It's another case of "here we go again" for Alex Rodriguez, as once again, he's hitless for October. Now it's only two games in, and there have been some intentional walks thrown his way. But with the Yankees down two games to none to Cleveland, what better time than now to look for a scapegoat. And what better scapegoat to look for than the $25 million man, Alex Rodriguez.Rodriguez, who hit .314 with 54 home runs and 156 RBIs during the season, is 0-for-6 in this playoff series. He is an inexplicable 4-for-47 (.085) with no RBIs in his last 14 postseason games.Here's the problem: A-Rod is too convenient a fall guy here. The Yankees aren't down 0-2 because Alex Rodriguez is 0-for-6. The Yankees are down 0-2 because Chien-Ming Wang couldn't give them a good effort in game one, and because nobody did much of anything against Carmona in game two. That strikeout in the ninth was a nine pitch battle where he was struck out on a nasty pitch from Fausto."I'm pressing, but I've got to swing at strikes," Rodriguez said.
He is hitless in his last 28 postseason at-bats on the road, dating to last season. He had a chance to end the streak and drive in the go-ahead run with two outs in the ninth, but struck out against Fausto Carmona.
"Me personally, I helped him out a few times," Rodriguez said. "I've got to stop swinging at bad pitches."
Manager Joe Torre pointed out that the Yankees had three hits in 11 innings, and eight hits in two games total. So it isn't only Rodriguez who is struggling. "You know, A-Rod's not the only one, you can't put it on A-Rod," Torre said. "Normally we're pretty good at manufacturing things, but not tonight."
I wonder if Joe Torre will bat Rodriguez eighth on Sunday.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-06-2007 @ 8:21AM
j.fiato said...
i am a long time yankee fan since 1947. the yankees were wlnners when they had,, BROSIUS,,ONEIL, AND TINO. SINCE THEN,,THEY CANT WIN, end of story
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10-06-2007 @ 11:52AM
Fred Grodin said...
A-Rod isn't the problem. The problem starts with Cashman not getting starting pitching and relieing on Carl (The ghost) Pavano to be a starter and Mike Boo-Sina who scares me every time he pitches.
Then you go to Torre who's luck looks like it's fainally running out.
It's easy to balme A-Rod but without him, there would not have been a playoff game to write about in the first palce........
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10-06-2007 @ 11:54AM
The Mental Game said...
These You Tube clips offer clues into athletes' psyche and explain why they fail or succeed come crunch time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_GFfUmw3cs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INONjBxbIv4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVflJQ_NRz4
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10-06-2007 @ 1:47PM
Marc Pintel said...
Arod is not the problem! He got the Yankees to the playoffs. If it was not for Arod the Yankees would not be here! Home Cooking will do Arod well! He is going to hit great at Yankee Stadium! He will lead the team to victory and we will overcome the 2-0 lead that the Indians have at this point. Arod will have big hits in game 3,4, and 5 and shine in the spotlight. He is going to lead the Yankees to a world championship. Keep the Faith! MVP of the Regular Season will be the MVP of the World Series!
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10-06-2007 @ 2:24PM
Brice said...
YOU are on drugs...they won't overcome their deficit,they will be shown the door in....GAME 3 !!!!....LMFAO
The following is hellarious:
4. Arod is not the problem! He got the Yankees to the playoffs. If it was not for Arod the Yankees would not be here! Home Cooking will do Arod well! He is going to hit great at Yankee Stadium! He will lead the team to victory and we will overcome the 2-0 lead that the Indians have at this point. Arod will have big hits in game 3,4, and 5 and shine in the spotlight. He is going to lead the Yankees to a world championship. Keep the Faith! MVP of the Regular Season will be the MVP of the World Series!
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10-06-2007 @ 2:29PM
recashflow said...
Simply put. Some players are winners and some aren;t. AROD is not a Winner. He has never won anything. He was part of one of the best teams when he and Griffey were both studs and he won nothing. He is nothing more than a regular season stat machine who chokes when the stakes are high. Any team going after ARod will never win the big one.
