A-Rod gets his groove on
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Jun 26, 2009 
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A-Rod now has 563 homers, matching Reggie Jackson for 11th place all-time.
“It’s quite an honor to tie Reggie,” Rodriguez said. “I’m sure Mr. October will have a lot to say about it.”
The important part is this: after a 4-for-40 skid, Rodriguez is 5 for 15 with eight RBI over the last four games. Tonight, believe it or not, was his first multi-hit game since May 25.
Rodriguez said something interesting before the game. For the first time he acknowledged that the hip surgery and subsequent recovery could hold his production down.
“I’m going to go out and do the best I can every night. Sometimes it’s a couple of walks and a hit. It doesn’t have to be a 500-foot home run, it just has to be good at-bats, situational hitting and play good defense. I do have my limitations,” he said.
Perhaps admitting that will take away some of the pressure he was under. He certainly looked like a different player the last few days.
Or maybe the untimely passing of Michael Jackson will prove inspirational to Alex moving forward. After all, he wears one glove to perform in front of large crowds, altered his body in unnatural ways and is the target of much tabloid gossip. He and MJ had a lot in common.
(I’m just kidding, calm down.)
funny yet so wrong
Arod and MJ
not a kind comparison
and worse on Twitter
lol, Pete. That’s cold. Just cold.
Looks like talk about the death of A-rod’s offense was a bit premature.
Was the last paragraph necessary lol
my hiaku on this got filtered!
Let’s hope A-Rod doesn’t bleach himself white.
stay classy
Phil Coke needs to go on a diet. Too many burgers. More Subway and Diet Coke for him.
Pete, As a writer that I’ve come to admire , as I read your columns daily, I am taken back somewhat by your leadin to this thread….Witty yes, poor taste, borderline…..I’m certainly not a M. Jackson fan by any stretch, however maybe it’s just the timing……..
Okay, that might appear to be a random comment, but it was a response to a comment about burgers and Coke that has been censored.
That’s so wrong in so many ways. lol First MJ just died and I think we should refrain from joking around for a awhile out of respect. Also MJ was accused of some awful things, Arod did steroids bad yes but far from what MJ was accused of. I have always called you out on over bashing Arod but I don’t think it’s the case here, just bad timing and maybe poor taste?
the other night I had to state over and over that arod was not done to some astute bloggers like reggie miller and others. the guy is 34, been great since he is 16, whatever the PED reality is the guy is a total stud. he is like 6 ft 3 220 lbs.. he hit 350 at 19 or 20 years old. he is not david ortiz..look at his stats some time.. again for the 4000 time, arod is a wierd bird, hard to like, but he tries and cares. he may tru to hard and that has been his achilles heel for years, look at his numbers now, hitting 220 with a 370 OBP.. that is as bad as he can play for swisher that is considered a good year!!!!!!!!
he is a enigma and always will be, if he can ever win the WS I think a huge weight would be lifted off his shoulders.
why he ever wanted to get paid so much more then anyone else is a mystery to me, but that is all idiots like boras care about…..that label highest paid player he can never get away from………
for all the reggie miller posters and M and other losers look at the back of his baseball card…..
I’m with Chris Rock when it comes to MJ:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06K82xsG6vE
One word: Thriller.
Late night Yankee fans
on Arod joke high alert
quick to call a foul
stuart,
Am I the “M” you’re talking about?
Quote: “Phil Coke needs to go on a diet. Too many burgers. More Subway and Diet Coke for him.”
Petey boy can’t take the heat, or any honest criticism.
You have to wonder what it is he’s trying to cover up with all that food. There’s some serious issues in there somewhere.
Quote: “Phil Coke needs to go on a diet. Too many burgers. More Subway and Diet Coke for him.”
Petey boy can’t take the heat, or any honest criticism.
You have to wonder what it is he’s trying to cover up with all that food. There’s some serious issues in there somewhere.
Big M and little m
one has just been insulted
all eyes on stuart
comments appearing very slowly.
stuart,
If so, can you tell me what I did to deserve your ire? I would be upset if I offended you in any way.
Nothing wrong with David Robertson.
The guy has strikeout stuff and he’s done a good job.
He’s not a top echelon reliever by any means, but they could do a lot worse than trotting him out there every few days.
