Results tagged ‘ Alex Rodriguez ’
Loosey Goosey times with MLB’s most entertaining player
I came across a photo today that brought me to a realization I did not expect, and one that might be a bit of hyperbole (this is an MLBlog, after all) – A-Rod is the most entertaining baseball player of my lifetime.
Here’s the link: http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/27/10519504-new-york-yankees-baseball-players-pose-for-media-day
The circumstances surrounding this photo are pretty basic and bland: The Yankees were taking their generic annual portraits for the media. However, in the wide shot of the photographer taking the picture of A-Rod, we see that this is all happening in some random men’s bathroom, with three urinals in the background. I enjoy everything about this picture … it’s currently the background photo on my laptop, and I honestly want to print it on some nice glossy paper and frame it.
Now, I’m not saying A-Rod is the best player of my lifetime; that’s certainly open for debate – especially with Albert Pujols around, plus A-Rod’s PED past, and he even has some competition for most entertaining, the most obvious being Manny Ramirez, but I think Manny hit his high water mark with Mannywod in Los Angeles during the 2008 season, and it’s all sort of been downhill since (although I’m glad he’s back with the A’s … maybe he’s got one last run left, however I thought that was going to be the case with the Rays last season, and that obviously didn’t work out). I’ll even throw Ichiro and his 200-hit seasons, “If I ever saw myself saying I’m excited going to Cleveland, I’d punch myself in the face, because I’m lying” quote and Ichiro-designed T-Shirt nights into the mix, but he comes across as more enigmatic that entertaining. A-Rod, on the other hand … I’m going to list, without any Googling, some memorable A-Rod moments, both on and off the field:
Stripper in Toronto; poker game; three home runs off Bartolo Colon; Kate Hudson; Cameron Diaz feeding him popcorn; “loosey goosey” PED defense; calling reporter who broke PED news a “stalker;” two-homer, seven-RBI game to end ’09 season; Get off my mound; homering in first at-bat of ’09 season; ending the past two Yankees postseasons with strikeouts; yelling “Hah!” in Toronto; fight with Varitek; announcing extension with Yanks during ’07 World Series; slapping the ball away in 2004 ALCS; driving home Damon after Damon’s double steal in ’09 World Series Game 4; kissing himself in the mirror; centaur painting rumor …
I’m going to stop there, and I’ve surely left out a lot of other moments. A-Rod is not my favorite player of all-time, not even close (that would be Yankees legend Bernie Williams), and I also grew up watching two future Hall of Famers, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, who have had plenty of memorable moments of their own; but have they been as entertaining as A-Rod? I don’t think so. More respected? Definitely. More easy to root for? Certainly. Do I expect/want them to be any more than elite baseball players who have helped and continue to help the Yankees win games? No. But A-Rod, for good reasons and bad, has been so, so entertaining throughout his career, especially since he first signed with the Yankees in 2004.
Outside of diehard Yankees fans, kids and maybe men/women who find him overly attractive, A-Rod is, obviously, not a beloved figure. The rest is generally broken down to people who respect his immense talent but think he’s a bit of a diva/phony, and those who think he’s just an outright chump. The diva/phony thing, while probably true, is a label I can’t really hold against A-Rod. This is a guy who was an elite big league player at 20, signed the biggest contract of all-time by the time he was 25, then joined the most famous franchise in his sport only after their biggest rival was blocked from trading for him in 2004. Should we expect someone like this to be some normal dude? I know people will point to Jeter and Pujols as MLB megastars who have managed to avoid the types of negative tabloid headlines A-Rod has brought on, but those two also are overly protective of their private lives, and don’t really show you anything about themselves outside of their performance on the field (which I’m 100% fine with). Plus, if the NY Post is to be believed (and who wouldn’t believe them?), Jeter leaves gift baskets for ladies after a night out with a bunch of signed autographs … and that’s A-Rodian levels of bizarre behavior, if true.
