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Posted By: <b>Bob</b><p>A-Rod is continuing to throw up clinkers in post season play. Who else can you name who was a terrific player who was abysmal in October? I remember Ted Williams had a horrible series in his only World Series and that Ty Cobb stunk the place up when he faced Honus Wagner and the Pirates in their first ever (only?) meeting, but who else has gone belly up when it counted?
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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Well of course, we have poor Bill Buckner. Without his '86 World Series blunder, his career would have placed him on the cusp for getting into the HOF.<br /><br />Peter C.
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Posted By: <b>Tom D</b><p>Trevor Hoffman will be remembered as the closer with awful postseason results.
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Posted By: <b>Tony Andrea</b><p>If my memory serves me right, I believe recently reading an article<br />that stated Rogers Hornsby batted a measly .244 in his two world series<br />appearances. Many consider him to be the greatest hitter ever.<br />Although I'm not a Yankee fan, this is why I admire Jeter's post season <br />stat's. The guy's a stud, (pardon my French)......<br /><p>Tony<br /><br />
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Posted By: <b>Marc S.</b><p>Dennis Eckersley was particularly bad in World Series.<br /><br />Craig Biggio has also been terrible in the postseason.
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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>"I set records that will never be equaled. In fact, I hope 90% of them don't even get printed."<br /><br />"In 1962 I was named Minor League Player of the Year. It was my second season in the Bigs."<br /><br />"I had slumps that lasted into the winter."<br /><br />"The highlight of my career? In '67 with St. Louis, I walked with the bases loaded to drive in the winning run in an intersquad game in spring training."<br />
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Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>Some Stars who also had bad W.S. batting performances.... <br /><br />Hodges<br />Hornsby<br />Mathews<br />Mays<br />McCovey<br />F. Robinson<br /><br />Yesterday, no one on the Yankees could hit Cleveland's "big ace" and A-Rod walked twice. I think he is due to <br />break out of his post season jinx this time.<br /><br />TED Z
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Posted By: <b>howard</b><p>Dave Winfield had a couple of awful post-season series although he also had a series winning hit.
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Posted By: <b>Brian</b><p>Barry Bonds
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Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>Then who was that Bonds guy on the Giants that had one of the most dominant World Series performances in the history of baseball when they played the Angels? I thought his name was Barry.<br /><br />-Ryan
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Posted By: <b>quan</b><p>arod is a victim of small sample size. from memory he was fine in seattle and his first year with the yankees. i would rather taking 9 choking arods in the playoff than the scrappy/hustling/clutch david ecksteins craig counsels darren erstads of the world (i think 99.9% of baseball fans would agree with me...give or take .1%).
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Posted By: <b>Fred C</b><p>Quan,<br /><br />Interesting question. I'd take the nobodys on my team if I knew it meant the series would go the way I wanted it to. Now if you mean "going into the series with a bunch of A-rods vs a bunch of nobodys" and all things being equal (not knowing what would happen), then I'd take the choking A-rods.
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Posted By: <b>David B</b><p>Hey Quan,<br /><br />I would respectfully have to disagree. I would take the Ecksteins, Counsels, and Brynes' in the playoffs. They have something to prove. Maybe I'm just the .01%. I love the underdog. Go dbacks.
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Posted By: <b>quan</b><p>my point is would you want 9 guys like arods or a line-up of scott brosius, eckstein, counsel, erstad, theriot hustler type on your team? being the underdog and have that feel-good story is nice but i want the best chance of winning.<br /><br />being a dodgers fan my hope is that new york tanks again and they blame everything on arod and we have a chance of signing him when he opts out...but my gut feeling is steinbrenner and co. are too smart to let him get away.<br /><br />also david b. ur dbacks is an amazing story this year. they are playing way above their head and their pythagorean expectation...the nl west will be good for years to come with all the young stars on every team.
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Posted By: <b>Tony Andrea</b><p>David B -<br />Good to see another D-back fan. <br />Do you reside in Arizona??<br /><br /><p>Tony A. in Chandler, Arizona<br /> GO D-BACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Posted By: <b>anthony</b><p>quan, dont you live something like 30 feet from anaheim? i know of some dodger fans but do you root for the angels too?
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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Quan,<br /><br />Here's a fairer question how about a line-up of all Jeters vs. a line-up of all ARods, which would you rather have going into a World Series?<br /><br />Peter C.