I am not a hater just stating FACT!
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10-06-2007 @ 4:03PM
Paul Katz said...
A-Rod and too many other Yankees cannot hit in the clutch. Check A-Rod's record. I believe most of his greatest contributions were made when the team romped. NO PRESSURE on anyone. When there is pressure, he's among the missing. It is possible that mgmt did't buy enough pitching because of belief that hitting would overcome. Hideki may be too tired, like the relievers that were traded after they were used too much. Jorge has not come through. Who bought Pavano? He should be fired. The blame goes all around. Had Torre reversed the starters of games one and two, who knows.
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10-06-2007 @ 4:37PM
acacciator said...
Everybody is saying if it were not for A-Rod Yankees would not make the playoffs. What good is it that we make the playoffs and get knocked out in the first round Get rid of A-ROD he is a loser!!!!
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10-06-2007 @ 4:39PM
numba1stunna74x said...
I AM A YANKEE FAN..I AM EMBARRASSED OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR IN THE PLAYOFFS...ITS NOT ARODS FAULT ITS THE WHOLE OFFENSES FAULT..THE ONLY YANKEES THAT PERFORMED WELL WAS ANDY PETITE.. END OF STORY..TIME TO SAY BYE TO MUSSINA, MATSUI, AND PEOPLE LIKE MANKEVITCZ AND THAT BULLPEN IS BOGUS EXCEPT FOR CHAMBERLAIN AND HE WILL BE A STARTED...CASHMAN U SUCK ASS...PLEASE QUIT UR JOB U BLOW...
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10-06-2007 @ 6:06PM
maurice said...
A-Rod is a target because he makes $25 million to drive in the winning run in the 9th inning. End of story. He can't be let off the hook because the entire team is faltering; with that salary,he's suppose to carry the team.
Analysis of this so-called MVP year might show A-Rod's home runs come in blow-out games. I've watched 75 Yankee games this year and more often than not when A Rod hits the entire team hits and the score is a million to one.
His reputation is that he is the best ever at hitting pitching mistakes. But he can't hit good pitching. ever. never.
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10-06-2007 @ 8:06PM
jack wajda said...
I have to agree with the majority of the negative comments regarding ARod. He has failed to produce in post season games in the past few years. As my Dad used to say, "They pay off on the score."
I do not understand why he chokes in post season games. He has had an outstanding year in the regular season. Why does this ability not carry over to the post season?
In addition, the entire team has been terrible in the first two games. Five hits and three runs in game one and three hits and one run in game two. Pathetic.
I hope this will be Torre's last season. He leaves starting pitchers in until the game is lost before replacing them. He appears to be falling asleep in the dugout. His energy level is approaching a coma.
They had the best record in the second half of the season, but disappear in the first two games of the playoff. Very strange.
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10-07-2007 @ 8:39AM
A Mealy said...
Hey.....Sign REGGIE (I know he's kinda up there in age) add a little modern help "The Clear",and it's Octoberfest at Yankee stadium all over again !
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10-07-2007 @ 4:25PM
Jim said...
All the talk is about the YANKEE'S. Why can't any one give the Tribe any credit for winning ???? They sare the BEST RECORD in ALL of baseball with a bunch of above adverage players. They also had to contend with all the bugs at the Jake. You think the batters weren't having problems seeing the ball? Why don't you give our pitchers some credit too!!!! Talk about the Indians and what they have done and not what the Yankee's HAVEN'T done. Come on people , give the Indians some CREDIT...!!!!!
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10-18-2007 @ 7:38AM
Nikko said...
It's nice to know that out of a tiny market share city like Cleveland that really even now gets little credit for their talents on the bb field that folks are getting on AROD"S case what about the rest of the yankees...May be ya all might just have to accept the fact that the Cleveland's rotation is of the best in all of bb today and like my daddy told me a long time ago it takes pitching to win games if they can't hit it they can't score.Bugs not included.
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