A-Rod’s weird behavior also always seems to come from an honest place of obliviousness. There are some “characters” in MLB, like Derek Holland, Brian Wilson and Logan Morrison, who, while on occasion pretty entertaining, seem to be trying really (and sometimes way too) hard at being entertaining. A-Rod, on the other hand – especially the off the field stuff – seems like he just can’t help it, and I find that a bit more endearing.
Finally (ending this like a high school book report), there’s how entertaining A-Rod can be when he’s at his best as a Hall of Fame caliber baseball player. Back in 2007, I was at a Yankees/Orioles game in the first week of April featuring a pitching matchup of Steve Trachsel vs. Kei Igawa, and this was moving along as one of those forgettable early-season games where you go, have an alright time at the ballpark, and never think of the game again. Igawa and Trachsel were both pretty terrible, Trachsel was his usual slow-pitching self and the Yankees were trailing by a run with two outs in the ninth. Then, single, walk, HBP, and A-Rod steps up to the plate with that glorious chance to be the hero or the goat. He gets himself into a two-strike count; my roommate (and Mets fan … but he got me a free ticket to the game, so he’s A-OK) is outright laughing about how great it will be to watch A-Rod choke, then – BOOM! – ball goes flying into the black at old Yankee Stadium, walk-off grand slam.
He may not be the best, but he’ll get himself photographed wandering around Central Park shirtless and hit walk-off grand slams, and, to paraphrase Tommy Lee Jones as Ty Cobb, the quest to be entertaining is not a sin.
Thanks (that’s for @sportsangle).
The long-delayed, non-anticipated first post since May
During the 2009 season, I said I would keep this blog going, at the very least, at a semi-regular pace. That ended after the Yankees claimed sole possesion of first place in the AL East. In May.
I’m a failure.
It was a more successful run than my 2008 season, where I lasted all of two posts, but a sad display of production none-the-less. So now, less than a month before pitchers and catchers report, I’m going to try to kick-start this blog early in the hopes that I can keep it going throughout the all of 2010. If, somehow, I have managed to find a faithful reader who’s been anxiously awaiting the return of this blog (even my mother gave up on me), then I have good news. Your hero has returned.
So, first off, my predictions for the 2009 season were … not too bad (Yes, I am too kind). Mostly because I got right the one pick that mattered to me most — the Yankees winning the World Series. Did my NL champion Cubs make it? No, they didn’t even make the playoffs. In fact, they might have been the most dissapointing team in Major League Baseball last year. Who cares? The Yanks won No. 27! (I also regret picking the Royals to win the AL Central. Never again! And they’ve made that easy this year with their big-time offseason acquisitions of Jason Kendall, Scott Podsednik and Rick Ankiel. Somehow, I don’t think that’s enough). So, about that World Series championship …
Finally, FINALLY, the Yanks are back on top
Ho ho ho, I’m kidding every-other-team-in-the-league-besides-the-Phillies. It was pretty much a perfect season for the Yankees this year. They led the Majors in wins, their trio of big-name free agents (CC, Tex, A.J.) all made major contributions both in the regular season and postseason; Nick Swisher brought a much-needed burst of fun and energy to the ballpark every night; walk-offs galore; Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui winning their first — and likely last — World Series in pinstripes; Joe Girardi living up to the promise of his uniform number; the “Core Four” winning their fifth World Series title together. There was much to enjoy (if you’re a Yankees fan a.k.a. you have PRIDE, POWER and PINSTRIPES) about the Yankees’ run to their 27th World Series title. And, while I know baseball is a team game and there are other worthy candidates (Mo, Tex, CC, Jeter, Melky … I’m kidding about that last one), the player I believe played the biggest role on the Yankees winning it all in 2009 is the man known as …
A-Rod
First, steroid accusation. Second, steroid confession (loosey goosey!). Third, hip surgery. Fourth, Cody Ransom starting at third base (Never again!). Fifth, return and homer in first at-bat. Sixth, Yanks, who weren’t doing so great while you were out, get hot. Seventh, Yanks realize you just had major hip surgery and probably shouldn’t play everyday. Eigth, hit two homers and drive in seven runs in final game to reach 30 homer/100 RBI season. Ninth, postseason domination leads to World Series title. I think I should have worked Kate Hudson in there at some point. And maybe the kissing himself in the mirror thing too.
