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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

As a life-long Yankee fan, it was like a dream come true when the Yankees signed A Rod. Yes, they gave up Soriano, but I'd make that trade again in a heartbeat. What New Yorker didn't believe that Steinbrenner didn't just buy himself a few more championships.

Flash forward 4 years (and no championships) - I was still willing to cut A Rod some slack. He certainly had a magical year and while this post season wasn't stellar, at least it wasn't as abysmal as the last three. Maybe next year would be the year - he said he wanted to stay in New York. Maybe the regular season would finally carry over into the post season and the Yanks would bring home another World Series trophy.

Then - the announcement. Opt out my ass. It doesn't matter whether A Rod decided or Boras did. Neither one cares about Yankee tradition. Apparently, all A Rod cares about is the personal stats and the money. He could have hit .275 next year, but if he played big in the World Series and the Yanks won, he could have retired a hero. He doesn't deserve to wear the uniform. People in New York will remember Scott Brosius, Brian Doyle, Cecil Fielder, Chuck Knoblauch, Ricky Ledee, Jim Leyritz, Luis Sojo and Jose Vizcaino as guys who stepped up and played over their heads, even if just for a little while, to help the Yanks win a title. They will remember A Rod as a grand failure.

Good riddance. He can eat my shorts.


[Edited to change my Vizcaino faux pas.]