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Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>Quan, <br /><br />I guess you can count me in that .1% of baseball fans that would prefer to win. It's funny that all the guys you mention (Eckstein, Counsell, Erstad, Brosius) all have championship rings. In fact, all but Erstad have MULTIPLE rings! In addition, both Eckstein and Brosius have been World Series MVP.<br /><br />To answer your question, yes, I would much rather have a team full of winners than your team full of losers, or as you put it "A-Rods." Hell, I'd throw Eckstein on the mound and make him throw lefty. Don Larsen only had one perfect game in the World Series. My scrappy pseudo-amidextrous midget might throw back to back to back perfectos! I also might let Counsell pitch, but using 19th century stiff-arm delivery only. Or maybe underhand. Either way, your team of A-Rods has no chance of getting on base, let alone score a run. <br /><br />As a Yankee fan, I am not at all joking when I say I would gladly trade A-Rod for Brosius straight up. And Brosius has been retired since 2001! I may be an idiot, but I want the best chance of winning. It is not possible to win with Alex Rodriguez. <br /><br />It was Shakespeare who wrote the most accurate description of A-Rod's career to date: Full of sound and fury, SIGNIFYING NOTHING. <br /><br />-Ryan
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Posted By: <b>OaklandAsfan</b><p>Barry Bonds??? October 5 2007, 6:16 PM <br /><br /><br />Then who was that Bonds guy on the Giants that had one of the most dominant World Series performances in the history of baseball when they played the Angels? I thought his name was Barry.<br /><br />-Ryan<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br />That would be the chemically enhanced new and improved Barry Bonds. The real non chemical version stunk up the field in post season play.
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Posted By: <b>Bob</b><p>A-Rod had another magnificent game tonight. He just can't seem to hit a sinker or a fastball on the inside corner above the knees. Guess it's hard to make good contact when you swing while clutching your throat with both hands.
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Posted By: <b>Ed Ivey</b><p>I feel bad for the poor rich guy. The behemoth of post season jinx perpetuated by New York media weighs heavy on the subconscience. He should just picture the opposing players in their underwear and relax. I took psych 101 as a freshman. Got a B.
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Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>The Yankees have gotten 8 hits in 20 innings, and yet people will still find a way to pin it on A-Rod. <br /><br />It doesn't matter that the Yankees have three players hitting over .143 thus far. It doesn't matter that Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui are also hitless thus far, or that super-clutch Derek Jeter is 1 for 8 and has actually been on base one fewer time than A-Rod. It doesn't matter that Chien-Ming Wang couldn't get the ball over the plate, or that the Yankee bullpen (besides Joba and Mo) don't know what that big white thing on the ground in front of the catcher is.<br /><br />The fact that Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui have each left 7 men on base doesn't enter into it. Luis Vizcaino's 2 walks in 2/3 of an inning last night don't matter. People have been waiting since April to blame A-Rod for the Yankees' loss, and regardless of whether the Yankees would have been fighting to play .500 ball without him, they're going to blame him. He could have gone 4-for-4 in both games, and if the Yankees lost, it would still be his fault.<br /><br />When he leaves New York this year and Wilson Betemit plays third base, Yankee fans will be happy. But I will still know that the worst season of Alex Rodriguez' career - last season - was still a better season than the best season of any third baseman in the entire history of the New York Yankees. And I grew up a Nettles fan.<br /><br />-Al<br /><br />
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Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>I like Joe Torre....but, last night his decision to replace Pettitte with Chamberlain was really a bad decision.<br />When you are hanging on to a tenuous 1-run lead in such an important game, you bring in your tried and true"<br /> closer.....Rivera should have been in there in the 8th inning.
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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>I don't feel sorry for ARod's continuing sorry performance. Let's face it, the guy has everything in the world going for him: bucks, looks, a beautiful wife. It's kind of nice that we find out he's human. However, I don't like the steroid rumors floating around him. That's unfair. Especially, when it's all speculation.<br /><br />Peter C.
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Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>Did I miss something, Peter? I've never heard ARod's name associated with steroids, ever.<br /><br />Ted, I am not sure I would have brought in Joba, either, but I don't think I would have gone with Rivera that early. Given the sorry state of the Yankee bullpen, I probably would have stayed with Pettite, who had only thrown 93 pitches and had gotten himself out of jams all night. I guess I would have given him one baserunner.<br /><br />-Al
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Posted By: <b>quan</b><p>hey anthony,<br />went to a few angels games (against the dodgers) but never really been a fan. how can you not love the dodgers with billy ashley, delino deshields, and raul mondesi!<br /><br />peter,<br />close call but i'd still take 9 a-rods with his ungodly EQA+ over 9 Jeters with his intangibles and winnerism...although i've got no problem with Jeter as he's a probable hof'er.<br /><br />ryan,<br />i can't argue with you as you have the gift of gab and your biting sarcastic humor always cracks me up. However throughout the season players will have stretches of 1-18 or 4-31. You can't just focus on these small sample sizes and judge someone by them. I put Eckstein and Brosius in there knowing they were playoff MVPs to prove the point that if you look at a small number of games anyone can get lucky and look like Babe Ruth. However they're both average players at best in their careers and without guys like Arod they wouldn't even be in the playoffs. Eckstein/Brosius career value/win share above replacement players would suggest they're interchangeable with guys like alex cora and mark bellhorn...