So, after a season that started on the worst-possible-foot imaginable (the left), how did A-Rod turn himself from pariah to World Series-winning “Real Yankee!”? Was it the calming presence of Kate Hudson? Did the steroid revelation allow A-Rod to cut loose (loosey goosey!) and embrace team success over indivdual glory? Was it the simple fact that A-Rod is one of the most talented baseball players in history and he was eventually going to have a monster postseason at some point? Those are just some of the questions and, personally, I don’t need to know the answer. It could be: “Yes, it was Kate Hudson!” or “It was a combination of all those things!” or “In fact, A-Rod developed the mutant ability to actually read a pitcher’s mind!” As I said on this blog at the end of April:
“I don’t care if Madonna personally escorts him to the plate every at-bat and he follows every home run by kissing himself in a mirror. I want him back on the field.”
A-Rod’s appeal, for me, is what he can do on a baseball field. Some players can be interesting both on and off the field, and that’s nice. But I don’t watch baseball for the characters. I watch professional wrestling for the characters. I watch baseball for the on-field performance, and what A-Rod did at the plate during the 2009 season, especially from the ALDS to the World Series, was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen.
So, a brief recap of the 2009 season (it did end nearly three months ago. I think anyone who’s interested has read up on it at this point) to once again get this blog up and running. My next post will look at the offseason acquistions. Or recap the 2010 season.
Your new Heavyweight Champion: Johnny Damon!
I did not see today’s game, I work a bizarre schedule, so I rarely see early games on Sunday’s, however one thing I do want to see is a picture of one of the Yankees wearing the replica WWE championship belt they’ve been passing around to the latest walk-off winner.
To see how important this belt has become in the clubhouse, here’s a comment from A-Rod in George Willis’ column in the NY Post today when he was told David Wells’ statements about him and Roger Clemens (Wells doesn’t like steroids users, he likes 12 oz. curls):
“After the game when told of Wells’ comments, Rodriguez, who homered
in the win, said he was more concerned about regaining the WWE belt he
had earned for his walk-off homer against the Twins Saturday.
“I hope I can get it back this week sometime,” he said.”
(Disclaimer: Yes, I’m aware this was also A-Rod’s way of not replying to Wells’ comments)
Since I didn’t see the game I don’t have any comments, although the highlights were great. Hopefully the winning-streak continues with Andy Pettitte on the hill today (although they don’t have to continue being this dramatic. Actually, why the hell not? As Willis points out in his column, after all the usual crap surrounding the Yankees due to the money they spend and, this year, A-Rod’s steroid admission and the empty seats at the new Stadium, it’s great seeing the team have this much fun)
With the Yanks hot, I return to the BLOG
Well, after a hot start, this blog certainly slowed down these past few weeks. So, in honor of Joba Chamberlain’s quality start yesterday, the Joba Joba Joba blog returns.
Another quality start from the namesake, and another win blown by the bullpen. I’m pretty sure that’s three blown wins for Joba this year (His first start in KC, the first game against the Red Sox, and yesterday) however, unlike those other two games, the Yanks bounced back to win this one. And I’m sure Joba is fine with that. It was good to see him get past the first inning struggles he’s had this year, and he continues to make progress as a starter. Now, about that bullpen…
…I know I said in a previous post that the bullpen struggles were being a bit overstated by fans/the media, but yesterday, until Mariano Rivera got in the game, that was an all too familiar, and frusturating, outing from the relievers this season. The home run Phil Coke gave up to Justin Morneau, that’s fine, he’s one of the best hitters in the league and he ended up hitting three home runs over two games, so it’s obvious he’s swinging a hot bat. But to then walk (with two outs!) Michael Cuddyer and give up a double Brian Buscher? Give me a break. I actually like Coke, overall, but that was a bad outing. And Jose Veras, I mean, there’s a guy with great stuff who can’t get the ball over the plate (usually) and Edwar Ramirez is a guy who I’m never confident in. Yes, he gets the job done occassionally, but he drives me nuts.
