NEW YORK - If this were a Hollywood script, you would not pass this off as reality.
The main character, Alex Rodriguez, known as enemy number one by a large segment of his own fans because of his yearly failures to come up with a big hit, gets busted for steroid use and later a hip injury, further diminishing his standing and also keeping him out of action for possibly the entire season.
His team, the Yankees, proceed to struggle without him in the lineup for the first six weeks and immediately upon his return, they sprint off to the best record in baseball while he plays a supporting role, no longer the star of the show. He gets praise and admiration more for saying nothing and playing than talking a lot and coming up small.
The Rodriguez character then enters the postseason even more calm and relaxes than previous years with protection in front and behind him on a team that has embraced him and his contributions. All he needs to do is come up with a hit here and there, not be a rally killer and if possible, provide a memorable moment that we will not soon forget.
Ladies and gentlemen, we bring you the featured film, "A-Rod Strikes Back".
The Yankees were three outs away from dropping an unfathomable game at home to the Minnesota Twins that would have evened the series up at a game apiece and given many Yankees fans that belief that like the last three Division Series, this one too would end in another disappointing finish.
Joe Nathan, the Twins closer, was on the mound in the bottom of the ninth needing to get those final outs. Outside of Mariano Rivera and Jonathan Paplebon, Nathan has been the best closer in baseball.
Back in May, the Yankees trailed Nathan and the Twins 4-2 before rallying to get three runs in the bottom of the ninth against Nathan to win the game. When facing the Yankees, Nathan has never been automatic.
Mark Teixeira led off the inning with a hard single into right to give the Yankees the chance they were seeking.
As the baseball saying goes, "A bloop and a blast."
In stepped Rodriguez, who had driven home the only Yankee run of the evening with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 1 after the Twins Brendan Harris gave Minnesota the lead with an RBI triple in the top half of the inning.
On Wednesday in Game 1, it was A-Rod who put his early imprint on in this series by getting two hits and driving in two runs in the Yankees 7-2 opening win. Both of the hits came with two outs and early indicators were that Rodriguez was not tense and simply allowing the game to come to him.
Now as he made his way to the plate in the ninth inning, the Stadium crowd was rising as one, clapping their hands and cheering on a man they had once booed heavily. There was belief that perhaps this time would be different. Over the course of the year, the Yankees had registered 51 come from behind victories. However, this situation was different. This was not about the team, but rather Rodriguez himself. Battling his own past playoff demons, if he didn't come through or at worst, hit into a double play, he would be looked at as the goat once again.
Nathan's first pitch was outside for ball one. The second pitch was outside for ball two, even further than the first one. The 2-0 pitch was again outside to make it 3-0.
Clearly, Nathan wanted no part of Rodriguez despite his great stuff.
You wondered now if A-Rod would tense up knowing he had all of the leverage. He took the 3-0 pitch inside for a strike that was designed to get him to pop up if he was given the green light. At this moment, I predicted to my colleagues that if the next pitch was three inches closer to the plate that Rodriguez would take it out of park.
Of course, to the still pessimistic public, the worst is still predicted for this man before anything positive. As the 3-1 pitch was let go by Nathan, the enigmatic Yankee slugger took his hack, got good wood on the fat part of the bat and gave it a ride.
The crowd seemingly rose again (is that possible while already standing?), many extending their arms to give the signal of a potential home run. Center fielder Carlos Gomez was on the run attempting to track it down deep in right center. He kept going and going until finally looking up and seeing the ball land in the Yankees bullpen to tie the game.
As Rodriguez hit the ball, he gestured to the Yankee bench giving the signal that he got all of it and that it was a home run. The new Stadium, hosting only its second postseason game, began to shake and rock as if it were back across the street again. Rodriguez rounded third, headed for home and slapped fists with Teixeira, (the man who started the inning with the single) and was greeted at the Yankee dugout by his teammates, the ones who made him "one of the guys" earlier in the season now rubbing his head, patting him on the back and giving him hugs.
Finally, he made his way to the top step of the dugout to salute the fans, the same group who has booed him and cheered him over their odd six year relationship. This was the moment they had been waiting for a long time. Their love and appreciation for him increasing and now reaching its pinnacle in one loud ovation.
The Yankees would go on to win two innings later when Teixeira deep drive just barely cleared the fence for a 4-3 win and 2-0 series lead. But his walk off winner will never be remembered as much as what happened in the ninth.
Where does this all lead? No one knows yet. Maybe this truly is the year when Rodriguez finally earns his stripes.
It will be a long time coming.
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