History of Buster Posey in Timeline
"Buster" Posey, whose full name is Gerald Dempsey Posey III, dedicated his 12-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) exclusively to the San Francisco Giants. From 2009 until his retirement in 2021, he played as a catcher. Notably, Posey joined the Giants' ownership group in September 2022, demonstrating his lasting commitment to the team.
1942: First NL Catcher to Lead in Hitting Since 1942
In 1942, Ernie Lombardi of the Boston Braves was the last catcher to lead the National League in hitting before Buster Posey achieved this feat in 2012.
1947: Rookie Battery in the World Series
In the 1947 World Series, Yogi Berra and Spec Shea formed the first rookie starting pitcher-catcher tandem. This combination wouldn't be seen again until 1955.
1969: Start of the Divisional Play Era
1969 marked the start of MLB's divisional play era.
March 27, 1987: Birth of Buster Posey
Gerald Dempsey "Buster" Posey III was born on March 27, 1987. He would become a renowned baseball player.
1992: Previous Immaculate Inning for the Giants
Trevor Wilson, in 1992, was the last Giant to achieve an immaculate inning before Santiago Casilla did it in May 2015.
1995: First NL Team to Win Division Series After Being Down Two Games
In 1995, the Division Series (LDS) became a permanent standard in the playoffs. The Giants, in their 1995 playoff run, were the first NL team to win the Division Series after being down two games to none.
2005: Drafted by the Angels
Buster Posey was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 50th round of the MLB Draft but opted to attend college instead.
2006: Cape Cod Baseball League Championship
Buster Posey played shortstop for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in 2006, contributing to their championship win in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
2007: Cape Cod Baseball League Championship
As a catcher for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Buster Posey won another Cape Cod Baseball League championship in 2007.
2008: College Baseball Accolades
In 2008, Buster Posey achieved significant recognition in college baseball, including the ACC Baseball Player of the Year award, the Johnny Bench Award, the Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year award, the Dick Howser Trophy, and the Golden Spikes Award.
2008: Drafted by the Giants
Buster Posey was drafted by the San Francisco Giants with the fifth overall pick in the 2008 MLB draft, a testament to his talent and potential.
2008: College Success and MLB Draft
Buster Posey won the Golden Spikes Award and the Brooks Wallace Award in 2008 while playing college baseball. He was then drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the first round of the MLB draft.
January 10, 2009: Marriage
Buster Posey married his high school sweetheart, Kristen Powell, on January 10, 2009.
September 2, 2009: First MLB Call-Up
Due to an injury to Bengie Molina, Buster Posey received his first call-up to the Major Leagues on September 2, 2009, joining the San Francisco Giants.
September 11, 2009: MLB Debut
On September 11, 2009, Buster Posey made his MLB debut, playing first base for the San Francisco Giants.
2009: Minor League Assignment and Spring Training
Buster Posey attended spring training with the San Francisco Giants in 2009. He then started the season with their Class A Advanced affiliate, the San Jose Giants.
2009: MLB Debut
Buster Posey made his Major League Baseball debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2009, marking the beginning of his successful career.
May 29, 2010: Return to the Major Leagues
Buster Posey was called back up to the San Francisco Giants on May 29, 2010, and started at first base against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
June 2010: Starting Catcher for the Giants
After Bengie Molina was traded to the Texas Rangers, Buster Posey became the San Francisco Giants' starting catcher in June 2010.
2010: Joe Mauer's Record Contract
Joe Mauer's contract with the Minnesota Twins in 2010 was the largest contract in major league history for a catcher, only to be surpassed later.
2010: Posey's First National League Player of the Week Award
Buster Posey received his first National League Player of the Week award sometime in 2010.
2010: First Grand Slam and Player of the Week
In 2010, Buster Posey hit his first career grand slam and earned the National League Player of the Week award for his outstanding performance.
2010: World Series Championship and Rookie of the Year
Buster Posey won the National League Rookie of the Year Award and his first World Series title with the San Francisco Giants in 2010.
