Interesting game last night, with two normally lights-out closers faltering, a rare home run hit off Mariano Rivera (and a walkoff at that), Alex Rodriguez making yet another error and Mike Mussina giving his honest opinion of that play and A-Rod's overall play.
Clearly the two biggest moments last night were the Vernon Wells walkoff home run off Rivera, and Rodriguez's throwing error that helped paved the way for the Blue Jays' four-run sixth inning. If you were writing the game story, which play would you focus on more? The walkoff homer off Rivera, or A-Rod's error? Please explain why.
Comments (30)
I think A Rod is his worst enemey,also there something personal going on with a rod at home and he taken it to the ball game. Theres is no way a player of his calliber go In a slump and make 17 errors in the field. Thats more than last year. Even as bab as he is playing he still ahead on hrs. Just after a rod got married he started going down hill, now he has a 1yr girl also to contend with. Its not about money, I just think A Rod will never make it as a Yankee until he hits a game winning homer in play off and world series. Look at the two places were he came from, there is no pressure and a very large media force in New York,the largest news coverage, not to mention the fans,every one loves a winner, and are so quick to kick a man down when he in a BIG slump. So my opinion is next year is to trade A-R, for two reasons.1 is that he is not happy playing 3base, he benn a ss all his life,and D.Jetter is not moveing anyware soo. 2 is he be a lot happer in a smaller ball park ware there is less press, what do you think?
A-Rod's error changed the whole inning...chances are the Yankees escape with the lead and Rivera pitching the ninth in a save situation...why wasn't Farnsworth-less pitching in the tenth or eleventh inning anyway ?
If, I were to pick the story line from the two possibilities. It's A-rod lack of fielding this year. Last nights throw to the plate was horrible. Just like the other days throwing errors. Last night's throw is made by little leaguers. I hate to bring it to this level because A-rod is still one of the best players in baseball and a Yankee. If, its physical injury give the guy some time off. I don't see it as such. I believe there is a mental issue with his play of late. His desire is second to none in wanting to win. You can't deny it. It is evident facially and physically in how he plays the game. He's the man who has about everything in life money, fame, etc. that can be achieved by one person. He does not have the the ultimate team trophy in his sport and the ring. The almighty ring worned by the champion. After three years and playing on the best team that he can to achieve this goal. He still does not have the coveted ring. To make matters worst, the team he did not go to the Boston Red Sox's has won the coveted title. His problem is monumentally mental in scope. His help has to come from a player or players who have been there done that. He must be told that we alone create our personal failures by our thought processes.If, you desire something so much and must perform and cloud your head with the mechanics of the task forget it. It won't happen.Now add in the highest paid player brought in to win the trophy in a town that covets trophies. Mariano gave up a HR to Wells. Wells is a 5 tool player this could happen at any at bat. A-rod's is a condition which is not going away which is evident until addressed.
I would definitely focus more on the A-Rod error. It blows my mind that someone demanding $25 million a year cannot make a throw home on an easy ground ball hit to him. That is completely unacceptable and I feel sorry for Mike Mussina who is always the ultimate professional. I'm also getting a little tired of hearing Joe Torre and everyone else make excuses for A-Rod. "Oh, his foot or he's side-arming the ball." Bottom line, the guy HAS TO LEARN TO BE A MAN and take ownership and responsibility for his actions. When you have the gall to command such a high salary, you BETTER perform. Period. And if not, then get the hell out! A-Rod is poison to this Yankee team right now and I would go as far as saying that they will never win a world series with him on their team. Let me say that again. They will NEVER win a world series with him on their team. I really hope the Yankees see this and get rid of him as soon as they can.
My story would focus on the escalating throwing problems of A-Rod. I would also try to interview Chuck Knoblauch, and get his perspective on whether he sees paralels to what A-Rod is going through and what he went through. I would also explore the possible teams that A-Rod might consider being traded to by the trade deadline. I would explore the possible shifting of A-Rod to the outfield, and who the Yankees might use on their current roster to play 3rd base, and who they might trade for to play that position.
Roy,
I was thinking that same thing w/ ARod in the OF. It won't ever happen I'm afraid bc that would be an ego issue. That he "failed" in NY at 3B would follow him forever.
I think he could be a fantastic in RF though...and we need one next year. Pipe dreams right now though.
Time for all fans to get behind ARod...We need him to get his confidence back and help tha Yanks get to the playoffs...Without him we aren't getting there.
I think A Rod needs to be traded. In order for the yankees to become "whole" again he needs to be sent packing.
I would have focused on presenting a balanced approach to the loss, just as I would when Jeter makes a critical error.
But when Jeter makes a critical error, there are no headlines mocking him for his mistake.
That only happens to A-Rod and young players, like Cano or Melky.
btw, If I was a memeber of the media, I would be embarassed that Steve Phillips, who no one wants to hire as a GM, gets to masquerade as a journalist.
