No one really thought this discussion would be coming up again.
In 2007, it was thought to have been a breakthrough.
Alex Rodriguez, by virtue of his performance, and his knack for hitting game changing and game winning home runs, had earned the fans love and admiration.
It had been a long time coming.
Four years into the orchestrated marriage had seen the worst of times and the best of times.
Despite not having the greatest of postseasons, Yankee fans had reason to believe that a corner had been turned and that the drama of the past had finally been put aside.
Then ARod opted out of his contract during Game 4 of the World Series.
He went searching for the highest dollar and could not find any takers. Seeing the mistake he had created, he came running back to the Yankees and the team embraced him with a contract to the tune of $275 million.
Even during this 2008 season, he continued to receive among the loudest of cheers whenever he would step up to the plate. Though not having the same production, many looked on and thought it only to be natural based off the uber-season he had the year before.
As the Yankees continued to stumble their way through the season, it was being overlooked that Rodriguez was not being very productive with runners in scoring position. In previous seasons, this would have been immediate fodder for talk radio, message boards and internet blogs.
Tuesday night with the season on the brink in a crucial series with Boston, the fans that had been seeing this same old story, finally ended their season long silence.
In the fifth inning, with the Yankees trailing 6-2 and runners on first and second with one out, Rodriguez, with his team in desperate need of a big hit, lifted a shallow fly to center that did not move the runners and a scattering of boos came from the crowd.
He had already grounded into a double play in his previous at bat, now this. In his first 92 games, Rodriguez had grounded into only four double plays.
Now, with the season in serious peril, he was coming up small. In the last 19 games, he had hit into eight double plays. Consistently killing rallies and compounding the team’s offensive struggles.
In the seventh inning, almost by coincidence, the Yankees loaded the bases trailing 7-3 and the moment once again found Rodriguez.
A feeling of dread was in the air. You would never say this about most great baseball players.
But with this man, this stench exists. You do not hear it with David Ortiz, Albert Pujols or Manny Ramirez. However, it exists on such an exorbitant level with this one player.
His failures in the postseason are enough to create a montage. Pick the game and the situation and you can refer to him failing in a big spot.
Justin Masterson of the Red Sox was on the mound in relief. Two pitches later, Rodriguez hit a weak ground ball for another double play and this time boos rained down on him as loud they ever have before.
Perhaps it was a manifestation of the frustration that the fans have been feeling the whole season with the entire team. They had seen bad at bats, terrible approaches at the plate in run scoring situations and an inability to produce all season. Here was just another example and the fans could not hold in their frustration and anger any longer.
Just like that, we were back to 2006 all over again.
In the eighth inning, while fielding a groundball Rodriguez heard another loud chorus of boos. I refer to it as “The Petr Nedved treatment” where he would be booed mercilessly as a member of the New York Rangers whenever he would touch the puck.
The fans seem to have had it with ARod again.
Thursday brought more of the same.
He went 0 for4 with three strikeouts and boos intensified with each one. It was again at its worst in the fifth inning where Rodriguez popped out to Jason Varitek with runners on first and third with one out.
This does not figure to end anytime soon.
With each passing loss and the inevitability of a non-playoff year, this old-new issue between the fans and ARod figures to resurface on a full time basis.
His statistics look fine on paper. However, as some people fail to realize, baseball games are not won on paper. When you look deeper and realize the following numbers:
Less than .240 with RISP
3 RBI’s after the seventh inning
One for 10 with the bases loaded.
Those speak for themselves. You can talk about small sample sizes, but hitters do not get 600 chances to come through in those situations.
It is enough to make one conclude that his performance last year was primarily due to being motivated by a new contract as opposed to succumbing to the “pressure” that comes with playing for the Yankees.
No one will be surprised to see him go on a tear the last two or three weeks once it appears the team is eliminated from playoff contention. By doing that, at the end of the day, he will be able to look at his numbers and say, “Hey, it was not my fault. I put up my numbers”.
Part of the problem is that they have a few guys like that on the roster and Rodriguez is the poster boy.
He cannot complain about poor treatment anymore. That talk ceased the moment he willingly opted out of his contract after last season and put his John Hancock on a ten-year $275 million extension, with incentives that can take it up to $300 million.
The moment that happened, he officially waived his right to complain about any treatment or the high expectations that have been placed on him. If he could not accept that, he should have taken lesser money and go play in another city.
He chose not to, and so he must take everything that comes with playing for the Yankees, including the criticism.
For the next nine years, both the fans and ARod are married together. They will either sink or swim together. He will be revered if they win a championship. Or, ARod will be the modern day Dave Winfield.
In the mean time, the fans are going to let their voices be heard until Alex consistently puts this issue to rest.
If he does not, Yankee fans are set to make his life a living hell again.
But at least he has $275 million reasons to tune it all out.
