A-Rod fever, let's predict his 2007 HR total ?

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Posted By: Andrew Parks

"Why doesn't A-Rod make his team better?"

One person does less for a team's success in baseball than any other sport. A player only has about four chances every game to do something offensely. In football, you can control what guys touch the ball. In basketball, it's the same...same as hockey.

But in baseball, you have no control when your players will have an impact on the game. After the first inning, it's a turkey shoot as to when which player will get up to bat when and what situation.

Defensively, your most important guy is the pitcher, but he only pitches once every five games.

If a baseball team can not throw strikes and play defense, it doesn't matter if you have Ruth, Gehrig or Foxx hitting for you, you will not win. I repeat...you will not win!

Even Babe Ruth's teams only won 10 pennants in 22 years. But they had a few other guys who could play a little AND pitch, too!

Look at the Rockies - they had Walker, Castilla, Burks and Bichette hitting in the middle of the order - how many times did they go to play-offs?

Pujols has been in the league sixth years (now in his seventh) - the Cards finally won the WS last year and this year, they have a losing record.

If you can't pitch or catch the ball, you don't win - it ain't A-Rod's fault that the pitching staff can't stay healthy.