose his spot in the lineup as the starting designated hitter altogether. Posada had several memorable performances at the end of the year. He drove in the go-ahead runs that clinched the American League East title for the Yankees and batted .429 in the 2011 American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers. After the Yankees lost the series in Game 5, he cut short a postgame interview when he teared up, coming to the realization that it could have been his final game as a Yankee. He announced his decision to retire on January 24, 2012.