2010: Rookie of the Year and Other Accolades
Buster Posey received numerous awards and accolades in 2010, including the National League Rookie of the Year Award, the Players Choice Awards Outstanding Rookie award, and selections to Baseball America's All-Rookie Team and the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team.
2010: Spring Training and Minor League Start
Buster Posey participated in the San Francisco Giants' spring training camp in 2010 and began the season with their minor league team in Fresno.
April 6, 2011: Career High in Hits and RBIs
Buster Posey set career-highs with three hits and four RBIs in a game against the San Diego Padres on April 6, 2011.
2011: Birth of Twins
Buster Posey and his wife had twins in 2011, a son and a daughter.
2011: Injury
Buster Posey missed most of the 2011 season due to a severe injury sustained in a collision at home plate, an incident that later influenced rule changes in Major League Baseball.
June 13, 2012: Matt Cain's Perfect Game
On June 13, 2012, Buster Posey started at catcher during Matt Cain's perfect game, the 22nd in major league history. This was a notable event as perfect games are extremely rare in baseball.
2012: MVP Season and World Series Championship
Buster Posey had a remarkable comeback season in 2012, winning the National League MVP award and his second World Series title with the San Francisco Giants.
2012: Posey's MVP Season
Buster Posey had a remarkable season in 2012, which ultimately led to him winning the National League Most Valuable Player Award.
2012: Catching for Matt Cain in All-Star Game
The 2016 All-Star game marked the second time that Buster Posey started at catcher for a battery mate in the Midsummer Classic. He previously caught for Matt Cain in 2012.
July 1, 2013: National League Player of the Week
Buster Posey was named National League Player of the Week for June 23-29, 2013. His performance during this week, including a .500 hitting average, earned him this recognition.
July 13, 2013: Tim Lincecum's First No-Hitter
On July 13, 2013, Tim Lincecum pitched his first no-hitter while Buster Posey was catching. This game against the San Diego Padres was the 15th no-hitter in Giants history.
July 16, 2013: Posey's Second All-Star Game
On July 16, 2013, Buster Posey played in his second consecutive All-Star Game.
2013: Posey Signs Lucrative Contract Extension
In 2013, Buster Posey signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Giants and later agreed to an eight-year contract extension worth $167 million. This contract secured him through the 2021 season with a club option for 2022.
2013: Posey's Offense Regresses
Despite a strong start, Buster Posey's offense regressed in 2013, particularly in the latter half of the season. However, he still managed a respectable .294 batting average.
2013: Record Contract Extension
Buster Posey signed a record-breaking eight-year contract extension with the San Francisco Giants in 2013, worth $167 million.
June 25, 2014: Lincecum's Second No-Hitter
Buster Posey was playing first base on June 25, 2014, when Tim Lincecum pitched his second career no-hitter against the San Diego Padres. Posey caught the final out.
July 13, 2014: Historic Grand Slams
On July 13, 2014, Buster Posey and pitcher Madison Bumgarner both hit grand slams in the same game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This was the first time in Major League Baseball history that a catcher and a pitcher hit grand slams in the same game.
August 29, 2014: Posey's Two Five-Hit Games
On August 29, 2014, during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Buster Posey got five hits. This made him the only catcher in Giants franchise history to achieve two five-hit games in their career.
2014: "Buster Posey Rule" Implemented
In 2014, Major League Baseball adopted rule 7.13, informally known as the "Buster Posey Rule," to protect catchers from collisions at home plate.
2014: World Series Victory and Posey's Place in History
The Giants won the 2014 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. This was Buster Posey's third championship win within five years. This win also put Posey in the history books as the second player, after Pete Rose, to win Rookie of the Year, a League MVP, and three World Series championships.
May 2015: Casilla's Immaculate Inning
In May 2015, Buster Posey caught Santiago Casilla's immaculate inning save against the Cincinnati Reds. An immaculate inning is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters in an inning on nine pitches.
June 9, 2015: Heston's No-Hitter
Buster Posey caught rookie Chris Heston's no-hitter against the New York Mets on June 9, 2015. This marked the seventeenth no-hitter in Giants franchise history.