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Posted By: <b>David Atkatz</b><p>Rivera's done. How many blown saves will it take before people realize he's not the Rivera of old? He's just a good pitcher now; nothing spectacular.<br /><br />Instead of being a future starter, they should be grooming Joba for Mo's job.
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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>David, what do you think they're doing? Rivera has maybe one more year left; Joba will be the setup man next year and closer the year after -- much the way Rivera started his Yankee career.
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Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>Done?<br /><br />He's getting older, yes, but he's not done.<br /><br />Rivera blew 4 saves this year. That's fewer than Joe Borowski (8), Francisco Rodgriguez (6), Bobby Jenks (6), Todd Jones (6), Jeremy Accardo (5), Jose Valverde (7), Francisco Cordero (7), Trevor Hoffman (7), Chad Cordero (9), Billy Wagner (5), and David Weathers (6). Of all the closers in the majors with 30 saves or more this year, only a few blew fewer saves.<br /><br />And while Rivera's 3.15 ERA was the highest of his career, he essentially had 5 or 6 bad outings this season - a few bunched up at the beginning of the year and a few more at the end. <br /><br />Granted, he had an off-year. But I wouldn't consider him done.<br /><br />When the Yankees wise up and decide that they shouldn't be grooming Joba to be a starting pitcher, I would imagine you'll see Rivera closing games for one more year, and then moving into a setup role in 2009 with Joba as the closer. Rivera wants to pitch at the new Yankee Stadium, so I don't see him going anywhere.<br /><br />-Al
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Posted By: <b>Fred C</b><p>Rivera, done? Wow, that ERA really stunk. I think Mariano has a few good years left. It'd be interesting to see Joba in the closers role but I think it'd be a little short sighted for the Yanks to do something like that. Let Joba pull a year or two as the main set up guy. He will get hammered and how he handles the beating will determine just how good a closer he will be. Sure Trevor Hoffman's little meltdown at the end of the season was poor timing (and not planned by Trevor) but that doesn't make him a wash out. Trevor's strength is in his ability to bounce back from the occassional poor outing. He'll be back next year, just like Mariano should be for the Yankees. Mariano is tried, true and tested. <br /><br />Now how about A-rod those first two games? A couple of bad days doesn't make a season. He still has a chance to turn it around. He's still DANGEROUS when he's in the batters box.
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Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>Al, <br /><br />I have to agree that it is absurd for anyone to blame A-Rod for the hole the Yankees find themselves in. Don't get me wrong, he does suck. But this postseason he might not even be in top 10 of those most responsible for the Yankees losing. In fact, even the most ardent A-Rod hater among Yankee fans (certainly I'm a member of that club) cannot deny the fact that the Yankees would not have even sniffed the playoffs this year were it not for Alex Rodriguez. There is no question he was the MVP of the regular season. He was even clutch this year in ways that he has not been in the past. His home runs this year were not all solo shots when the Yankees were winning 8-0 in the 9th inning. <br /><br />But that doesn't change the fact that he is, indeed, a huge loser that now has a 3-year running postseason batting average in double-digits (.085) with zero RBIs. We're talking about 3 hits in 35 at-bats. <br /><br />So I will have to respectfully disagree with your statement that Alex Rodriguez has had the greatest year in the history of Yankee thirdbasemen. As of right now, I would put him 27th on the list, behind the following (in chronological order):<br /><br />1. Joe Dugan - 1923<br />2. Joe Dugan - 1927<br />3. Joe Dugan - 1928<br />4. Joe Sewell - 1932<br />5. Red Rolfe - 1936<br />6. Red Rolfe - 1937<br />7. Red Rolfe - 1938<br />8. Red Rolfe - 1939<br />9. Red Rolfe - 1941<br />10. Billy Johnson - 1943<br />11. Billy Johnson - 1947<br />12. Bobby Brown - 1949<br />13. Billy Johnson - 1950<br />14. Bobby Brown - 1951<br />15. Gil McDougald - 1952<br />16. Gil McDougald - 1953<br />17. Andy Carey - 1956<br />18. Andy Carey - 1958<br />19. Clete Boyer - 1961<br />20. Clete Boyer - 1962<br />21. Graig Nettles - 1977<br />22. Graig Nettles - 1978<br />23. Wade Boggs - 1996<br />24. Scott Brosius - 1998<br />25. Scott Brosius - 1999<br />26. Scott Brosius - 2000<br /><br />The good news is that this year is not yet over and A-Rod still has a chance to have the greatest year ever for a Yankee thirdbaseman! But for now, he's #27 on the list.<br /><br />-Ryan
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Posted By: <b>Denny Walsh</b><p>I just want to say, "That I believe in A-Rod!" He'll come trough..... Cleveland HAS to win in NY... & that doesn't seem real easy... The Bronx is Hungry! Arod will deliver!!!<br /><br />& I'm a Mets Fan of 42 years Now...<br /><br />Life's Grand,<br />Denny Walsh
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Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>Hi Ryan:<br /><br />Hope all is well.<br /><br />Hey, was Ted Williams any good?<br /><br />-Al
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Posted By: <b>Cat (ret.)</b><p>The main thing that is wrong with the Yankees are the Indians.
