Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III is an American professional baseball catcher and first baseman for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He stands 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 220 pounds. He bats and throws right-handed.
Posey grew up in Leesburg, Georgia. He played four sports in high school; when playing baseball, he excelled at hitting and pitching. He attended Florida State University, where he began playing the catcher position. He won the Golden Spikes Award in 2008 and was selected by the Giants with the fifth overall pick in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft. Posey made his major league debut on September 11, 2009. After beginning the 2010 season in the minor leagues, he was called back up to the major leagues in May. He played first base when he came up, but became the Giants' regular catcher at the end of June. As a senior he played against Jason Heyward and eventually lost the Georgia State Championship to his counterpart.
As a rookie, he finished with a .305 batting average, 18 home runs, and 67 runs batted in. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He caught every inning of the playoffs as the Giants won the 2010 World Series. In 2011, Posey missed most of the year after he was severely injured in a collision with Scott Cousins at home plate.
|