BALTIMORE -- Jorge Posada took a step into Joe Torre's shoes for the afternoon on Sunday, filling in as the Yankees' honorary manager in New York's regular-season finale against the Orioles.

"It was fun until I got here today and they told me all the 'Joba Rules,'" Posada said. "I'm honored. A lot of guys have done this and they've done a [heck] of a job. I hope to win the game. That's the most important thing."

Torre has annually selected one player to take the helm for a day at the conclusion of the regular season, and normally it has been a player expected to leave after the year -- last season, Bernie Williams fulfilled the duties for a day.

But this year provided a tough choice for Torre, who said he had to entertain numerous options before settling on Posada. Mike Mussina was tabbed as honorary pitching coach, while Posada appointed Andy Pettitte as his bench coach. Ron Villone was named bullpen coach.

"You've got to keep it fun," Posada said. "Obviously, we don't want anybody to get hurt. I know who's available and who's not."

Not in the lineup for Sunday's finale as the Yankees prepare for their first-round ALDS playoff matchup with the Indians, Posada's 2007 statistics -- barring an unexpected pinch-hitting appearance -- will freeze at a .338 batting average with a team-leading 42 doubles, 20 home runs and 90 RBIs in 144 games.

He is the only Major League catcher to ever hit .330 or better with 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 85 RBIs in a single season.

"I'm really happy that I got a chance to stay healthy and put a good season together," Posada said. "It seemed like everything went right."

Impressively, Posada was able to keep his juices flowing even as a long season of catching took its toll on his 36-year-old body. Posada ranks fifth in the American League with a .393 (30-for-76) batting average in September, slugging six doubles, four home runs and 12 RBIs.

"It's a matter of really grinding it out," Posada said. "I don't think anybody who catches more than 100 games can stay fresh. It's tough to maintain, but the way we started and the way we finished really helped out a little bit.

"At the beginning, we didn't play so well and it was a tough time at the beginning. You know that every at-bat really counted. When we started playing well, it was a little bit easier."

That's too many: As the Yankees' once-troubled season ran its course, Posada recalled days on which he went over the scouting reports with a neophyte pitcher, only to realize that he had little grasp of the hurler's own repertoire.

Now that the Yankees have emerged from their early-season dregs and are on their way back to October, Posada can laugh a little at those thoughts, though they certainly did not seem funny at the time.

When reliever Sean Henn took the mound for New York on Sunday at Baltimore, he became the 14th pitcher to start a game for the Yankees this season, a group that included eight rookies.

"It was really, really tough early, not knowing who's going to throw and who's going to be out there," Posada said. "The night before, you really try to go through their lineup and put it together, and how it could affect these guys.

"With Chase Wright, you didn't even know what pitches he's got. It's tough to prepare yourself."

One last taste: Joba Chamberlain was brought into Sunday's game for one batter -- a must imposed upon the pitching coach-for-a-day, Mussina -- as a final experience before the ALDS opens Thursday in Cleveland.

The 22-year-old Chamberlain was summoned from the bullpen by the "manager," Posada, with two outs and nobody on in the seventh inning, relieving fellow rookie Ross Ohlendorf. He promptly retired Luis Hernandez on a groundout to first base, the final out of Chamberlain's impressive debut season. His final statistics show a 2-0 record with an 0.38 ERA, having allowed two runs (one earned) and 12 hits over 19 appearances. In 24 innings, Chamberlain walked six and struck out 34.

Bombers bits: Entering Sunday's game, the Yankees had made 517 pitching changes in 2007, setting a new AL record, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The previous record was held by the 2003 Texas Rangers, who made 494. ... Robinson Cano rested Sunday for just the second time this season. He led the 2007 Yankees by appearing in 160 games and paced all AL second basemen with 97 RBIs. ... Jeter tripled to center field in the first inning Sunday to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, a string he will carry into the 2008 season.

Coming up: The Yankees' next stop is back to New York for a workout at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday before traveling on to Cleveland, where they will open the ALDS on Thursday at Jacobs Field. Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (19-7, 3.70) will start for the Yankees, and right-hander C.C. Sabathia (19-7, 3.21) has been tabbed for the Tribe.