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Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>Al, <br /><br />Ted Williams was great, but he sure choked in the 1946 World Series. Of course, if he wasn't so stubborn he wouldn't have tried to hit directly into the "shift" and just poked a few singles into left field. Ted Williams being Ted Williams, he simply could not do it. I think he would have felt somehow like a coward or less of a man. I'm sure the Cardinals knew this and it played right into their hands. <br /><br />Do I think less of Ted Williams due to his inability to perform in the clutch the one chance he had to win a championship? Yes. But he was no A-Rod. <br /><br />I bet if he'd gotten into another World Series, or could have gone back in time and done 1946 all over again, he'd have sprayed a few singles down the third base line. <br /><br />-Ryan<br /><br />
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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>It takes more than one bad player to lose. <br /><br />The Indians won game one 12-3. I'm hoping Yankee fans weren't expecting ARod to bat in 10 runs.
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Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>Ryan was, David.<br /><br />Ryan wanted A-Rod to hit a 12-run homer that could win six World Series.<br /><br />-Al
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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>I think if you hit a grand slam and round the bases three times before the ball lands, they'll give you 12 runs ... or call you out.
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Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>Al,<br /><br />I guess I was hoping for at least 4 hits in 35 at-bats with at least 1 RBI over three postseasons, but I know those are unrealistic expectations and probably too much pressure to put on a professional baseball player. <br /><br />Don't worry, when he goes 2 for 5 with a home run in game 3, he'll be crowned King of New York and touted as the greatest clutch performer in sports history by you and the rest of the A-Rod apologists, especially if the Yankees lose. That way, you can all rejoice that it wasn't A-Rod's fault: <br /><br />A-Rod fan club: "Did you hear about the great year Alex Rodriguez had?"<br /><br />Ryan: "No, I hadn't heard. Did he help the Yankees win the World Series?"<br /><br />A-Rod fan club: "No, they were swept by Cleveland in the first round. But it wasn't HIS fault! There were bugs."<br /><br />Ryan: "You're right. A-Rod really is the greatest living organism in the history of Earth."<br /><br /><br />-Ryan<br /><br /><br />
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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Ryan, I'm not sure it's fair to say that ARod has choked in THIS post-season. No doubt he has in the past, but the sample here is too small and he's faced possibly the best two pitchers in the AL thus far. I think that's the point of the "apologists" (at least I hope it is).<br /><br />I'm not a Yankee fan and NY has destroyed the guy in the press. You're wrong to think that NY has embraced him in any way or apologized for his shortcomings. I'm not sure I can recall a NY athlete in recent times who has been abused as badly by the press and fans despite the fact that he's about to win a second MVP while playing here.<br /><br />As for his proclivity to choke, he batted .458 in the 9th innings of games this year with like 8 HRs. He nearly singlehandedly brought the Yankees back from the brink many times this year. He was easily the best clutch hitter in baseball this year.<br /><br />All that being said, at least in NY, until you produce a championship you're nothing here. I think NYers are tougher on their stars than any other city. Do you think the newspapers in Seattle, Texas, etc ever got on him like they do here? There are very few ARod apologists here. Even Yankee fans hate him which, in my opinion, is a disgrace.