June 19, 2015: Grand Slam and Stolen Base
On June 19, 2015, Buster Posey hit a grand slam and stole a base in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. This made him the first Giants catcher in 112 years to achieve this feat.
July 5, 2015: Third All-Star Game Selection
Buster Posey was selected for his third All-Star game on July 5, 2015, and was the top vote-getter among NL catchers.
September 6, 2015: Posey's 100th Home Run
Buster Posey hit his 100th career home run on September 6, 2015, during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
November 11, 2015: Defensive and Silver Slugger Awards
Buster Posey won the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award, given to the best defensive catcher in MLB, on November 11, 2015. He was also awarded the National League Silver Slugger award at the catcher position.
2016: Fourth All-Star Game Selection
In 2016, Buster Posey was selected to start at catcher in the MLB All-Star Game based on fan voting. This was his fourth All-Star game selection, the most for a Giants catcher in franchise history.
2016: Previous Silver Slugger Award
The last time Buster Posey won a Silver Slugger award before 2021 was in 2016.
2016: First Gold Glove Award
In 2016, Buster Posey had a batting average of .288, hit 14 home runs, and 80 RBIs. Although he had been a league leader in defensive metrics in previous years, 2016 marked the first year he was awarded a Gold Glove Award.
2016: Gold Glove Award
Buster Posey won a Gold Glove Award in 2016, recognizing his defensive skills as a catcher.
2017: Concussion
During the 2017 home opener in San Francisco, Buster Posey was hit in the head by a 94 mph pitch. Although he initially felt fine, he was removed from the game and put on a 7-day concussion disabled list the next day.
2017: Third Consecutive All-Star Start
In 2017, Buster Posey was named starting catcher for the MLB All-Star Game, marking his third year in a row. He finished the season with a .320 batting average, a .400 on base percentage, and a .462 slugging percentage.
2018: All-Star and Hip Surgery
Despite only playing in 74 games, Buster Posey was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star game, but was unable to play due to a hip injury, which he had surgery on later in the year, sidelining him for 6-8 months.
2019: Last Season Played
2019 was the last season Buster Posey played before sitting out the 2020 season.
2019: Eighth Best Batting Average
During the 2019 season, Buster Posey had a .257 batting average, a .320 on base percentage, a .368 slugging percentage, and had 43 runs, 7 home runs, and 38 RBIs. His career batting average of .302 was the eight best among active players.
2019: Award Named After Posey
The Johnny Bench Award, which honors the top catcher in NCAA Division I baseball, was renamed the Buster Posey Award in 2019.
2020: Opted out of Season
Buster Posey opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to care for his newly adopted twin daughters.
2020: Adoption of Twins
In 2020, Buster Posey and his wife adopted twin girls.
November 4, 2021: Retirement
On November 4, 2021, Buster Posey announced his retirement from baseball, making him the fifth player in the San Franscisco era to play for the Giants for their entire career.
2021: Second Highest OPS and Retirement
Buster Posey ended his 2021 season with a .304 batting average, a .390 on base percentage, and a .499 slugging percentage. His .889 OPS was the second highest of his career.
2021: Retirement
Buster Posey retired from professional baseball after the 2021 season, concluding a 12-year career spent entirely with the San Francisco Giants.
2021: Near "Splash Hit" and Silver Slugger Award
During game 1 of the 2021 NLDS, Buster Posey nearly became the first right-handed batter to hit a home run into McCovey Cove, but the ball bounced off a water tower before landing in the water. He was awarded the NL Silver Slugger award for his performance during the season, his first since 2016.
2021: Return to Baseball, 1000 Games, and 7th All-Star
In his return to baseball in 2021, Buster Posey hit a home run on his first swing since 2019 and became the first player in Giants history to catch 1000 games. He was also named an All-Star for the seventh time in his career.
September 2022: Buster Posey Joins Giants Ownership
In September 2022, Posey joined the San Francisco Giants' ownership group, solidifying his legacy with the team.
September 21, 2022: Joins Giants Ownership Group
On September 21, 2022, the Giants announced that Buster Posey had joined the team's ownership group and will serve on the board of directors.