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No doubt the Yankees are weakened by the absence of Alex Rodriguez. They miss his potent bat, his run production, and his presence in the middle of the lineup.

But they might miss Jorge Posada even more.

With Posada, the Yankees have won five pennants and three World Series.

With A-Rod, they have won no pennants and no World Series.

The undeniable fact is that the Yankees have won 39 pennants and 26 World Series with power (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Reggie Jackson) and pitching (Bob Shawkey, Herb Pennock, Waite Hoyt, Lefty Gomez, Red Ruffing, Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, Goose Gossage, Mariano Rivera). But, the case can be made that the real reason behind the Yankees' unprecedented success has been the man behind the plate.

Simply put, you don't win championships without a superior catcher, and the Yankees have had their fair share of dominant, superior catchers. Six backstops (including two Hall of Famers), have held down the vital position and have accounted for 33 pennants and 22 World Series championships in an 83-year span, from 1921 to 2003.

Here is a brief sketch of the Yankees' indispensable six.

Wally Schang — He had been the catcher for three pennant-winners and two World Series champions when the Yankees obtained him in a trade with the Red Sox after the 1920 season, a year after Babe Ruth began the Boston-to-New York shuttle. Schang broke in with Connie Mack's powerful Philadelphia Athletics in 1913 and helped them win pennants in his first two seasons. He was traded to the Red Sox in 1918 and they won the pennant. They would not win another for 28 years. The Yankees (nee Highlanders) had not won a pennant when Schang arrived in 1921, not even with Babe Ruth in 1920. With Schang behind the plate, the Yankees would win three pennants and one World Series in his first three seasons as their catcher.

Bill Dickey — The Yankees were in a transition period when Dickey took over as their primary catcher in 1929. Once he settled in, he helped the Yankees win eight pennants and seven World Series from 1932 to 1943, and was elected to the Hall of Fame.

Yogi Berra — When Dickey retired, the Yankees tried replacing him with Mike Garbark, Gus Niarhos, Rollie Helmsley and Aaron Robinson, but won only one pennant in five years until Berra came along. Crude and defensively challenged at first, Berra benefited from the tutelage of Dickey, who had remained as a coach ("Bill Dickey taught me all his experiences," Yogi once said). Once he got the hang of it, Berra even surpassed his mentor, helping the Yankees win nine pennants and seven World Series in his 10 years as the team's primary catcher.

Elston Howard — The transition from Berra to Howard was a seamless one. Howard arrived in 1955, but had to wait his turn, filling in as Berra's backup and playing some first base and outfield. He took over for Berra in 1960 and helped the Yankees win five pennants and two World Series over the next five seasons.

Thurman Munson — The Yankees had failed to finish higher than fifth place for five years when Munson took over as catcher in 1970. They would move up from fifth place to second in Munson's rookie season and win three pennants and two World Series with Munson behind the plate.

Jorge Posada — He became the Yankees' regular catcher in 1998. Prior to then, they had won one pennant in 16 years. With Posada behind the plate, the Yankees would win five pennants and three World Series.