In 2007, it was thought to have been a breakthrough.
Alex Rodriguez, by virtue of his performance, and his knack for hitting game changing and game winning home runs, had earned the fans love and admiration.
It had been a long time coming.
Four years into the orchestrated marriage had seen the worst of times and the best of times.
Despite not having the greatest of postseasons, Yankee fans had reason to believe that a corner had been turned and that the drama of the past had finally been put aside.
Then ARod opted out of his contract during Game 4 of the World Series.
He went searching for the highest dollar and could not find any takers. Seeing the mistake he had created, he came running back to the Yankees and the team embraced him with a contract to the tune of $275 million.
Even during this 2008 season, he continued to receive among the loudest of cheers whenever he would step up to the plate. Though not having the same production, many looked on and thought it only to be natural based off the uber-season he had the year before.
As the Yankees continued to stumble their way through the season, it was being overlooked that Rodriguez was not being very productive with runners in scoring position. In previous seasons, this would have been immediate fodder for talk radio, message boards and internet blogs.
Tuesday night with the season on the brink in a crucial series with Boston, the fans that had been seeing this same old story, finally ended their season long silence.
In the fifth inning, with the Yankees trailing 6-2 and runners on first and second with one out, Rodriguez, with his team in desperate need of a big hit, lifted a shallow fly to center that did not move the runners and a scattering of boos came from the crowd.
He had already grounded into a double play in his previous at bat, now this. In his first 92 games, Rodriguez had grounded into only four double plays.
Now, with the season in serious peril, he was coming up small. In the last 19 games, he had hit into eight double plays. Consistently killing rallies and compounding the team’s offensive struggles.
In the seventh inning, almost by coincidence, the Yankees loaded the bases trailing 7-3 and the moment once again found Rodriguez.
A feeling of dread was in the air. You would never say this about most great baseball players.
But with this man, this stench exists. You do not hear it with David Ortiz, Albert Pujols or Manny Ramirez. However, it exists on such an exorbitant level with this one player.
His failures in the postseason are enough to create a montage. Pick the game and the situation and you can refer to him failing in a big spot.
Justin Masterson of the Red Sox was on the mound in relief. Two pitches later, Rodriguez hit a weak ground ball for another double play and this time boos rained down on him as loud they ever have before.
Perhaps it was a manifestation of the frustration that the fans have been feeling the whole season with the entire team. They had seen bad at bats, terrible approaches at the plate in run scoring situations and an inability to produce all season. Here was just another example and the fans could not hold in their frustration and anger any longer.
Just like that, we were back to 2006 all over again.
In the eighth inning, while fielding a groundball Rodriguez heard another loud chorus of boos. I refer to it as “The Petr Nedved treatment” where he would be booed mercilessly as a member of the New York Rangers whenever he would touch the puck.
The fans seem to have had it with ARod again.
Thursday brought more of the same.
He went 0 for4 with three strikeouts and boos intensified with each one. It was again at its worst in the fifth inning where Rodriguez popped out to Jason Varitek with runners on first and third with one out.
This does not figure to end anytime soon.
With each passing loss and the inevitability of a non-playoff year, this old-new issue between the fans and ARod figures to resurface on a full time basis.
His statistics look fine on paper. However, as some people fail to realize, baseball games are not won on paper. When you look deeper and realize the following numbers:
Less than .240 with RISP
3 RBI’s after the seventh inning
One for 10 with the bases loaded.
Those speak for themselves. You can talk about small sample sizes, but hitters do not get 600 chances to come through in those situations.
It is enough to make one conclude that his performance last year was primarily due to being motivated by a new contract as opposed to succumbing to the “pressure” that comes with playing for the Yankees.
No one will be surprised to see him go on a tear the last two or three weeks once it appears the team is eliminated from playoff contention. By doing that, at the end of the day, he will be able to look at his numbers and say, “Hey, it was not my fault. I put up my numbers”.
Part of the problem is that they have a few guys like that on the roster and Rodriguez is the poster boy.
He cannot complain about poor treatment anymore. That talk ceased the moment he willingly opted out of his contract after last season and put his John Hancock on a ten-year $275 million extension, with incentives that can take it up to $300 million.
The moment that happened, he officially waived his right to complain about any treatment or the high expectations that have been placed on him. If he could not accept that, he should have taken lesser money and go play in another city.
He chose not to, and so he must take everything that comes with playing for the Yankees, including the criticism.
For the next nine years, both the fans and ARod are married together. They will either sink or swim together. He will be revered if they win a championship. Or, ARod will be the modern day Dave Winfield.
In the mean time, the fans are going to let their voices be heard until Alex consistently puts this issue to rest.
If he does not, Yankee fans are set to make his life a living hell again.
But at least he has $275 million reasons to tune it all out.
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