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Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>Your thoughts were mine, too....let Pettitte at least start the 8th and see what developes.<br />He was amazing in all those innings with Clev. base runners anxious to score.....this is why <br />in October he (and my old friend David Wells) were amazing.<br /><br />But, the media reported (don't know how true this was) that he told Torre he was "tired".<br /><br />The Yankees are in a deep hole now....but, if I recall they came back from a 0-2 deficit in <br />1978, and more recently an 0-2 deficit with Oakland.<br /><br />Of course that latter brink of disaster was turned around by Jeter's fantastic play covering<br /> the throw from RF (by the 1st base line) and flipping the ball to homeplate to get the out.<br />That play was so huge, it apparently de-moralized the A's.<br /><br />TED Z
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Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>Jeff, <br /><br />I can't go so far as to say A-Rod hasn't choked this postseason. It's just that many Yankees have choked much worse. He did strike out in some key situations, but he hasn't even been up in more than one or two key situations so far. Plus, it honestly looked to me like he faced some particularly nasty pitches that I'm not sure anyone could have hit. Matsui has also been consisently awful in the postseason since that absurd game at Fenway Park that shifted the world off its axis and led to the worst of all possible outcomes, the Red Sox winning the World Series.<br /><br />A-Rod could strike out 10 more times this series and all of them together would not come close to adding up to Posada's choke with the bases loaded, down by one run, 3-0 count, swinging (and missing) at ball four three times in a row. <br /><br />All of the Yankee hitters are choking to some degree, many of them worse than A-Rod. This year, at least so far, it actually is not A-Rod's fault that the Yankees are losing. How refreshing!<br /><br />-Ryan
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Posted By: <b>John Kalafarski</b><p>In 1946 the Dodgers and the Cards ended the season in a flat-footed tie (love that cliche). They moved on to a 2 of three playoff situation. To keep his charges sharp, Joe Cronin scheduled the Red Sox to a three game exhibition series against an all star team (including Joe D). In the first game, Ted was hit directly on the elbow by Senator lefty Mickey Haefner. The elbow "swelled up like a hard-boiled egg." Ted was advised by team Doctor to rest, but there was little time to rest with the series coming up fast.<br />Later on, Ted figured out a way to beat the Boudreau shift by going to a heavier bat causing him to pull the ball less. And when the defense adjusted, he went to a lighter bat. <br />For the most part, when David Ortiz sees a shift, he continues to pull, hitting into the shift. Teams would love to see hitters like Williams and Ortiz go for singles the other way.
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Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>What bothers me about the whole A-Rod argument it this wacky idea that somehow his postseason performance negates everything else he's done in his career.<br /><br />Yes, he's had a string of poor postseasons. And it looks like his 2007 postseason, despite it only being a few games long, isn't going to be any good, either.<br /><br />That said, if you look at his postseason record, it's really only the last three series where he's put up poor numbers. He started slumping at the end of the 2004 series against the Red Sox, and wound up hitting .258 in 31 at bats for that series. In the 2005 postseason against Anaheim, he hit .133, and last year he hit .071.<br /><br />Prior to that, in four postseason series (I won't count his two at bats in the 1995 postseason), his batting averages were .313, .308, .409, and .421. Not bad at all.<br /><br />The guy puts up the best numbers of all-time as a shortstop, then moves over to third base and puts up the best numbers of all-time there, too. My suspicion, though, is that he gets buried by the press and by fans because he makes so much money, because of his ill-advised Esquire magazine article, and because he's a bit of a pretty boy.<br /><br />Shame, though.<br /><br />-Al
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Posted By: <b>dennis</b><p>arod needs to be traded to the cubs so he can choke with the best!
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Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Al and Ryan: I agree with both of your posts.<br /><br />People want to hate ARod because of the cash and because of his bad PR moves. It's typical schadefreude. Bottom line, he has done things on the ball field that no one before him has ever done.
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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>Fans may expect too much from ARod. However, fans have also said he's paid too much for what a single player can contribute to a team and he's yet to turn down a paycheck.<br /><br />Players expect pay commensurate or higher than performance, and fans expect performance commensurate with pay. In this equation, the fans are the fairer as they never expect performance higher than pay.
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Posted By: <b>Fred C</b><p>Look at A-rod, he got two hits on Sunday and now he's hitting .200 in the series. If he goes 3/5 in the next game he'll be batting .333 and people will start praising him. Now if the Yanks stretch it to game 5 and A-rod cranks a couple HRs while going 3/5 again (and the Yanks win) then we'll hear that he's one of the better post season players because he hit .400 in that series. One thing about BB stats is that a few good days can really make a player look great. Oh yeah, this is A-rod were talking about here. He's like the new Barry Bonds - the player people love to hate. Could you imagine if A-rod was as humble as Jeter and had just half the class of Jeter? He'd be a god. From a stat stand point A-rod is incredible. He's the guy everyone wants on their roto-league team.
