Alex Rodriquez got sick on the West Coast trip, and then he made Yankee fans sick.

Rodriquez had one lousy hit in 15 at-bats against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and if the Yanks are to possibly get past the Angels if they were to meet again this October, or anyone else for that matter, Rodriquez must once again become A-rod, not K-rod or E-rod. Right now, New York fans should be rooting for Oakland to win the West, because the Yankees flat out cannot beat the Angels. 2002, 2005 and the fact that the Angels are the only team with a winning record against the Yankees in the Joe Torre era are living proof of that point.

Back to Rodriquez. It is understandable that A-rod was sick on the road trip, but that is not an excuse. If he’s still sick, then give him a day or two off. He’s already in a slump already, and playing sick will only make it worse. Rodriquez must break out of his slump. Major athletes such as Michael Jordan and Joe Montana, however, have been known to have become violently ill in big games such as the NBA Finals and still put up 40 points or throw five touchdown passes. A-rod may be trying hard and even becoming superstitious (pulling his stirrups up all the way in Seattle, like that will help), but his “I can’t dwell over my performance” comments aren’t good enough when he is the highest paid baseball player ever.

While many of the Yankees are performing well, nobody knows how well the star rookies will hold up under the postseason lights. It is imperative that Alex Rodriquez starts to play like a 10-year, $252 million player. A .280 average and 25 homers aren’t bad for most players, but when you’re the highest paid player ever, it’s not good enough. Is that unfair? Maybe, but if you and your arrogant agent are going to command that money, you must produce. This week would be a good one for Alex to wake up as the Yanks will take on the Tigers and the Twins.

SOURCES

The Hartford Courant. Sports section. Monday, August 28, 2006.

Kevin D. Roberts
2006 Graduate - University of Connecticut - B.A. Journalism/Political Science
Torrington, CT 06790

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