History in the making for A-Rod
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Podcast on Jul 26, 2007 
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Alex Rodriguez struck out in the ninth inning with a chance for 500 home runs. Perhaps it’s just as well.
Kansas City will start Jorge De La Rosa tomorrow night. In one of those quirks of history that makes baseball so great, he allowed A-Rod’s 400th home while pitching for Milwaukee on June 8, 2005.
“That’s a crazy thing. Pretty unbelievable that it would work out that way,â€? Rodriguez said. “I saw that coming a few days ago. This game works in funny ways.”
Rodriguez was humble as he spoke of making history. He turns 32 on Friday. The youngest player to get to 500 at the moment is Jimmie Foxx, who was 27 days short of his 33rd birthday in 1941.
“I was a shortstop. I figured if I hit 100 home runs and had a few thousand hits, that’s pretty phenomenal,â€? said Rodriguez, who switched to third base when he was traded to the Yankees in 2004. “I come from a pretty humble background in Miami. I never thought I would come this far.â€?
Joe Torre marveled at No. 499. With a runner on the move, A-Rod was trying to hit a ball in the hole. He did, only the ball kept rising.
“That’s a line drive in the gap for anybody else,� Torre said. “For a line drive to stay in the air for that long, especially in one of the deepest parts of the park, you have to have a special talent for that.�
Here’s A-Rod’s interview tonight. It was his best group session of the season in my estimation:
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Meanwhile, the Yankees are making up ground in big chunks. They now trail the Red Sox by 6.5 games, the closest they have been since May 9. The Yanks have won six straight, 11 of 13, 15 of 19 and 17 of 22.
His best “group session”?
Give it a rest.
Stacey needs a hug.
She needs a something.
Free of steroids rumors, a genuinely nice guy overcoming hardships growing up like a single-family household to become the best baseball player of my generation, and arguably of all time. Three cheers for A-Rod. Lets hope we see 499 more. To the greatest who has ever lived….
Sorry if someone posted this on the game thread but Joba Chamberlain’s performance in Scranton was worth another look:
5 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 10 strikeouts.
courtesy of Chad Jennings’ SWB Yankee blog
Sportscenter announced that Giambi could return to the team at the end of next week. That should be interesting.
Moose went 5 2/3 on 95 pitches. Nice win for the Yankees against a quality pitcher.
what do you make of this?…
“…..Angels manager Mike Scioscia left struggling slugger Vladimir Guerrero out of the lineup so he could get back-to-back days off before the team began a series against Detroit. Guerrero, who won the Home Run Derby during the All-Star break, is homerless in 97 at-bats over his last 24 games — the longest drought of his big league career”
* * there must REALLY be some kind of truth to the ‘Jinx of the Home Run Derby!’
_Sportscenter announced that Giambi could return to the team at the end of next week_
I guees they’re running outta fries and milk shakes in tampa
and how about this TASTY LIL’ TidBit:
Records as of June 3rd)
Chicago Cubs 31-15
New York Yankees 31-16
Detroit Tigers 29-16
Seattle Mariners 27-20
Texas Rangers 26-20
..now THAT’S a lil more like it!!
…compliments of espn:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/daily?page=dd/070725
What is wrong with saying it was A-Rod’s best group interview session? He was really good tonight.
I can’t win with some of you people.
I don’t there is a HR derby jinx. Ryan Howard, Griffey, Sosa, and McGuire continued to hit homeruns after the break. I do think some of participants change their swings to hit HRs in the derby.
Nice link Pinstriped Player. We are creeping and the central will continue to beat up on each other. We have a chance.
I think that the Angels as a team have hit one home run over the past 14 games.
The pressure on Vlad to constantly carry that team is immense and i wonder if he’s starting to press? they just won’t get him any help there (thank goodness for the yanks). People are always complaining about cashman. Imagine if bill stoneman were a GM in new york?
Vlad can flat out rake. He’s as natural a hitter as we’re ever going to see. I don’t think he is jinxable.
LOL, I know it’s one game and the only game he’s pitched, Scott Williamson has a 40.50 ERA with two strikeouts. I just thought I throw that out there since I’m bored out my mind.
It’s good to see Alberto Gonzalez hitting at Trenton. He’s our future utility man.
Williamson definitely didn’t help his cause tonight. Those cincy hitters must have been relieved to see him after phil and joba (with three scoreless innings by steve white in between)
Gonzalez has been playing well. I hope his hitting comes around because he’s an outstanding glove.
It’s very early to say this but… another guy who looks promising as a utility guy (though he could be more) is Justin Synder. Just drafted hitting around .370 with an OBP of almost .500 in the NY Penn league. Plays second, short, centerfield. Was a second baseman in college. The coaches there really like him.
Matt Carson could be the next Shelley Duncan, if can increase his walk total.
Interesting comparison. Though he’s not tearing up trenton like shelley did he’s having a nice year as an all star whose not really a “prospect.”