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Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>With Wang on the mound today, the Yankees have a pretty good shot at going to a game 5. Arod will have his chance to lose the choker label. He's also pretty young so he may have many chances in the future also.<br /><br />Peter C.
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Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>David Eckstein, Pat Borders, Rick Dempsy, Steve Yeager, Bucky Dent, Gene Tenace, Ralph Terry, Lew Burdette, Don Larsen.<br /><br />When you look back and see the non-stars who won World Series MVPs, you realize the World Series is a short duration and anyone can do well and anyone can do poorly during a short duration. The Toronto Blue Jays had two World Series MVPs in consecutive years, Paul Molitor and Pat Borders. Tell me that combination doesn't have something more to with than player ability. Paul Molitor was a great player, 3000 hit club, Hall of Famer. And Pat Borders?
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Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>Good point, David. A few years back, before the Yankees won a World Series, I remember reading an article somewhere that said "It's time for another unexpected player to become a World Series hero." The author of the article contended that it was always a bit player that came up big in the Series, and made some key contributions that helped his team win. Even if a monster player won the MVP, it was a little guy who contributed an unexpected hit, play in the field, whatever. And, true to form, that year Luis Sojo made some big plays for the Yanks.<br /><br />Even in 1978, when Bucky Dent won the World Series MVP, Brian Doyle (filling in for an injured Willie Randolph) hit .438 for the series, leading all Yankee batters.<br /><br />So I agree with the "little guy" concept.<br /><br />As far as ARod is concerned, he went 2-for-4 last night and scored a key run, but it doesn't matter. The Yanks won by 4. He could have gone 4-for-4 with four home runs, and his detractors would have said "He only hits when the Yankees win big."<br /><br />To escape this stigma, it won't be enough if the Yankees just win. ARod has to actually win a big game. He has to be Joe Girardi, Jimmy Leyritz, and Scott Brosius, all rolled into one. He needs to hit a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game, and hit another one in the 11th to win it. Maybe he needs to strike out the side in the top of the inning, too. I don't know. MVP awards are clearly not enough in this case.<br /><br />-Al
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>David,<br /><br />Writer Bill James always had difficulties believing that hitters could actually "choke" or that guys like Joe Carter could actually hit better in the clutch. To some extent, I agree with him.<br /><br />If a pitcher is throwing a 90 mph heater at you, you would think a hitter is simply concentrating on making contact, does he really have time to choke and worry about whether he's going to make the ESPN baseball highlights that night?<br /><br />Peter C.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Ted Zanidakis</b><p>Hey guys.....It's not always the big guys....Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio or Mantle....here are some of the unexpected WS heroes<br /> for the following years.....<br /><br />1941....Joe Gordon and Charlie Keller<br /><br />1947....Johnny Lindell<br /><br />1949....Bobby Brown<br /><br />1950....Gene Woodling<br /><br />1951....Gil McDougald<br /><br />1952....Johnny Mize<br /><br />1953....Billy Martin<br /><br />1956....Don Larsen<br /><br />1958....Hank Bauer<br /><br />So, a surprise "hero" is nothing unusual under the October sun.....and, this is certainly true for other teams, too.<br /><br /><br />T-Rex TED
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>I thought A-Rod had a monster game, even though it was just two singles. His first hit was exactly what he needed (hopefully) to end the choke chapter of his postseason career. He made great contact and hit a seed in an early at-bat. Then he got on by hustle and effort, not talent, beating out an infield single. Very unlike A-Rod, but very big. It was still a two-run game when A-Rod led off that inning, but 3 outs later it was 8 to 3 with Joba and Rivera on the way. Game over.<br /><br />That was a great game in many ways. The two worst chokers on the Yankees the past few seasons have been A-Rod and Matsui. Both came up big on seemingly small plays. Both beat out infield singles and scored at key points as a result. Matsui's most clutch play was an incredible slide into third base that won't show up in his stats, but is his best postseason play since they played Boston. <br /><br />Better than all of that was what this game gave a sample of: the future of the New York Yankees. And it's a bright future. Hughes, Joba, Cano, Melky. No Farnsworth. It was great!<br /><br />Who would have thought the Yankees could win even one postseason game when their worst playoff player was Derek Jeter?<br /><br />If the Yankees crush the Indians tonight, I see big things in the near future. How great would it be for A-Rod to redeem himself by carrying the Yankees to a series victory over the Red Sox while hitting two homers off the ketchup sock?!<br /><br />He'd still have to help the Yankees win the World Series to redeem himself in my eyes, but I think most Yankee fans are ready to forgive him if he just helps get them out of the first round. <br /><br />A-Rod goes yard tonight, to the tarp!<br /><br />-Ryan<br /><br />