Now, Friday night, a game I attended, the bullpen was tremendous. But the starting rotation finally looks to be rounding into shape, so the bullpen has to start locking down these leads before Mo gets the call. Thankfully, Brian Bruney should return this week.
As I said, the rotation is starting to look like what was expected coming into the season. Joba keeps improving with every start, CC’s looked like an ace is past two starts, so hopefully he’ll get on a roll, Pettitte has been what I expected, when he avoids the one “INNING OF DOOM” he’s managed to give the team innings and wins, and A.J. Burnett, who started out hot, has struggled a bit. Burnett’s been a bit of an odd scenario. He obviously has great stuff, but has run into a string of not-so-great starts. Hopefully he rights that today against the Twins.
Phil Hughes is still a work-in-progress. He was great against Detroit, so-so against Boston (not that the ump helped), awful in Baltimore, than gave them a solid, if not quality, start on Friday. He does look much more confident than last year, and seems to have bulked up a bit, so hopefully he can keep them in games until Chien-Ming Wang is ready to return from Triple-A Scranton.
And I think that about covers my thoughts on the Yankees these past few weeks…
What?
Oh yeah, the return of “THE A-BOMB…FROMMMM A-ROD!”
Again, it does not surprise me that this team has won six of the eight games since his return. Yes, the pitching has been better but, contrary to some opinions out there, this team is in no way, shape or form better without A-Rod in the lineup. His presence in the lineup, even with him hitting .154, is uncomparable. Mark Teixeira has obviously seemed to relax a bit since his return, and Rodriguez has already provided two of the most memorable moments of the 2009 season, his first at-bat in Baltimore and his walk-off bomb yesterday. I understand people being disappointed/angry with A-Rod because of his steroid use, and I know he comes off as a bit of a flake/phony, but when he’s in the lineup this team is so, so much better than without him.
Finally, special shouts of praise for Johnny Damon, who’s been carrying this team over the first month and a half, Derek Jeter, who not only continues to hit, but has shown this year that he’s not the defensive liability people make him out to be (outside of the occasional hiccup), and Brett Gardner, for hitting the first inside-the-park homer I’ve ever seen in person. I’ve been to five games at the new Stadium so far, two ending in walk-offs, but Friday was easily the best game I’ve seen in the short history of the Yanks’ new home.
Joba Joba Joba
A sweeping failure!
I know that’s supposed to say sweeping success, but I’m a Yankees fan so I have to modify it to fit my reality.
Well, at least that was just a regular, old-fashioned loss. No late-innings heroics, no day-long game with a combined six trillion runs. Nope, just a nice, no-nonsense loss to the Red Sox.
What was that? You don’t say! That’s right!
I will say this, at least Pettitte went out and gave the team six innings. He allowed four runs (three earned) and took the loss, but six innings … actually, I’m not at the point where I’m going to applaud six innings of work. I’m a Yankees fan, that shouldn’t, and doesn’t, suffice.
The offense didn’t do anything either, and then you had Angel Berroa at third…which brings me to this mini-rant:
Before the season, when everyone was feeling good about this team, people were joking that, hey, what if this team gets off to a hot start with A-Rod out? What if Cody Ransom plays well enough and the team strings together a bunch of wins and is sitting pretty on top of the AL East when Rodriguez is ready to return to the lineup? Wouldn’t that be awkward? The team would have this great chemistry and then A-Rod would bring all his baggage and screw everything up?
Well, as has been shown time and time again, this team is in no way, shape or form better when A-Rod is unable to play. And not just on the offensive side of the ball. The presence of Cody Ransom and Angel Berroa at third base has been a constant reminder of how valuable A-Rod is on defense as well. The offense we all know about. Without A-Rod, while the team’s been hitting the ball pretty well, it’s an average lineup at best. With him it’s just as good as what the Red Sox are putting out right now.
