This is the bedrock on which Yankees championships are built.
Eras change, but the greatness of this position remains forever. Consider this Yankees catching lineage: Bill Dickey, Yogi Berra, Elston Howard, Thurman Munson and Jorge Posada, all legacy catchers.
Could Gary Sanchez, 24, develop into the type of quality catcher and leader who will make the difference for years to come for these Yankees? Can he become a legacy catcher?
Even though Sanchez is just entering his first full season as catcher, the Yankees are counting on him to have a supreme impact. Up the middle is where it’s at when it comes to Yankees history — catcher and center field.
“That’s the high-rent district because of the history behind those positions and the people that manned them for a decade,’’ general manager Brian Cashman told The Post. “It’s almost like a Supreme Court justice. Those types of players that man that position for a very long time.
“Gary has the ability to have an extremely powerful impact career.’’
There you have it.
“The great lineage of Yankee catchers — Dickey, Berra, Howard, Munson, Posada — have all been more than good ballplayers,’’ said Marty Appel, Yankees historian and author of a new biography of Casey Stengel. “They were all leaders whose very presence in the game pushed their teammates forward. That’s the element that we hope to see emerge in Gary Sanchez so he can join that line.’’
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And what a lineage it is, as the Yankees possess 40 A.L. pennants and 27 world championships.
Sanchez understands the weight of catching in pinstripes.
“I feel super happy, proud, humble to have my name around those names, those historical Yankees catchers,’’ Sanchez told The Post through translator Marlon Abreu. “Now it is just to focus and keep on doing my job so better things come and keep in mind what is here and in front of us — to help the team win games. To start the season and finish the season healthy and hopefully win a championship.’’
The challenges and history are overwhelming.
No one knows and has seen more Yankees history than Tony Morante, the team’s director of stadium tours who has worked for the club since 1958 and has been going to games since 1949 when his father was an usher. Morante also teaches a baseball history course at Fordham.
“We’ve had some great shortstops, center fielders and second basemen, absolutely, but it was that catching position that was like the general on the field,’’ the 74-year-old Morante said.
“Dickey put his talent into Yogi Berra’s catcher’s mitt, Yogi took it from there, put it into Ellie’s mitt, and then there was a little hiatus and then onto Thurm, who became Yankees captain, the first Yankees catcher to become captain. He was the original warrior and then you move to Jorge, once again you got the bedrock and he was another take-charge guy, a lot like Thurman.’’
Sanchez hit .299/.376/.657 with 34 runs, 12 doubles, 20 home runs and 42 RBIs in 53 games while throwing out 39 percent of potential base stealers last season. He produced the second most extra-base hits (32) over his first 55 games of any Yankee, trailing only Joe DiMaggio (43 in 1936).
Joe Girardi, who caught 374 games for the Yankees over four years while winning the World Series three times as a player, knows better than anyone about the position and Sanchez’s ceiling.
“When you think of the great catchers that have caught for the Yankees, this kid could be really, really special,’’ Girardi said. “I got the chance to watch Jorge for years and he was a great, great player and this kid has a chance to be a great, great player.’’
Here is the key for Sanchez: Not only does he have the talent, but he has the will to succeed.
The change came about three years ago.
“He was always waking up every morning as the most talented player, but about three years ago, he woke up saying I want to be a great player,’’ Cashman said. “He has the tool package. Then the physical and the mental combined and when that magic, combustible situation happens great things can happen.’’
This is the Sanchez mindset entering the season. No shortcuts.
“It’s been a long journey to put everything together, all the tools,’’ Sanchez said. “But I feel happy and proud at the same time because I feel that I have finally gotten everything together although I still think and believe I can be better.
“It’s a huge responsibility, as a catcher, not only to myself but to my pitchers, to the team, to the fans, everyone. It feels great to be the starting catcher, but you have to focus on the work as a catcher and also hitting. I want to keep everything together and help the team overall.’’
Hall of Famer Mike Piazza loves what he sees in Sanchez and understands what catching, hitting and running a pitching staff in New York is all about. Like the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Sanchez, Piazza was a big catcher.
“You can see he has the tools, and once you believe you can do it, you take off. That’s what I see in Gary,’’ Piazza said. “Now it comes down learning little idiosyncrasies that will help you over the course of a career and staying healthy. When my body was right, I was OK.
“You just have to make sure that guys like throwing to you, things like that, being a friend, knowing when to be positive and knowing when to kick them in the rear. The psychology part of it.’’
Said Sanchez: “It’s definitely nice to hear that from someone like Piazza. I can tell you that during my career in the minor leagues, it was difficult for me because one week I was great in offense and the other week I was great in defense. It was hard to have them combine together and be at the same level at the same time, and when I finally did that in the minor leagues it’s a great feeling because you feel that the work you’ve done is paying off. But at the same time you can’t lose focus. You want to stay at that level and actually bring it higher.’’
That’s the goal.
Sanchez is doing everything he can to help the pitchers. He worked with Yankees catching coordinator Josh Paul on running a pitcher’s meeting in English, said Tim Naehring, the Yankees’ vice president for baseball operations.
“His leadership skills are outstanding,’’ Naehring said. “If you can run a game and also assume one of the middle-of-the-order premium spots, that’s huge. You watch how he calls a game, he has got zero fear about throwing inside. You watch him hit and he gives zero ground. Again, it’s about his mindset. I was asked the other day, ‘What’s he need to work on?’ Geez, just stay the course. Give me 80 percent of what he did last year and that’s pretty darn good.’’
Being a Yankee makes it all that much more special. Brian McCann spent three years in pinstripes and is now with the Astros.
“You feel the history, they do a great job of keeping those players’ legacies alive,’’ McCann said of playing for the Yankees. “It’s amazing to put on the gear.’’
Sanchez is so gifted there was no room for McCann.
“This kid is the real deal,’’ McCann told The Post. “He’s got all the tools to be successful. It’s just a matter of going out and proving it. You look at the skill set. He’s got a plus arm, a plus bat, he can drive the ball to all fields. There’s not a lot of guys that can do that that are putting on the gear. The catching position is thin. Not a lot of people want to get beat up like that. So when you have someone with that talent and likes catching, it’s great. It’s just about going out and performing.’’
Back to Cashman.
“Some people are born gifted with the physical tools, but they don’t necessarily have the hunger and the desire to make that dream happen,’’ the GM said. “The Powerball players are the ones that match their talent level with their desire level and when those things come together, watch out.’’
Gary Sanchez wants to be that Powerball player. He has the tools, the mindset. Bedrock behind the plate.