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Marc S.</b><p>I work in NYC nearly every day, working for a company that organizes information. All I have is stats / data / numbers / stories in front of me all day long.<br /><br />Derek Jeter has exactly one hit in twelve at-bats, including no walks, four strikeouts, and an amazing two GIDP yesterday alone. <br /><br />Were A-Rod to be 1:12, he would be crucified in the media, there would be outrage, and people would be calling for George's head, for not calling for ARod's head. But when Jeter sucks a big one this October...it nary gets mentioned.<br /><br />Is there a point at which we can suggest that people love to hate A-Rod and love to love Jeter...and will essentially find the data and statistics to prove their point, every time? <br /><br />~m
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Marc,<br /><br />I suppose Jeter is more likeable...but it goes beyond this. People will give D. Jeter more leeway because of his reputation for being a clutch hitter and player.<br /><br />At the same time they will give ARod less leeway because of his reputation for being a "choker."<br /><br />Peter C.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>Ryan, I definitely agree with you about the future of the Yankees. When they replace Roger Clemens on the roster with Ian Kennedy, I'll agree even more. Man, it is cool to see those young guys come in and steal a game in the postseason like that. Even if the Yankees lose, and I do think they will, this is great experience for those guys.<br /><br />Along the same lines, it's also cool to see Torre going with Wang on short rest over a very well-rested Mussina. Even if Wang gets hammered and Mussina replaces him in the early innings, it speaks volumes about the future of this team.<br /><br />-Al
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Fred C</b><p>Ryan,<br /><br />You're right, A-rod did OK in game 3. A-rod didn't resort to those poor tactics of trying to knock the ball out of a players glove nor did he pull some bush league move by calling for a pop-up! Go A-rod, turn it on and turn into A-god. Not.... If the Yanks are going to pull something out I'd rather see a nobody or Jeter pull the strings. <br /><br />I couldn't stand Jeter in the beginning because he's a frigging Yankee but how can anyone not like what he does for baseball? He's my favorite Yankee (I know, join the crowd).<br /><br />Yeah, I'm a Yankee hater (kind of) but I have to admit that we (Yankee haters, kind of) couldn't argue the points of the Yankees being a crappy organization... Ruth, Gehrig, Lazzari, Dickey, DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle etc. I didn't even name any pitchers... I think I don't like the Yanks because they have an ownership that believes in winning and will outspend everyone to maintain that belief. I sure my favorites team's ownership was like the Yanks...
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Al, your wish has been granted: Clemens is off the post-season roster until the WS. Nice 30 mil spent.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Fred C</b><p>His contract price was pro-rated to the time he actually spent on the team... oh how nice it must be to have ownership that will spend that kind of money for a part time player.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>I can't believe they replaced him with Ron Villone. <br /><br />-Al
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>If the Yankees are smart they will avoid reactivating Clemens for the WS, assuming the Yanks get into the WS. They have an amazing array of young arms, there's no need to take a chance that Roger's hamstring won't hold up.<br /><br />Peter C.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>Peter:<br /><br />Please let Joe Torre know.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />-Al
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, Al. Hard to imagine Villone getting into a game in any kind of important situation.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>I guess Cashman figured the bullpen could use another pitcher who can't get guys out.<br /><br />Just in case they run out, I mean.<br /><br />-Al
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Ryan Christoff</b><p>Marc's post loses some weight when the post before it, written by a Jeter fan and A-Rod hater, praises A-Rod and points out that the worst Yankee this postseason has been Derek Jeter. <br /><br />By the way, on October 17, 2004, in the top of the 3rd inning of game 4 of the ALCS vs. the Boston Red Sox, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run home run. Since then, he is 6 for 54 with zero RBIs in the postseason. <br /><br />As soon as Jeter has that kind of postseason futility, I promise I'll point out what a choke he is. I'd imagine the New York media might also let you know. But to be clear, Derek Jeter has been HORRIBLE in this series so far. <br /><br />Roger Clemens very well could be the greatest pitcher of all-time, but I, too, am glad to see him off the roster, even if it means the addition of Ron Villone. Clemens was the worst signing in the history of baseball (at least financially) and the ultimate symbol of Yankee front-office decisions that have kept the team from winning the past few years. That's why it's so encouraging to see all the young players they haven't traded away for has-been pitchers. <br /><br />This core of young players has the same feel as the Bernie-Posada-Jeter-Rivera crew that all came up together and created a dynasty. <br /><br />-Ryan<br /><br /><br /><br />
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Ryan, I agree. Amazing how the Yankees can basically take a $30 mil flyer on a washed-up Clemens without missing a beat. To a lesser extent, how about the $100 mil spent on Dice K? Wonder why Billy Beane could do with that money...
