Jorge Posada: Is he a Hall of Famer?

Longtime Yankees' catcher Jorge Posada officially hung up his cleats on Tuesday after playing 17 seasons in the same uniform.

Now the inevitable debate begins: Should he make the Hall of Fame?

Posada was asked that very question at an emotional press conference announcing his retirement. His ambiguous answer: "When you compare me to people in the Hall of Fame, we'll see. I'm really excited to see what happens."

Posada finished his career with impressive numbers, especially for a catcher. He posted a .273 career batting average, 275 home runs and 1,065 RBIs.

But only 13 catchers are enshrined in Cooperstown. Will Jorge Posada join them?

The case for Posada:

Power. Posada belted 275 home runs over his career, averaging 24 homers per 162 games played as a starter. Only four Hall of Fame catchers have hit more home runs -- Johnny Bench, Yogi Berra, Gary Carter and Carlton Fisk. It's hard to ignore that group of sluggers when weighing Posada's chances.

Durability. Except for an injury-plagued 2008 campaign, Posada played in over 110 games in every season since 1998, when he became the starting Yankees catcher. He played at least 133 games behind the plate over seven straight seasons, a tough feat for such a physically demanding position. His longevity paid dividends at the plate. According to ESPN, among catchers since 1901, Posada ranks in the top ten in multiple categories, including total walks (3rd), doubles (7th), OPS (6th) and home runs (8th).

Consistency. While Posada only hit 30 homers once (2003) and only hit over .300 once (.338 in 2007), he was extremely steady at the plate. During his prime, he was a perennial 20-homer, 80-90 RBI guy who drew walks. Before he retired, Posada ranked 25th among all active players with a .374 career on-base percentage. His career .474 slugging percentage would rank him in the middle of the pack with catchers already in the Hall of Fame.

Rings. He won five of them in all and was the starting catcher for four of the Yankees World Series titles. The Hall of Fame tends to give extra credit to "winners" and Posada was behind the plate for a ton of Yankee victories. Yes, he benefitted from playing with superstar teammates but Posada was an integral part of the Yankees success over his 17 seasons.

The case against Posada:

He wasn't the best at his position. Posada was an excellent all-around player, especially at the plate, but he wasn't consistently the best catcher in the game. Contemporaries Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza were regarded as better hitters in their prime (though Piazza was a weak defensive catcher). Still, Posada (who was a five-time All-Star) stacks up well against several other highly regarded catchers (such as Javy Lopez, Jason Varitek and Victor Martinez) who played during the same era.

Defense. Posada, who ended his career as a DH, was maligned for being a subpar backstop with a weak throwing arm. The stats back that up. He only threw out 28 percent of base stealers for his career and ranked in the top five in SBs allowed 11 times. Ouch. He led the league twice in two dubious categories: passed balls and errors. When viewing this in the context of Cooperstown, it's worth noting that Hall of Fame catchers Roy Campanella and Gary Carter had similar offensive numbers as Posada - but were far superior behind the plate.

Postseason mediocrity. While Posada will be remembered as the guy behind the plate for all those Yankee World Series titles, his postseason numbers - especially during the Fall Classic - are nothing special. In 124 playoff games, Posada hit .248 with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs. While he hit a respectable .283 in 51 ALDS games, he hit just .224 in 45 ALCS games and a paltry .219 in 29 World Series games. Not exactly Hall of Fame production when the stakes are highest.

Final analysis:

Posada doesn't boast any surefire Hall of Fame "magic" numbers (.300+ career batting average, 3,000 hits or 400 steroid-free home runs) but as a catcher, his offensive stats stack up favorably among other Hall of Famers who played the position. Paradoxically, he was a subpar defensive catcher, which may be the main factor keeping him out of the Hall. Still, Cooperstown looks kindly on longevity and Posada was able to rack up some pretty impressive totals over his 17 seasons. And one of those totals -- five World Series rings - may very well put him over the top. He is also is regarded as "grinder" and "good guy" with a lot of "intangibles" - baseball cliches for sure, but qualities that voters consider when casting their ballot. Prediction: It takes a few years but Posada makes the Hall of Fame.