The New York Yankees are saying goodbye to one of their greatest players after 17 seasons and five World Series titles.

Catcher Jorge Posada said today that he's hanging up his cleats after spending his entire baseball career as a Bronx Bomber. The emotional 40-year-old thanked just about everyone he could, including his family, who sat by his side during the annoucement.

Posada finishes with a .273 career batting average, 275 home runs and 1,065 RBIs. Shifted to designated hitter last year, his playing time diminished.

Posada joins Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte in retirement, leaving only 37-year-old Derek Jeter and 42-year-old Mariano Rivera from the core group that led the Yankees to four World Series titles in five years from 1996-2000.

AP wire services contributed to this report