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>davidcycleback</b><p>Basketball coach Dick Bennett took the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to three NCAA tournaments despite Green Bay not being amongst the top 10 largest campuses in, get this, the University of Wisconsin system. He said, "With the talent we get, you are forced to teach the players how to play good defense." The implication being that many of better endowed opponents did not.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>Anybody have Arizona, Colorado, Cleveland, and Boston in their final four?
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>ARod homer in the bottom of the 7th of the 4th game of the division series against the Indians. He's definitely hot now, unfortunately it may be too late for the Yankees. They are still behind 6-3.<br /><br />Peter C.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>john/z28jd</b><p> Barry, in my preseason picks i actually had Cleveland vs Boston in the ALCS but had Dodgers vs Phillies in the NLCS. Last year i got the NL right and missed both AL teams.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Al C.risafulli</b><p>In my annual effort to make the Yankees' season last as long as possible, I stayed up and watched the postgame interviews last night on the YES network.<br /><br />I was really surprised at the comments from all the guys who may have the opportunity to leave at the end of the season. Usually, Yankee free agents make comments like "I really want to come back here, but it's up to George Steinbrenner what he wants to do, all I can do is wait and see."<br /><br />There were no comments like that last night from Torre, Pettite, Rivera, Posada, or ARod. I was surprised. I got the feeling that none of those guys were planning to come back next season. Rivera said something along the lines of "The Yankees had a chance to sign me and they didn't; I know it's a business, blah, blah, blah." Two years ago Rivera said he wanted to pitch at the new Yankee Stadium, but he backtracked significantly from that last night. <br /><br />I really think there's a possibility that there will be wholesale changes to the nucleus of this team next season. I'm not sure how I feel about that, since I love Posada, ARod and Rivera, I think Pettite has another solid year in him, and I've really grown to love the stability that Torre brings. At the same time, I really want to see the Yankees get significantly younger and cheaper, and think they have the opportunity to shed nearly $100 million in payroll by letting go of some of the big contracts that expire this year. <br /><br />-Al
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>I think there should be wholesale changes simply because too many of the veterans are getting too old. Mariano is not nearly as effective as he used to be, Giambi is an old jalopy, Clemens is done (and a great value at a cost of about a billion dollars per win); Mussina is losing it, Posada just has limited time left to be productive, etc. And the young kids they have brought up are exciting and productive.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Tony Andrea</b><p>The Yankee's need to take note of what 3 of the teams left have done to be successful.<br />The Rockies, D-Backs, & Indians all started from the ground up with their farm system<br />and stuck with these kids. Makes for better chemistry, & exciting baseball.<br />Seems the game as gotten a bit out of control with free agency the last 8-10 years.<br />Think about how many teams have totally different rosters each year. It's crazy.<br />There's no consistency anymore. <br />Go with the kids you draft, give them a chance to grow and learn and add a veteran or two<br />for leadership and experience. It makes for great baseball. <br /><p>Tony<br /><br />
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Barry: Mussina is "losing it"? You may want to use past tense!
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Eric Brehm</b><p>Tony, I think you're right, there's a lesson to be learned here. Building from the ground up not only fosters more team spirit and all that stuff, but in many cases produces more effective players. Funny thing is, that's the way baseball used to be. I'm surprised that the fans continue to put up with all the roster changes and lack of team loyalty we see now.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Tony Andrea</b><p>Interesting. Look at the MLB team payrolls for 07 as printed by the USA today. <br /><br /><a href="http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/totalpayroll.aspx?year=2007" target="_new" rel="nofollow">http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/totalpayroll.aspx?year=2007</a>
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Jeff Lichtman</b><p>Tony, as a Mets fan all I can say is that the team is a disgrace. At least the other top teams made the playoffs.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>Eric Brehm</b><p>Most remarkable is the fact that the Indians, Rockies, and Diamondbacks are all in the bottom eight. Along with the Padres, who were also very competitive this year. The baseball owners must all be looking at that and scratching their heads.
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A-Rod has pretty amazing company
Posted By: <b>peter chao</b><p>Eric,<br /><br />I'm sure the owners are thinking twice about whether they will enter the bidding for ARod's services, the price tag will be astronomical.<br /><br />Peter C.
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