The contrast about what Pete said on the radio tonight and this post about A-Rod are stark.
radio- The offense doesn’t go without him. He’s a needed righty bat in the middle. here- maybe he can play without pressure. In other words, if you don’t perform, we don’t win but no pressure. Somehow those 2 things don’t go together.
My question is why can’t the offense perform without him? Boston can win without Manny and Ortiz. The Mets are winning without Delgado and Beltran. Other line-ups can win without their clean up hitters for short periods of time. Why is this offense so dependent on A-Rod?
Giuseppe Franco:
Please read the posting guidelines. I’d like for people to refrain from name-calling. That includes you. If you have some problem with what I wrote, feel free to e-mail me. I’ll happily respond.
I know you won’t, but the offer is there.
Oh, yeah. Pete changes his tune on A-rod outside the LoHud blog bubble.
Pete,
Didn’t call anyone names whatsoever. Show me where I called you a name tonight and I’ll hand over my next paycheck.
Untrue, Mel. I’ve never suggested the guy is not an important player an vital to what they do. I’m sure they’d rather not have him signed through 2017. But for 2009, he’s pretty important.
M
I can’t remember from day to day which person I am talking off the bridge. If you were not one of the arod is done guy I apologize. I have no clue how things will work out for Arod but I doubt he will turn into a 230 avg 20 HR. 85 rbi guy or worse like some were thinking. obviously he is not running this year and his hip has hurt his D but the 2nd operation at yr. end will help.. he should be fairly prodcutive for at least 5 more years, he is a stud and works hard, PED patrol aside… there are retards on this blog that think his success is PED induced alone, that is comical. he is not brady anderson, sammy sosa, jeff bagwell, david ortiz or others..
Pete,
You positively gushed about Alex. Said that even when he was hitting .200, he was hitting bombs and driving in runs.
But when he hit his skid, you twittered that it could be PED related.
So maybe I misinterpreted, but the difference in tone was quite stark.
And I hate the contract too. Maybe that offended stuart…
GF:
You keep your check, those hair products are pricey. Just refrain from making your comments bitter and personal. Like I said, if you have some problem with me, send me an e-mail. I’ll be happy to respond. I’m trying to raise the level of discourse. I’m hoping you will do the same.
the thing on arods contract is there was no one else who was signing him for that duration or that money so why hank did it is crazy.
they could have signned him for $20 mill per for 7 yrs max…who the hell else would pay him more????I will wait for names, and this held true before the recession also………..
somebody on the previous Nady thread tried to suggest that Smoltz looked really really nasty and his boxscore was misleading (even though he didn’t even watch the game).
let me assure you, he did not.
This poster is either a huge Smoltz fan, Sox fan, or only saw his 3-4 best pitches of the night.
From somebody who watched the game, if Smoltz doesn’t improve (which he certainly could), he won’t last in the Sox rotation.
Well sure, Mel, it could be PED related. You have to least wonder. But when he hits, they win. When he doesn’t, they don’t. That much you can’t avoid. So they need to hope he hits.
2017, That seems so far from now…..The new Hudson subway tubes will be finshed by then, as will the 2nd Ave Subway….Yikes….
stuart,
I don’t think I said he was done. In fact, I said that his use and his recent slide were probably unrelated.
However, I was not in favor of resigning him. And that contract is ridiculous. Hank and Hal outsmarted themselves on that one.
hudson tubes will not be finished by 2017 mark my word…..
“the thing on arods contract is there was no one else who was signing him for that duration or that money”
——–
stuart, I felt the same way but there were several people on here (SJ44 perhaps? I can’t remember who.) who swore there would be offers.
I found it hard to believe also but I’m almost positive some people who have closer ties to the game than I do told me otherwise.
It makes you wonder.
Pete,
re – think a ban on bitter. Bitter is half of a losing game thread.
Pete
But why is the offense so reliant on one guy? Is it poor construction of the the team or a bad mindset of the other players?
stuart June 26th, 2009 at 2:10 am
the thing on arods contract is there was no one else who was signing him for that duration or that money so why hank did it is crazy.
they could have signned him for $20 mill per for 7 yrs max…who the hell else would pay him more????I will wait for names, and this held true before the recession also………..
