Yankees Daily

There was a time when I wasn’t even sure A-Rod was going to reach 20 home runs but now that he has reached 21 and it’s in the middle of August, he’s a guaranteed lock to hit 30. Heck, he even might hit 35 home runs.

This year seems to be the multiple home run year for A-Rod where he hits more than one home run in one game. I mean, the 97 RBI have to already blow your mind. So let’s say he hits three home runs in the next 15 games. That will bring him to 24 with one month to play. In one month, he will need only six home runs. It’s certainly doable.

The case against A-Rod making 30… A-Rod gets to 29 on September 30. On Friday, October 1st, the Yankees play the Red Sox in the last three games of the season. A-Rod then would feel too much pressure to hit his 30th home run especially since the games are at Boston.

The best thing that could happen would be for him to hit his 30th home run before the Yankees reach Boston for the final series. That would be ideal. Then the Yankees could hopefully rest A-Rod since the Yankees would be far ahead of every one in the division race.(Another hope)

I wanted to say that I’m changing things up because my health is not the best. I’ll be posting opinion pieces once a day instead of game posts. After I went on a shore trip, edema showed up in my legs again showing why I have heart failure. I have to take it easier. Not only that but people are coming to look at this site for three things.. the prospect profiles, Yankees Daily Girls and opinion pieces I did before the season started.

Anyway, I’m not in awe of Alex Rodriguez’s pursuit of 600 home runs. One reason for this is that I’m not in awe of any one. I have no heroes and I don’t look up to any one.

If and when A-Rod hits 600 home runs, how is that going to change my life? Am I going to jump up and don’t and shout with glee? Will any more money be coming into my bank account? Will I all of a sudden get a check in the mail with a nice sum of money? Still..

There are things I do get excited about. I just know where I stand on things. I like to see records fall. I like to see people successful and I like to see people reach milestones. The one milestone I’m not excited about it Alex’s 600th career home run. There are two reasons for this..

The first reason is that he hit most of hit home runs in another uniform. He didn’t hit all of his home runs in a Yankee uniform so it’s hard to get excited about it. Him playing 10 total years with the Mariners and Rangers and hitting 345 with both teams takes away from his moment as a “Yankee.” I could see if he was a real Yankee that was drafted and not bought and hit all of his home runs in “our” uniform, I’d probably be elated.

The second reason is him taking steroids which he admitted. Are we seeing what type of hitter A-Rod really is now? He has 16  home runs and a .275 batting average. Granted he drove in a lot of runs but is the “real” A-Rod? The A-Rod that we’re supposed to see that’s not on steroids?

When he hits hit 600th home run, I’ll look at it as another home run. I won’t stand up, I won’t clap and I won’t be in awe.  I’ll probably be in a little annoyance as I watch the fans on tv over react like he is some sort of god and stall the game with an undeserved 15 minute standing ovation.

Just because A-Rod is out doesn’t mean the Yankees are going to stop winning. Don’t forget he’s only one piece of the puzzle. The Yankees have Cano, Mark Teixeira, Derek Jeter and Nick Swisher. That’s more than enough for the Yankees. The first three batters I mentioned are, well, supposed to be the best at their position. Mark should start hitting better. Ah, I hope.

I’ve read an article a long time ago by Bill Simmons on espn and he showed proof that when your best player is out, your team starts playing better because you have to play as a team and not count on one player. That could happen with the Yankees. They don’t have A-Rod to wait around for the big hit or home run so they’ll try to get on base more and try to get hits.

I’ve get calf muscle cramps and it’s impossible to walk when you get them. It’s a sharp pain that stays with you for about a good 20 minutes. After you get a cramp, you’re sore the rest of the day. I hate when I get them. I usually know when they are coming on.

If Alex has leg cramps like I get, he’ll be ok but he’ll have to rest his legs a lot.

Here’s a good article on A-Rod from Wallace Matthews at ESPN this morning.

Alex Rodriguez now has tendonitis

So here I go, searching the internet to read about my favorite team, the New York Yankees and I come upon this article at the NY Post titled… Wells says ‘A-Rod is full of (it)’

In case any one hasn’t heard what happened the other day, Alex Rodriguez crossed the pitchers mound when he was going back to first base after a foul ball and the Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden, got upset because he said it was “his” mound. He also said that A-Rod should of known of the “unwritten” rule that you never cross a pitchers mound.

A-Rod said he didn’t “know” about the unwritten rule. David Wells had this to say…

“I hated it when runners did that. I yelled at plenty of them,’’ Wells said. “It’s one thing to cross in the front of the mound before it goes up, but on top of it, that’s wrong. The cleats (mess) up the mound. Pitchers don’t go in front of fielders and put their spikes in the dirt.

