Kevin Long: A-Rod wasn't focused
With Alex Rodriguez making headlines in the gossip columns and entertainment TV shows because of his association with Madonna, it's no wonder that an important quote from Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long went relatively unnoticed by the MEDIA.Here's what Kevin Long (a friend of Alex and regarded as a compassionate coach) said:
[Long] "could just tell (Rodriguez) had a lot on his mind" and that A-Rod was "not completely focused" at times during the season.And this is what we all suspected, with the divorce and affairs. Granted Alex missed three weeks on the DL last year, so his raw 2008 production numbers (.302 with 35 home runs and 103 RBI) are lower than usual, but there is no excuse for A-Rod's poor production with runners in scoring position or clutch situations. A-Rod's infamous grounding into double plays, making errors, and striking out against the Boston Red Sox last year is part of the mental distractions and issues A-Rod deals with every year.
And regarding his stint on the DL: part of a player's skill is avoiding injury and staying durable. Players do not get a Free Pass (tm) from me just because they were on the DL.
Statistically, A-Rod's production can't be replaced. The Yankees only option last year was Wilson Betemit (.265 AVG.289 OBP), but Alex's mental issues and self-imposed drama will continue to ruin his reputation in New York unless he helps win a World Championship.
At least from the marketing and public relations standpoint, you'd think A-Rod would lie low. But he doesn't.
A-Rod isn't smart or quiet enough to stay out of the gossip columns- he really is a jock kid that never grew up. He's struggles with his image, and us quiet frankly a phony who is afraid to be himself when the cameras or rolling or a newspaper writer is around. (Maybe because "being himself" is being a womanizer?) He's still a 1st ballot future Hall of Famer, and will continue to get 35+ HR every year for the Yanks, but unless he gets his head together and tries to minimize his outside distractions, he will continue to choke when the stress is on.
Manager Joe Girardi defended A-Rod, of course:
"I don't think you'd be human if it didn't affect you at some point. Hopefully it's behind him and he can move on. He's in a different place now than he was last year. Now that he's through it, we'll see where he is."
posted by Skew @ 8:57 AM
10 Comments:
The Yankees used to be a hard nosed, working class team, with Paulie, Tino, Bernie, and the crew. Every time I see that bleach blond dancing hip hop clown on third base, I know the Yanks will never with another World Championship.
Look at the Phillies this year- they didn't have any premadonnas on the team.
Wow, another A-Rod hate piece. Yawn. Even his so-called bad year is better than 95% of the 3B in the game!
People attack A-Rod out of pure jealousy.
No..Skew is right: A-Rod is notorious for being the worst clutch ballplayer in baseball, but his in-season numbers are great. He needs to get the mental aspect together, win a ring.
Was the rest of the team going through a divorce and dating Madonna last year too ? Is that why Jeter almost led the league in GIDP, Abreu was afraid of walls, Cano, Melky and Giambi spent a part of the year below the Mendoza line, whoever replaced A-Rod while he was out couldn't hit his way out of a paperbag, Wang got hurt, Andy forgot how to pitch for a month and CF was a revolving door of ineptitude at the plate?
Sometimes players just have off year and once that starts they just can't get it back together.
All the hitters you mentioned had off years, yes. And in many cases it was mental- trying to do too much with runners in scoring position.
I just don't see why Yankees fans continue to apologize and defend A-Rod after he "opted out" last winter.
Okay, I do..he's one of the greatest hitters of all time.
And we're stuck with him until he's 40+
Human beings are just that, human beings!
but some of "us" take our jobs very
seriously even if it is just flipping hamburgers! A-rod does not
take his millions and millions of dollars seriously! He is laughing his ass off all the way to the bank! He better pray that wall street survives and he gets to keep
on earning interest on his $$.
Madonna will drive his sorry ass over the hot coals! And then drop
him like a hot coal!
If this happens,how will a rods performance stand up next season?
A-Rod is the most important aspect to today’s team. Everything that offense does hinges on his force in the middle of it.
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