Are you serious? 140 million for Alex after his 2007 season lmao?
the arod contract is ridiculous and you will not get any disagrement from me.
again the ycompeted for his services against no one…
10 yrs for a 31 yr old or 32……..
$270 mill. is insane.. cashman was aagainst the contract because he hates all the ancillary arod stuff, it get’s old………………….
Pete,
Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t simply call people names like we’re in 4th Grade.
I will respond in kind if a hostile someone addresses me that way – but it’s not a vital part of my schtick as you seem to suggest.
Ask the regulars who I converse with all the time on this blog and they would agree.
I think you just don’t like me getting on your case about your A-Rod obsession and in turn you’ve decided to nitpick anything I say.
Pete,
Hey, I’m in Alex’s corner because well he’s a Yankee. And they kind of need him. So, I can’t tell you how happy I am that he remembered who he was starting yesterday.
As for the PEDs, nothing good can come from it. Nothing. Healthwise, losing the placebo effect, self-doubts, and of course you lose power.
Just saying, that what you say in the safe environs of the blog (where we have your back lol) and what you say outside of it sound very different.
carl who was signing him.. WHo, Milwaukee? Boston? The Mets.. WHo…
name who would have sogned arod…there are only 5 teams that would even think about it; boston, nym, NYY, ANgels, and dodgers…He was not going to the sux…
WHO would have signed him???????
he was going to replace wright at 3rd!!!!
the cubs were signing him???
Baloney.. Arod had 1 suitor who overpaid for him like the ydid for posada and MO..
If someone does not control the steinny’s they will do the same for Jeter…….No home town overpays it has been killing the yanks for years………
lol, stuart.
Who would’ve signed him? Executives who make moves based on the back of baseball cards.
GF:
You constantly attack me. I’d rather the blog space he used more constructively. If you have some issue with me or what I write, send me an e-mail and I respond. I think knee-jerk responses are boring and are not what people want to read. My job is to make people want to read, not drive them away because the comments section is full of bitter rants. Pabraham@lohudcom. I reply to every e-mail, always have.
M..
Arod costs more then anyone could pay….
Pujols makes about 1/2 of Arod and there is no doubt who the better player is……………
again M you and Carl tell me who in 2008 would pay arod 10 yrs and $270 mill besides the yanks. No one would have paid him $200 mill. no way……No one……
Personally, I like when Pete makes fun of Arod.
I seem to not have forgotten that he lied to 60 minutes not too long ago claiming he was the cleanest cat in baseball, not to mention he frosted his tips and dated Madonna.
If that doesn’t make him worth some comedy jabs, I don’t know what does.
Has Pete ever said he’s a serial killer?
Not yet.
But I, for one, look forward to that post. Hopefully, it will involve Arod putting the lotion in the basket or else he gets the hose again.
stuart,
Are you bipolar? You defend Alex in one breath, and then trash his contract in the next.
I’m with you on the contract. In fact, no one can honestly defend it.
G Love:
Don’t you know that baseball is Serious Business and no fun can ever be had? You know what’s funny? People think I make fun of the guy. He gets it 10 times worse from people on the team and around the team.
I’m glad you get it. I’m just trying to have fun. Frankly, I’m glad he’s on the team, he’s good copy. Yankees would be less fun to cover if he was a Cub or whatever.
Anyway, I’m off to bed. Thanks to everybody for reading.
Pete try communicating with your posters via haiku it’s all the rage.
Wow. Pete felt the need to insert a disclaimer. Why? Those who will trash you for the joke will know you were joking. They may not like it, but it’s not like the disclaimer will stop them from getting on your case.
A-rod’s the butt of a lot of jokes. Letterman, Leno, and so on and so forth. Pete doing it’s not a big deal. Apparently, A-rod hasn’t blackballed Pete so it must not bother Alex too much.
i am not bipolar arod is great but is overpaid how is that bipolar..
santana is great but trading for him for the yanks would have been a bad idea long term.. why are those statements bipolar?
jeter has been a great yankee but if the ygive him a 5 yr $125 mill contract they are insane…
Tex got paid a ton this year because both the yanks and sux wanted and needed him, arod would not have gone to the sux so that changes the demand..
sabathia got a huge contract because the yanks needed him terribly and they needed to overpay to move him to the east coast.. it is called economics, arod got overpaid because the loud mouth steinny is a fool….
