Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Don: A-Rod's Awesome April...But What About the Team?
In case you haven't heard, the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez is having a monster month. He has tied the record set by Albert Pujols for home runs in April with 14 and he still has 6 games to go this month. He is batting .400 and has 34 RBI. He not only is leading those three Triple Crown categories in the American League, but in all of baseball (note: he is tied with Joe Mauer and Matt Holiday for batting average). A-Rod has two walk-off home runs already this year and has gotten a hit in all 18 of the Yankees games. There is only one problem with this, the Yankees are not winning.
Let me just say right off the bat, that I am not an Alex Rodriguez fan. This goes back to when he was with the Mariners. I just couldn't like anyone on that team because of the great rivalry they had with New York. Then he signed the huge contract with Texas and made the negative comments about Derek Jeter, and that was it. I admit, I have been someone who has not given him a break. I have doubted him every time he has come up in a big spot (and I have usually been right), but this year it has been different. Nobody can get him out, and when he hits the ball it leaves the yard.
A-Rod is answering all his critics (including me), and yet the Yankees find themselves in 4th place with an 8-10 record. I actually feel bad for Rodriguez now. He is having one of the all-time great stretches in the history of the game, and he and the team truly cannot enjoy it because they keep losing. You can see it in his face, even after hitting these long blasts, he can't believe they aren't winning.
The funny thing is, even though the Yanks number one problem is their pitching, if A-Rod was not having this kind of month, we as fans would somehow find a way to blame it on him. I guess that's not fair, but we keep thinking to his past post-season failures.
All I know is, I hope he keeps up this ridiculous performance, and I hope the pitching comes around so it matters. The last thing I want is A-Rod becoming the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle to win the Triple Crown and the Yanks are sitting at home in October.
Let me just say right off the bat, that I am not an Alex Rodriguez fan. This goes back to when he was with the Mariners. I just couldn't like anyone on that team because of the great rivalry they had with New York. Then he signed the huge contract with Texas and made the negative comments about Derek Jeter, and that was it. I admit, I have been someone who has not given him a break. I have doubted him every time he has come up in a big spot (and I have usually been right), but this year it has been different. Nobody can get him out, and when he hits the ball it leaves the yard.
A-Rod is answering all his critics (including me), and yet the Yankees find themselves in 4th place with an 8-10 record. I actually feel bad for Rodriguez now. He is having one of the all-time great stretches in the history of the game, and he and the team truly cannot enjoy it because they keep losing. You can see it in his face, even after hitting these long blasts, he can't believe they aren't winning.
The funny thing is, even though the Yanks number one problem is their pitching, if A-Rod was not having this kind of month, we as fans would somehow find a way to blame it on him. I guess that's not fair, but we keep thinking to his past post-season failures.
All I know is, I hope he keeps up this ridiculous performance, and I hope the pitching comes around so it matters. The last thing I want is A-Rod becoming the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle to win the Triple Crown and the Yanks are sitting at home in October.
Posted at 4:12 PM by Don
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home