Alex Rodriguez had a good spring which seemed like a minor miracle to me. He’s 39, missed a full year, he’s had surgeries on both hips. I just didn’t think he’d be able to hack it, didn’t think he’d make the team out of spring training. But he carried good at bats into the season. Even when he wasn’t driving the ball he wasn’t chasing those tempting breaking balls out of the strike zone. Last night was his best game in a long time as he hit the ball on the nose three times for run-scoring plays.
Rodriguez hit a long home run in his first at bat, off a fastball, giving him three for the season (two of them real shots). Imagine being a has-been and hitting a ball that far? Dag.
Later, he hit another homer, this one a two-run job that tied the game. This one was more like a Mike Piazza home run, a line drive that was hit so hard it didn’t have a chance to curve foul. The pitch was a fastball, inside on the hands, but Rodriguez beat the ball to the spot. Now, I understand if he still has the power to crush a mistake but I did not anticipate him ever turning around a good fastball.
The game stayed tied until the 8th when Rodriguez came through again, this time laying off some good pitches and then smacking a line drive to center for a base hit that drove home Brett Gardner with the go-ahead (and winning) run.
The bullpen was back to its stellar self and the Yanks won, 5-4.
I got an email from a friend after the game. He said, “I don’t want to sound naive, but do really think he’d be stupid enough to take anything after last year. (I know he’d be arrogant enough, just not sure of the stupidity part).” Well, arrogance always trumps intelligence in my book, and of course it’s natural to be suspicious of Rodriguez. But that hasn’t spoiled my enjoyment and watching him locked-in has been one of the few pleasures of this young season for the Yanks. I don’t expect it’ll last. Hot streaks never do. And I seriously doubt that Rodriguez’s body will hold up. All the more reason to enjoy the moment–here and then…gone.
[Photo Credit: Kim Klement/Rueters]
"but I did not anticipate him ever turning around a good fastball."
Same here. And that's not something any drug can help with. It's purely instinctual eye-hand coordination without any thinking.
Taking a year off after hip surgery should be seen as the same as taking a year off after Tommy John surgery.
I am afraid of what's going to happen when he tops Mays. It could happen this weekend. Doesn't the team owe him some money for that milestone?
[2] The team is claiming that if they don't use it as a milestone, then they don't have to pay him. They say that the milestone payments were in anticipation of them marketing the milestone and making money off the extra attention. Now they are claiming that the achievement is tainted and thus they are not going to market a tainted achievement.
It is going to go to an arbitrator.
Why did he ever need the augmentation? That is the ironic side of the story.
Hi All... Long hear No time...
What fun it is to watch ARod!
Watch and see what the Stadium attendance is for the games when ARod has 659 HRs. The dude generates money!
The Yankees should bite the bullet on the $6m and do everything they can, to GET everything they can, out of ARod.
ARod has 1925 RS, 10th all time. He should end up 8th, although there is a very outside chance he catches Willie for 7th.
ARod has 1980 RBI, 6th all time. He should be 4th by years end, and has a decent chance to end up 3rd all-time.
ARod has 2950 HITS, 31st all time. If he stays healthy for 3 years, he has a shot to finish 12th (again, just ahead of Willie).
Right now, ARod is the Face of the franchise.
[5] From one "old" to another, right on!
[5] I agree. Yeah, I seddit >;)