I think the media & the fans need to lay off A-Rod. I think part of his problem is knowing he could never compete with Derek Jeter's drive, talent, composure & professionalism. I also think he cannot deal with pressure & he feels added pressure to perform this year because Sheffield & Matsui are out. Unfortunately, the media loves to play on people's
weaknesses & troubles -- that's what they think sells papers & gets ratings. They don't care how their words affect the people they write about.
Write about all the players on the Yankees who are doing well (most of the other 24 players). Or write about Derek Jeter every day -- I could never hear or read enough about him.
To those who say A-Rod had BETTER perform after demanding such a huge salary, that he should own up to his responsibility, that he is a liability to his team; I would ask that those individuals open their mouths widely and stuff them with a thick pair of stinking socks.
Why wouldn't those very fans who lament that his problems are mental, rally around him now? He is not a piece of meat to be spat out willy-nilly. He is an IMMENSELY talented player who has, duh, FEELINGS, and would be better served by his fans' support in fair and foul weather. How can his problem, be it mechanical or mental, be ameliorated in a climate of such vitriol and negativity? How can the notion of TEAM EFFORT come into play when, as soon as you're slumping, your considered trade-bait?
And as to Mussina's response to A-rod's throwing error, how could you dump on a player when he's playing his heart out for you? Shame on you!
The throwing error made it 3-1 Yankees. Mussina need to get the next two guys out (without them hitting the ball to A Rod) and for once, to pick up his teammates. Instead he makes comments to the media about how it was all Rod's fault.
"A good pitcher becomes a great pitcher when he stops giving up unearned runs"
Jim Kaat
I agree with Andres. As long as A-Fraud is a Yankee,
they will not win another World Series.Period......
you guys are ridiculous...A-Rod is the best player for the Yankees since Micky Mantle (who also got booed all the time)...the guy is one of if not the best player in the game...he was AL MVP, player of the month many times...you guys are not true Yankees fans...Period! If you were you would be behind him and root for him not boo him and talk smack about him...and mark my words A-Rod will win a World Series with the Yankees in the near future...the guy is in a slump and it doesn't help when the fans boo him all the time...you guys should be kicked out of Yankee stadium everytime you boo him because it is more hurtful than helpful...so what the guy makes the most money in baseball...dont blame him for that blame the people that gave him all that money...so shut the hell up and start to cheer him not boo him you guys make me sick...go root for the mets because us true Yankees fans don't need you
1. Knoblauch had a clear mental block; the ball went every which way. A-Rod is throwing sidearm, and the ball goes right and/or high. Mechanical or mental ? Is Bowa on the case ?
2.Agree with Tim's post - Mussina should zip his lip and bear down after an error.
3.You don't use Farnsworth in the 10th and 11th because you can't lose an extra inning game without
using Rivera. I'm sure Farnsworth would have been
in there in the 12th.
4. Yo, Aaron, I saw Mickey (not Micky) Mantle's entire career and he definitely did NOT get booed all the time.
5. If Jeter is such a selfless leader, why doesn't he volunteer to move to 2B (or 3B) and allow A-Rod to return to SS, where he won a couple of gold gloves ?
It bothers me that Mussina blames A-Rod and takes no responsibility for the 3 hits that followed the error. As a veteran pitcher, it's his job to pitch around that--look at Wang did when A-Rod made three errors. I remember last year when Pavano let about 8 unearned runs score after an error. Good pitchers need to be able to deal with it.
A-Rod's error was part of the problem. After it happened, the score was 3-1 and there was no reason they couldn't have gotten out of the inning with a lead or a tie at worst. Mussina takes a share of the blame for failing to pitch around the error like CM Wang did the other night. It's not the first time Moose has had a meltdown when something doesn't go his way...remember in Philly he didn't get a call from the ump and gave up a moon shot to Ryan Howard(?) on the next pitch? He is way too easily rattled, and while I love Moose, you gotta call 'em like you see 'em. And why does no one want to remark on the fact that Yankees were 3-13 w/RISP on the night and that St. Jeter was 0-for? THAT, more than the error, was what cost Yankees the game. Don't blame it all on A-Rod, it's absurd.
As for the walk-off, Wells is a great players and things like that happen. No biggie. Mariano will get over it, and so will we. But for god's sake, stop beating the A-Rod dead horse!!!
We should rally around A-rod. He is having a subpar year with a struggling contender minus three valuable parts. So, every effort if not totally positive is magnified in a negative fashion. The Yanks need this guy. The talk of trade is crazy at best. He will turn it around and the uniform of choice is pinstripes with NY logo. Real Yankee fans should support the man. On another Mantle was booed but not in the same fashion as A-rod. This is vindictive which is driven by the media and a desire to have something to print. Its a game of 7 failures out 10 tries and your considered for the Hall of Fame. I hope Torre marches him out there tonight and the guy has a bang up game. Lets Go A-rod. He's a Yankee and quite proud of it.
yo Zander sorry for the typo on mickey but from what my dad told me and from what i have read he got booed a lot until maris came here...and moose deserves as much blame as a-rod he was the one who walked one and let 3 guys get hits off him...he shouldn't have thrown a-rod under the bus like he did
Folks, I'm sorry, as much as I can see about rallying behind a yankee...I have to agree that A-Rod is poison. None of the other teams he was on faired well. Rather than blindly following a yank, I think we should make our unhappiness heard so they can dump him in time for the trade deadline. I'd rather see him go and get something good for him than watch him dropping more balls and pouting...all for $25 mil a year. $25MILLION! That is crazy. No one is worth that, and last of all him. Dump him.
oops my bad
I just watched the replay of A-Rod's throw several times. (Could it be I need to get a life? Nah.) Did anybody notice Posada's
effort? He took one step to his left and wanted to shift back quickly to his righ and make a swipe tag.