“I totally agree (with Braden) ‘Get off my mound.’ I would have done the same thing with A-Rod, or anybody else. (Bleep) it.’’

And then finally David Wells said this…

“A-Rod is full of [bleep], that he never heard of that,” Wells told The Post from San Diego yesterday. “He has been around the game long enough to know that.”

Here’s what I say… this is a non issue. It takes away from the goal of winning a world championship. The Yankees have to stay focused. A-Rod was probably trying to get into the kid’s head. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing but if it distracts the Yankees, it could be bad. I don’t think it will though. There are too many veterans on this team for this to be a distraction.

Remember Yankee fans. Every Yankee player needs your support. They need your love and support. When you go to games, be there for them, morally. Honor the team. Honor what it means to have a winner and YOU’LL feel like a winner. Every thing in life is about feeling good about yourself. If a Yankee game win makes you feel good about yourself as a person, then never give into hate. Hate leads to hopelessness. Hopelessness leads to anguish and despair. BE the better person. BE the example of tolerance. Remember what your goals are and stick with them. Yankee fans? Welcome aboard.

The doctor, Dr. Anthony Galea, said he was carrying only a minuscule amount of HGH which was for his own use. He never gave the drug to an athlete is what he also said.

New York Yankees’ players Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez will reach milestones together. Derek Jeter will get his 3,000th hit the same time Alex Rodriguez breaks Barry Bonds’ record. That’s if they stay healthy.

In year two of the new stadium, A-Rod will possibly hit his 600th home run. In the third season in the new stadium, Jeter will possibly hit his 3,000th hit.

Jeter could finish his career in the top five of hits. That would be amazing. I’d like to see him break Rose’s record but that’s a little to far out there.

Baseball Prospectus and BaseballProjection.com don’t see decline in A-Rod’s power and see him breaking Bonds’ record and hitting 800 home runs.

This is where the steroids test will come into play. We know that Bonds extended his career because of steroids. Because of that reason, I see it hard for A-Rod to break Bonds’ record and hit 800 home runs.

Actually, he is ok…

“I wouldn’t even call it (an accident),” Rodriguez told the Daily News on Saturday. “I was going about two miles per hour. It was a fender-bender. You couldn’t even tell on my car. There wasn’t even a scratch.”

Some times that doesn’t matter. The person you hit will sue you and try to get money especially since you play for the New York Yankees.

Pic by Kathy Willens AP

Alex Rodriguez gave Johhny Damon advice on free agency. I wonder what it was? How about, go where you’re offered the most money? lol. I still think it’s nice of A-Rod to keep in contact with his old friends. It shows he’s a nice guy.

By A-Rod doing this, it gives him peace of mind and it will make him a better ball player. When you’re nice to people and do the right thing, things will always work out for you.

Here’s what A-Rod said about Jeter’s free agency next year according to Anthony DiComo..

“Derek Jeter was born to be a Yankee, and he was born to wear pinstripes,” Rodriguez said. “He’s our captain and we need him here, and I envision he’ll finish his career here. When you think of Derek, I can’t envision him wearing any other uniform.”

Alex Rodriguez is saying all the right things. That’s good news for the year.

As all of us Yankee fans know, Alex Rodriguez has not been hitting well for the New York Yankees in the World Series. He did however, hit very well in the ALCS. I can’t get down on A-Rod because he got us into the World Series with his great hitting in the ALCS.

On Thursday, A-Rod’s poor performance didn’t affect the Yankees because they won over the Phillies by a score of 3-1. A-Rod went 0-for-4 with three strike outs. On Wednesday, he went 0-for-4 as well. He’s 0-for-8 with six strike outs in the World Series thus far.

Tonight, A-Rod faces Cole Hamels. In his career he is 0-for-4 with six plate appearances against him. He walked once, got hit by a pitch and struck out four times. It might seem like it’s a tough match up against Hamels for A-Rod but that’s not much of a history against him to worry.

When or if A-Rod comes back, it has to be tonight because we don’t want to be down 2-1 with two more to go in Philly. I don’t see any team winning all three games so I see the World Series coming back to New York for game six.

I have to give credit where credit is due. A-Rod has shown up for the post season. I’ve never liked A-Rod mainly because he didn’t show up for the Yankees in the post season. This year is a different story. He has shown up and then some.

He’s done enough for me not to get on his case anymore. He’s helped the Yankees win some big games this post season and for that I’m grateful and happy. Grateful sounds kind of ridiculous because I’m only a fan and not the owner of the team but it feels good when your team wins and you know who’s helping them.

I have a feeling Alex Rodriguez will continue to perform at a high level.