The Real A-Rod
By Joe
The great New York Yankee catcher Yogi Berra was known for his share of quizzical remarks. Some of his more famous included, "A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore," "Half the lies they tell about me aren't true" and "I never said most of the things I said." These are just a few of the many Yogi-isms.
As silly as Berra has been throughout the years, his most famous quote actually rings true for a current Yankee.
On Thursday, third baseman Alex Rodriguez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning versus Tampa Bay. With the Devil Rays clinging to a 7-6 lead, Rodriguez had yet another pressure-packed opportunity to earn the respect and praise of New York fans he so desperately wants. But as usual Rodriguez pressed too hard, harmlessly popping out amid the expected boos.
If Rodriguez is a Shakespearean character, his fatal flaw is a deep desire to impress and be accepted by the Yankee faithful. All the money and fame has failed to fill this void in A-Rod's life and, ultimately, his career. Every time he faces an opportunity to collect that clutch hit, to bring home that key run, Rodriguez tightens up faster than your uncle getting a colonoscopy. He chokes because he's not mentally strong enough to handle the pressure situation.
That may changed Saturday. With the bases loaded, two outs and New York trailing 7-6, Rodriguez strolled to the plate with another chance to be the hero. To win over Yankee fans. To send his team to victory.
And, for the first time in a long time, that's exactly what the $250 million dollar man did. One swing sent the Yankees to a 10-7 victory as a estatic Rodriguez danced around the bases like a kid who just won the Little League World Series. Rodriguez actually enjoyed himself on the baseball field. He savored the moment. He cracked a genuine smile.
For all his incredible abilities and physical gifts, Rodriguez hasn't relaxed or had fun since becoming a Yankee. It's affected his fielding skills, affected his at-bats and affected his demeanor. Every time he failed, Rodriguez knew he had not only failed himself, but the Yankee organization and the fans.
But now that Rodriguez hammered the monkey off his back with that grand slam, he seems poised to turn the corner and silence his critics. After hitting that game-winner, Rodriguez cranked round-trippers in his next two games. He's more relaxed and it shows.
As silly as Berra has been throughout the years, his most famous quote actually rings true for a current Yankee.
On Thursday, third baseman Alex Rodriguez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning versus Tampa Bay. With the Devil Rays clinging to a 7-6 lead, Rodriguez had yet another pressure-packed opportunity to earn the respect and praise of New York fans he so desperately wants. But as usual Rodriguez pressed too hard, harmlessly popping out amid the expected boos.
If Rodriguez is a Shakespearean character, his fatal flaw is a deep desire to impress and be accepted by the Yankee faithful. All the money and fame has failed to fill this void in A-Rod's life and, ultimately, his career. Every time he faces an opportunity to collect that clutch hit, to bring home that key run, Rodriguez tightens up faster than your uncle getting a colonoscopy. He chokes because he's not mentally strong enough to handle the pressure situation.
That may changed Saturday. With the bases loaded, two outs and New York trailing 7-6, Rodriguez strolled to the plate with another chance to be the hero. To win over Yankee fans. To send his team to victory.
And, for the first time in a long time, that's exactly what the $250 million dollar man did. One swing sent the Yankees to a 10-7 victory as a estatic Rodriguez danced around the bases like a kid who just won the Little League World Series. Rodriguez actually enjoyed himself on the baseball field. He savored the moment. He cracked a genuine smile.
For all his incredible abilities and physical gifts, Rodriguez hasn't relaxed or had fun since becoming a Yankee. It's affected his fielding skills, affected his at-bats and affected his demeanor. Every time he failed, Rodriguez knew he had not only failed himself, but the Yankee organization and the fans.
But now that Rodriguez hammered the monkey off his back with that grand slam, he seems poised to turn the corner and silence his critics. After hitting that game-winner, Rodriguez cranked round-trippers in his next two games. He's more relaxed and it shows.
The question remains whether Rodriguez will bottle this feeling and translate short-term success in a pressure situation into long-term consistency. Will he learn how to deal with pressure now that he's had success under it? Or will he revert back to being uptight and tense during the most important moments of games? If Rodriguez can overcome his struggles in the clutch on a daily basis, we will look back to April 8 as the day he turned it all around.
Maybe Yogi was right. Half this game is 90 percent mental.
1 comment:
People were frustrated with him because he didn't hit in the playoffs last year, and while a HR in the first week of the season against the Devil Rays may be significant, I don't think it completely relieves the pressure.
Post a Comment