Instead of making sure to catch the ball and keep the runner at first.
Check the replay and see if you agree.
Those of you who think that A-Rod is poison are nuts. So what if his other teams stunk? Wasn't his fault. How many rings does Pujols have? Or Soriano? Santana? Thome? Ichiro? Are those guys "poison" as well?
The guy is the reigning MVP, he's awesome, and he plays just as hard as anyone else on that field. You think that substituting Brosius for A-Rod gets us a ring? Come on...
"I'd rather see him go and get something good for him than watch him dropping more balls and pouting...all for $25 mil a year. $25MILLION!"
And how much are the Yankees paying of that salary? Do you even know?
This is always a problem for the Yankees.
If a player is at his best trade value, meaning he is playing well, the Yankees are not likely to trade him.
But when they struggle and the Yankees would like to trade them, they are of course not worth as much.
A-Rod's situation is the latter one, his trade value is not as high right now. So what can you do?
The more we see of A-Rod the more convincing it is that he doesn't have the mental toughness to handle New York. He's always looking around to see who's looking at him. He might be better off going full circle and return to the Mariners in a deal providing he OK's it.
The Yankees could get the pitcher they need (Menche) and the 3rd base replacement (Beltre) and good OF (Ibanez).
Along with A-Rod, send Chacon, Crosby, Thompson, and any minor league pitcher not named Hughes. Beltre has a fair sized salary but the difference between his and A-Rod's can be worked out.
End result: Everybody is happy.
If you think A-Rod is overpaid and underachieving at third, wait until you see what Adrian Beltre does for you!
I'm not above whacking Rodriguez for not making the ridiculously easy play (I'm still getting over the DP ball Manny hit on one hop right at him in last year's opening Red Sox series and last year's huge playoff E vs the Angels), but I'm definitely more from the school that if Rodriguez sincerely wants to be a Yankee I have to root for him. I wish he was more of a timely performer like David Ortiz, but I'm not going to sit around trashing the guy until the penalty flag is tossed for piling on. None of this is helping and I want the Yankees to win the division, this year more than ever with the injuries and the fact that I'm trapped in Boston for work. It would be just tremendous. Anyway, I'm with the person who mentioned Jorge Posada's effort on that bad throw. Posada can't see around that stupid mask he insists on wearing on every play at the plate. Catching sucks, no doubt about it, but if you want to scoop up a one hop throw and apply the tag lose the mask. Sure there are dental risks involved with beefy runners coming in head high, but Posada can't make even the slightest adjustment. He stretched like a first baseman on that A-Rod play and there wasn't even a force. There was time to vacate the plate area knock the ball down (at the very least) and return for the tag. Yes A-Rod rushed the play and screwed it up, but Posada (I love you Jorge so don't take it personally) received far less criticism for his part in this play than he should have. His peripheral vision, as long as he's wearing that mask, is less than ideal. I know it sounds like more excuses for E-Rod, but there is more than just a little to the mask thing as far as I'm concerned. A-Rod is here to stay as long as his contract runs so the hateful media and fans should move on to things they might be able to actually effect change on. All the present carping is accomplishing is driving down the morale of what should be a tremendous moment in Yankee history. Six days ago the Red Sox were losing 4-0 to KC in 7th and our beloved Columbus Clippers were about to take over sole possession of first place. Naturally KC buckled, but what a story that would have been. Now we have squandered the three games we gained since the All-Star break and the feeling that we could be six games out in a couple of days is suddenly very palpable. Let's all pull in the same direction. The team needs us now more than ever! Go Yankees.
Hey, John, thanks for supporting me on Posada's
poor judgment on A-Rod's
throw. And you're right, it doesn'tdefend the crappy throw. I never realezed Posada doesn't lose the mask, but it buttresses my belief that he talks tough but plays soft. Rarely blocks the plate (see Met game of recent Sunday). Also fights with pitchers instead of supporting them.
I agree with you, -refuse to boo-. Seattle fans are really down on Beltre. He's been a big disappointment for them as a FA signing.
Anyway, this just goes to show that Yankee fans like -all Yankees all the time- sees them play against the Yankees and think that's how they are the rest of the time.
Guess what? Beltre sucks big time.
Anyone have anything nice to say about Posada? I mean, if you have seen the past world series games you can always count on him to help the team win. Plus he is my cousin.