Because you called people a loser for something or another and then you start arguing with people that his contract is horrible. The problem is there’s no argument. Just seemed you were ranting out of both sides of your mouth.
There are those who tried to explain that we HAD to sign Alex on those terms. Otherwise, Lowell would be our 3B. I don’t understand how 1+1=$270M. But that’s all water under the bridge at this point.
Now it’s about squeezing every hit we can out of Alex before age, injuries, and residual effects take their toll.
Pete doesn’t want to answer my question but there is something wrong with a team who is so reliant on 1 guy to be able to score runs.
Someone needs to fix that.
Principal Cashamn fixes the Bombers….Principal Pete fixes the LoHud…..Reminds me of the good old days when it was a pleasure being here, especially whe the Yanks were playing…..Good Job….
They will be re-named the Kate Hudson Tubes as Arod leads us into a new Dynasty… this is my hope.
NYYFan,
It seems as if the team goes as A-rod goes. But they hit plenty when Alex was out. They’ve got good hitters up and down the lineup.
It could be that NYS has made them homer happy. They’ve got to be smarter with run prevention (i.e. defense) and making the most of their opportunities with men on base.
I love how aggressive the Yankees were in this series with their base stealing. I wish they would use small ball more when they’re struggling to scratch runs.
having Lowell at 3B and having $180 mill dollars not on the books would have been fine also. If they did not resign arod they had other options, they actually could have probably traded for santana and that would have made financial sense as a option.
arods contract is even a burden for the yanks…
Juliana Zobrist
Did Oscar Gamble ever homer the same night Jaunita sang the anthem?
Juanita my sweet chiquita, what are you to?
Our next series is against the Mets. what does that mean for the Mets?
bad News for the
mets!
haha
“For the better part of four years, this blog has been a good place for courteous, knowledgeable Yankees fans to gather. Don’t write something you would not say to somebody in person.”
A-Rod is the savior when he hits the team wins.
Just a stupid joke Pete. I’m not a serious guy at all and shook my head when I read that last comment. What’s wrong with you?
I meant to type “when I read that last PARAGRAPH”
Pete, funny enough, but let’s let alex alone the past 2 nights.
God forbid the best hitter in the al can collect his thoughts.
Cant wait til September.
Quit qworrying so much about Alex’s contract folks, you’re not paying it. That contract did not keep the Yankees from signing CC, Tex and AJ in the same off-season. Yes it was excessive in both dollars and length but get over.
Personally I have no trouble with “gallows” humor and found Pete’s MJ/ARod thing very funny…. and quite true.
Michael Jackson was an amazing talent, but for his last 15 years he was a walking freak show. If ackowledging that reality is disrespectful so be it…
the last paragraph was hilarious Pete
Boston Dave,
You said:
“[S]omebody on the previous Nady thread tried to suggest that Smoltz looked really really nasty and his boxscore was misleading (even though he didn’t even watch the game).
let me assure you, he did not.
This poster is either a huge Smoltz fan, Sox fan, or only saw his 3-4 best pitches of the night.
From somebody who watched the game, if Smoltz doesn’t improve (which he certainly could), he won’t last in the Sox rotation.”
As somebody who believes that Father Time takes its toll on everyone and, therefore, that Smoltz would be good, but not great, this year — and continues to believe that he’s a huge injury risk — I hope you’re right. And you’re correct that I only saw the pitches they showed on ESPN — the bad ones in the first inning and what I continue to believe were very, very nasty ones in the fifth.
But I note that two or three other observers who I believe saw the game and were quoted/interviewed on ESPN had a similar reaction to me. That doesn’t make us/them right at all. I take everything I hear on ESPN with a grain of salt. And I’m wrong often.
However, again, (1) the pitches he was throwing in the fifth looked incredibly nasty to me.
And
(Prior post sent accidentally right before last couple of lines below:)
And ESPN quoted statistics that suggest that batters facing Smoltz fared very poorly for the game as a whole against his slider and curve.
But again, here’s hoping you’re right and the folks on ESPN and I are wrong. Otherwise, unless he gets injured or falls apart due to age (which I think is quite possible) if he pitches like he did in the fifth inning, he’s going to represent a very powerful weapon for the Red Sox against the Yankees late this season and if we face them in the post season.