Apparently, there’s a clause within A.J. Burnett’s five-year $82.5 million contract that stipulates who he will and who he will not throw to. The latest adventure of Burnett’s inconsistent 2009 inaugural campaign with the New York Yankees has career backup catcher Jose Molina tabbed to catch Burnett in Game 2 of the ALDS tonight against the Minnesota Twins. Normally, I would not devote my column to a backup catcher, but when he replaces Jorge Posada, one of the premier offensive catchers in the last decade, I could not resist.

My problem is not with Mr. Molina, who is touted for his supreme defensive skills and superb ability to call a game. My problem is with Mr. Burnett, who will be making his first career postseason start this evening in the Bronx. The difference in A.J.’s performance when Molina is behind the dish speaks for itself. With Posada as his battery mate, Burnett is 5-5 with a 4.76 ERA. However, Burnett managed to shave 1.68 off of his ERA and posted a 5-2 record when caught by Molina.

During the course of the 2009 season, there have been grumblings from several members of the Yankees’ pitching staff regarding the starting backstop. The key concern seems to be pitch selection. While the Pinstripe pitchers have been on the same page with lesser-knowns, such as Molina and rookie catcher Francisco Cervelli, they just cannot find that same rhythm with Posada calling the game.

During the regular season as the Yankees were cruising to a major league-best 103 wins, this was a cute phenomenon. However, these boys of summer are aiming for their first trip to the Fall Classic since 2003. In the last decade, it was Posada who started 78 of the team’s 79 playoff games. It was Posada who won four World Series for the New York Yankees.

Now, I have always tended to shy away from the all too outspoken majority, who criticize major league ballplayers for the salaries they make. Still, I refuse to go there, but if it all depended on the catcher, I would be pitching in the big leagues, not writing this column. The unfortunate part is that even if you stuck Johnny Bench behind home plate my fastball would still top out at a meager 70 mph, and my curveball wouldn’t curve.

Meanwhile, I cannot complain if Burnett toes the rubber tonight and tosses a gem in his postseason debut. However, that remains to be seen. While Burnett has been stellar of late, tallying a 3-1 mark in his final six starts with a 2.92 ERA featuring Molina behind the plate, the offensive drop off with Molina playing over Posada is stark.

In 138 at-bats this season, Molina hit .217. Posada batted .285 with 22 home runs in 383 at-bats. Furthermore, while Posada is certainly no speedster, the lumbering Molina is a surefire double play candidate with runners on base.

Fortunately for the Yankees, it’s been the pitching, not the hitting, that has been the most prevalent cause of their postseason woes. Regardless, Burnett still has to go out there and shutdown a tired Twins lineup.

“It was the manager’s decision, I had no part in it,” Burnett said. “I’ve thrown good to both [catchers]. My good games, I’m right. My bad games, it’s not the catcher, it’s me ... When I’m good, it doesn’t matter which one is behind the plate.”

After every Yankee walk-off win this season, Burnett has made it a tradition to douse the game’s hero with a pie or shaving cream during the postgame interview. The media has joked at certain points this year that Burnett was merely brought to New York to throw pies.

In Yankeeland, it does not take long to learn that Posada is the “yin” to Jeter’s “yang.” While Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte are the only two remaining members from the Yankees’ championship clubs, it’s Jeter and Posada who are the only two everyday players.

It has been stated in numerous places by several sources, including Joe Torre in his recent book, Michael Kay in every (and I mean every) Yankees broadcast, and Suzyn Waldman when she can get a word in over John Sterling, that Posada is the “vocal leader” while Jeter leads by example.

Replacing Posada doesn’t just mean replacing a five-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger, it means stirring things up in the clubhouse, motivating a struggling pitcher and relying on plenty of October experience.

No one can fault manager Joe Girardi in choosing Molina over Burnett. The results indicate a distinct advantage for Burnett when Molina is behind the dish. Some critics cite a strained relationship between Girardi, the Yankees’ starting catcher in 1996 when they won their first World Series of the decade, and Posada. However, the numbers do not lie in this case.

Maybe I’m not a pitcher, so I wouldn’t understand what it is like to develop a relationship with a catcher. Perhaps, Carl Erskine, the ace for the Brooklyn Dodgers throughout the late 40s and early 50s, said it best:

“Real intimacy develops between catcher and pitcher. You work 120 pitches together every few days, after a while you think like one man.”

Then again, he was referring to the three-time MVP Roy Campanella, who caught Erksine for the majority of his career.

In the end, the justification for A.J.’s $82.5 million contract boils down to postseason success. His regular season numbers are irrelevant to Yankee fans, who are search of their first World Series title in nine years. For Posada, who did not take the news too kindly, he just wished the team good luck and promised to come through if called upon.

“I just hope we win that game. That’s all I’ve got to say,” Posada said.

And, that’s why Yankee fans love Posada. He’s a gamer, who’s been around for plenty of October baseball. In a way, he’s the forgotten hero among the remaining Yankee contingent to have won a World Series. Jeter is Jeter and Mo is perhaps the best closer of all time, but in the end Posada is the voice in the clubhouse, the bat in the lineup and the presence behind the plate that gets things going for the Yankees come postseason.