Big Year Coming for A-Rod

I referenced it a few weeks ago, and I wanted to devote a full blog to something I feel really strongly about. "I don't ever think it's appropriate to boo professional athletes on your team." Sure they make a ton of money, but so does the MLB, NFL, NBA and the players are the sole reason for that. So, unless a player on your team murders someone, beat their wife or hurts little kids, I don't think there's any reason at all to boo them.

It's this belief that makes me completely bewildered in the fact that a majority of fans in New York boos Alex Rodriguez. It's completely ridiculous. The guy is a perennial All-Star, switched from his born position of SS to 3B when he came to the Yankees and consistently averages 40 HRs and 120 RBIs every single year. And the more that people boo for A-Rod, the more I cheer for him and root for him to do well. But it seems like the booing has definitely gotten to A-Rod and with that he devolved from the best player in baseball to a mediocre beer league player.

It's true that he hasn't been clutch from time to time. And most people will say that he amassed those numbers in garbage time with no pressure when the Yankees were winning by 8 runs. Well, that has happened sometimes, but it's ridiculous to think he doesn't hit in the clutch, because he does. (everyone forgets when he had a great 2005 ALDS against the Twins) .

People boo not because A-Rod isn't a clutch player. They boo because of his supposed rift with team captain/poster boy Derek Jeter. Jeter is the mythical hero and Alex is the villian. And it's all just a bunch of bullshit. Don't get me wrong. Derek Jeter is a great player and probably one of my favorite Yankees of all time, but when it comes down to it, he is a shitty captain.

Do you think Don Mattingly or any other Yankees captain wouldn't stick up for A-Rod the way things have been going since A-Rod became a Yankee? But Derek doesn't stick up for him, because he is pissed at A-Rod for something that happened years ago. Derek isn't a big enough man to forgive and forget though, I think it's important that A-Rod came out during the first day of spring training and be honest about everything...about how if he doesn't perform this year, he expects to get run of the City by the fans...about how him and Jeter used to be best friends and now they aren't. I'm fine with that and I really think it was a relief off A-Rod's shoulder's. Hopefully he'll be a more relaxed player this year.