That trenton team is funny because the pitching is so much better than the position players. the guys in the field are on the underwhelming side. that’ll change next year when tabata and jackson get there.
When was Justin Snyder drafted?
21st round. typical yankee fashion they signed him over slot. he might have been a draft eligible sophomore. don’t remember if they needed to “buy him out” of his junior year. maybe why he fell?
nice story on him. he’s arguably been the best 2 or 3 players in the New York Penn League.
Nice story on him:
http://www.silive.com/sports/a.....038;coll=1
That is a good story on Justin Snyder. He looks pretty good; patient hitter who could develop some power.
Do you think this run the team is having is for real or is it a product of the bad competition? Combination of both?
When this easy stretch concludes will they maintain the momentum?
When they play the tigers those eight games nest month are they going to be at that level of play?
**Believe it or not** there’s a possibility that A-Rod’s next HR will be his “493rd” and NOT his “500th”…! How is that possible?
Well, listen carefully:
If A-Rod’s next HR comes in Friday’s resumed suspended game, than Yesterday’s HR will count as #500 and that one (Friday’s) will be his 493rd…..!
(and by the way it also means that on Friday when he turns 32, the HR in the suspended game will be counted as he hit it a Month earlier (on the origional date from the suspended game) so he’ll become the only player to hit 500 HR’s by the age of 31 although in fact he hit it on his 32nd birthday.
Kind of weird but that’s a baseball rule that a resumed suspended game gets counted on its origional date!).
It’s combination of both. The Yankees are beating teams they are suppose beat. The lefties in the lineup are finally hitting. The bullpen has finally figured out that throwing strikes does help their cause. The Yankees did beat Gil Meche who is pitching really well this year and earning his pay check. It’s going to be interesting to see what Clemens does against lineups like the Tigers, Indians, and Red Sox. He hasn’t really been tested if you look at the teams he has faced. Can Abooboo hit left handed pitching?? Will Abooboo ever dive for the ball or make a catch the warning track or wall?? That’s sad when you have to ask yourself that question and you already know the answer. Anyway, adding Hughes to the rotation helps. I think the lineup will continue to carry that momentum. They won’t score 10 runs a game but they will be patient and wear down the opposing pitcher as much as possible.
As of right now, our probability of winning the WC has gone up which is always a good thing. We’ll need another bench player obviously. Can Pettite find his game again?? Will Mussina get those strikes on the black? Giambi is coming back. Will his presence be good or bad thing? There are still a ton of questions, but as of right now, we’re winning which is always a good thing. Oh yeah, will Giambi stop saying “I’m sorry for doing that stuff????????”
I think we’ll win the wild card.
“I think we’ll win the wild card.”
nope. They will win the division.
E-ROC –
I loved your post. It read like one of those old-fashioned soap operas: i.e., Will Jane ever see John again, or will Sarah take him away? “Like sands through an hourglass, these are the Days of Our Lives.”
This is why you never lose faith in a team that has proven they can do it. Everyone who stuck the knife in the Yanks back and calls themself a fan should be ashamed.
Hey stop impersonating Peter, it is clear your name doesn’t appear the same as his.
Didn’t Jeter get hit by a pitch last night? I assume he’s OK; have’t read anything in the paper or online this morning. Anyone else have any info?
Peter, thanks for saying 17 of 22. Not sure if my bitching had anything to do with it, but I appreciate it anyway.
Back to baseball, House money game tonight. If the Yankees can actually win this one and finish a 4 game sweep with Igawa pitching to Molina, then even the biggest skeptics or trolls will realize changes are afoot at the circle k.
Ellen,
Jeter was hit in the tricep. They were up by 6, so they probably took him out to ice it.
I saw a brief item somewhere this morning where he said he would probably play today.
“What is wrong with saying it was A-Rod’s best group interview session? He was really good tonight. ”
i would guess that stacey read this as a dig at a-rod’s admission of seeing a therapist. “group session”. i don’t think you meant it like that and it was a simple misunderstanding.
“Can Abooboo hit left handed pitching?? Will Abooboo ever dive for the ball or make a catch the warning track or wall?? That’s sad when you have to ask yourself that question and you already know the answer.”
both of these things have happened in the last 2 games. he made a diving catch the other day and last night he ran down a ball on the warning track last night. it was vizcaino’s first batter.
abreu is playing an average RF this year.
Abreu made a diving catch last night and made a nice running catch just short of the wall.
But, alas, Bobby A is a “soft” player, definitely not in the Paul O’Neil mold. However he’s an adequate RF with a better than average arm, sees a lot of pitches (too many sometimes!), is a solid OBP hitter, and is a good influence of the young latin players. Cashman could do much worse for a Right Fielder. I’d love to see a blue collar player like the Twins’ Cuddyer in RF, but that’s a longshot.
This is the way Cashman envisioned the Yankees playing when he made the changes for 2007. Hopefully he can now concentrate on the deadline and beyond w/o having to worry about the Yankees’ play. I’ll bet he’s sleeping alittle better lately.