So, the sweep is over and now, as I said yesterday, this rotation has to get the team back on track. They have a pair of series against the Tigers and Angels this week (and the return of Phil Hughes!). The Tigers have a good offense and a weak rotation. The Angels are pretty beat up (even more than the Yankees) early in the season. Let’s see if they can win two out of three in each and keep near the top of the AL East for when A-Rod returns.
I don’t care if Madonna personally escorts him to the plate every at-bat and he follows every home run by kissing himself in a mirror. I want him back on the field.
The return of the Bronx Bombers? 2009 Lineup preview
Yes, I am putting out two posts in one day. Not only one day, but within hours of one another. Don’t act like you’re not impressed.
1. Derek Jeter:
When I first heard that Joe Girardi was batting Jeter leadoff, it struck me as odd, and slightly unnecessary, especially with Johnny Damon on the team. Then I thought about it some more, and, especially when I remembered how many double plays Jeter hit into last year, I didn’t mind it so much. I don’t think there’s a huge difference between having Jeter and Damon in this spot. I might still prefer Damon, as he has better speed and generally sees a decent amount pitches most at-bats due to his ability to foul off a ton of pitches, but I’m interested to see how this works out. I just hope Girardi gives this at least a few weeks to see how it works out. If the Yankees open the season 0-3 while scoring only two runs a game, I don’t want to see him flipping them immediately, then this move will look pointless. For Jeter, I expect another season with an average somewhere near .300, 20-something doubles, and about 10 homers. Fielding issues aside, Jeter still knows how to hit.
2. Damon:
Damon’s numbers will likely look close to Jeter’s…as long as he stays healthy. Damon is one of three hitters in this lineup who you don’t worry about production wise, as long as he’s in the lineup he’ll hit.
3. Mark Teixeira:
How freakin’ huge is the Tex signing, not only keeping him out of Boston for seven years, but also, for ’09, with A-Rod having to miss the first month and a half because of his hip surgery? Without Tex, where is the power bat in this lineup during the A-Rod absence? I will stop thinking about that now. Talk about his tendency to start slow out the gate with his hitting aside, Tex should put up his usual big power/batting average numbers during his first season in pinstripes. And if the right-field porch looks as short to him all season as it did on Saturday, maybe Tex will celebrate his first year as Yankees first baseman with an AL MVP.
4. Matsui:
Matsui is in the Damon camp. If they can keep his legs fresh as the everyday DH, then Matsui will hit for a decent average with decent pop. I’m hoping for a big year out of Godzilla, especially since it might be his last with the Yanks.
5. Jorge Posada:
The final of the three “Should hit as long as he’s healthy” crew. Outside of that brief setback in the beginning of Spring Training, Hip Hip Jorge seems to be recovering nicely from his shoulder surgery. His bat and leadership was missed big time last year.
6. Robinson Cano:
Will this be the bounce back year for Cano? I’m actually shocked he hit .271 last year after somehow following what I thought was the slowest start ever in 2007 with an even slower start last season. If he can get that early-season struggles monkey off his back, I can see him getting back near his ’06 form. If not, I will continue calling him Canofer.
7. Xavier Nady:
The X-Man! I am extremely glad he won the right-field job over Swisher (no disrespect to Swish). Nady seems to go from overrated to underrated and back more than any other player, and he’ll probably hear his name in trade rumors all season. However, he’s in a contract year and is a solid power right-handed bat. I’m a big fan of the X-Man.
8. Cody Ransom:
I’m not going to pretend that I know enought about Cody Ransom to make a prediction for his season. He’s spent the vast majority of his career in the Minors and is keeping third base warm for the return of A-Rod. He’s also got nothing to lose and everything to gain from his (at least) month-long stint as the Yankees third baseman, so maybe he’ll surprise some people.
9. Brett Gardner:
Gardner went out and earned the starting center field job during Spring Training, and got his first taste of the Major Leagues last season, so hopefully he does his job of getting on base and causing havoc with his speed.
These aren’t the Bronx Bombers, but I like the balance, especially once A-Rod gets back. This team doesn’t need to score 900-plus runs (And almost certainly will not), but, again, this team is built on pitching. If the starters produce like they’re expected to, this offense should score more than enough runs to win.
briancougar
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