Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Oct 06, 2009 
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Alex Rodriguez knows the spotlight will be on him as he tries to improve his playoff track record with the Yankees. Josh Thomson has the story.
Here’s the money quote from Josh’s piece: “We have a unique lineup this year. We have a very deep lineup. I’m biased, but I think it’s one of the best in baseball, if not the best,” Rodriguez said. “With that said, I also know I’m hitting cleanup for a reason. I know it’s going to be important for me to come up with some big hits when my number is called. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, like I have all year.”
That A-Rod reached 30 homers and 100 RBI in a season where he missed 28 games is an incredible accomplishment. I said during our last video chat – and I have a feeling I’ll say again during tomorrow’s – that I think he could have a breakout October this year.
God willing, with Tex in the lineup and the year Matsui is having, ARod will finally perform in October. I’d love to see him do well. Go Yankees!
Sam–I just wanted to say that you guys are doing a terrific job!
BTW–did Pete leave behind any tech guys who can help you load images? Not to add extra pressure, but photos are always a plus. (They also take up space, so it’s a win-win)
Tex was a great addition for many reasons, one of them being he took the pressure off A-rod to “be the man”. I have been impressed w/ the way A-rod has finally learned to keep his mouth shut and let his bat do the talking.
Frank, M – Jeter and Jorge should have a problem with Molina causing AJ because it hurts the team.
Pat M, unsettling is the right word. I didn’t think this at the time the you know what hit the fan, but now I do. AJ should have come out and said that the speculation regarding him preferring Molina is ridiculous and that whatever issues he and Jorge were having were on him and him alone. That said, it shouldn’t have been necessary for him to do that. AJ pitched very well to Jorge in June and July – and he’s well aware of that, as is Joe. His slump was just that, a slump………….as you can see by my posts yesterday, I’m really angry at AJ. However Joe should have put Jorge in the lineup every time that AJ pitched…….and that would have been that. Normally Steve Phillips is anathema to me, but he ripped a potential Molina/AJ pairing to shreds (as did Kay) yesterday and I agree. AJ’s rep is going to take a major hit – and deservedly so- no matter how he pitches in the post-season with Molina.
As to Alex, what a remarkable season. I’m rooting for him personally (not just because a big post-season would help the team immensely)……….and I hope that he comes through. The fact that he’s looking forward to the post-season is a great sign.
Sam
I can see why you didn’t take this on a permanent basis… you are setting the standards pretty high with all the posts. Great stuff, by the way.
I live about 60 miles south of Detroit, and all my friends and family are Tigers’ fans (well, almost). All of ‘em are just a tad nervous.
GB, I said at the beginning of the season that it was unfortunate that Po wasn’t able to get to know his new pitchers better because of the restrictions on his playing time in ST. Frankly, Molina was catching CC for most of the season……..If Jorge believes, however, that AJ implied or went out of his way to push for Molina to catch him, then I have no idea what their relationship will be going forward…..but I don’t think it will be good.
If AJ pitches to Molina and it goes well, I hope it will put this discussion on a back burner for awhile. I want to kill myself right about now.
“Frankly, Molina was catching CC for most of the season”
Pretty even split of Sabathia’s starts. 15 caught by Posada, 10 each by Cervelli and Molina. His best numbers were with Cervelli and his worse, by a pretty wide margin, were with Posada. That said, I’d bet the house Sabathia wants Posada back there because he knows that gives the Yankees their best team.
Rex, of course……I agree. CC would want Jorge back there…..
Posada didnt caught most of CC’s games back during spring training. Yet, CC still have a good game with Posada. Yeah I know, Posada and Burnett was clicking from June to July. Whatever happened in August needs to be fixed.
off topic but inquiring minds want to know…..why the pictures on all the posts?
Really?
arod’s new stance and approach are a huge improvement over his old approach.
he really had little chance in pressure situations when he had no idea if he could put the bat on the ball or not.
now he’s looking very confident that he can make contact with his shorter stroke.
he sees the ball a lot better because he’s more relaxed, and doesn’t have as many bad swings
hopefully this new approach will result in less guessing too.
that’ll cut down on him looking at 2 strike pitches right down the middle when he’s looking for something else.
so yeah, i’m expecting him to have a good post season too.
Uh oh, sounds like Alex is already starting to pressure himself into the role where he then fails miserably under the pressure. I’d much rather he say that he is just a cog in a great offensive machine, with seven players with >20 homeruns and 7 with >80 RBI (not to mention 4 players that scored > 100 runs!).
This big lay-off has been excruciating.
Did anyone else find themselves craving baseball about 6pm last night? 7pm? 7:15pm?
Of course the Rangers were playing the Devils, so that filled the gap a little.
Yesterday reminded me of past Novembers, getting in my car around 6:30-7pm and tuning in to hear John Sterling’s pre-game only to realize it wasn’t baseball season anymore…
Is it 5′o’clock yet?
A-rod also seems to have a different mind set, trying to just put the ball in play, rather than go for the HR. And to have a 30/100 injury shortened season is just icing on the cake…thanks Rays.
The Yankees have a great mix in the line up, some patient hitters, some first pitch hitters, and all the switch hitters.
“arod’s new stance and approach are a huge improvement over his old approach.
he really had little chance in pressure situations when he had no idea if he could put the bat on the ball or not.
now he’s looking very confident that he can make contact with his shorter stroke.
he sees the ball a lot better because he’s more relaxed, and doesn’t have as many bad swings”
but i thought Arod has been the best player in baseball all these years ???
now suddenly, he has a chance cuz of his improved stroke.
sorry. I don’t disagree with anything you said. I only find it laughable, when people would call Arod the best player in the game.
Slight correction — A-Rod actually missed 38 games, not 28. He played in 124. Even more impressive!
It’s really funny how a summer of posts that Posada was the worst catcher in baseball history, that he couldn’t catch balls in the dirt, was lazy, couldn’t throw, couldn’t call a good game for any pitcher, was stubborn, stupid, yadda, yadda, yadda have been redefined as ‘AJ prefers to throw to Molina’.
The only opinion about who catches AJ that counts is Girardi’s and he knows enough about catching to make a decision that gives the Yankees the best chance to win #27 and I’m fine with whatever decision he makes.
At the same time, it’s disingenuous for those who constantly criticized Jorge all year to suddenly forget those criticisms, you know who you are and it would be a nice gesture to see at least one poster admit they were wrong about him.
Let’s not confuse Arod’s ability to be clutch when a personal goal is at stake and his ability when a team goal is at stake. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Yankees should promise Arod $500k for each RBI he gets in the post season and he will set the record. I don’t blame him for this I just think that’s the way he is wired. His motivation is on personal goals and money. Another reason why he had, in my opinion, his best Yankee season this year was because he was, for the first time in his life, trying to be low profile. I suggest he stick with that attitude and let his bat do the talking in the post season like he did in the reg.
Yeah. A-Rod is the man.
The Grand Slam, when Sonnistine walked Tex,showed me Alex is a force to contend with in the playoffs. He doesn’t have the same pressure,of him trying to do it all.Tex,Jeter and,Matsui in the line up helps.
Alex said he had to face the fact that his career could be over,when he had the surgery.Couple that with,being outed about his steroid use,and 2 huge weights were lifted.He has a new outlook and I like the new Alex this year.
The ones I’m watching in the playoffs is Cano with RISP,will he hit,either bringing them home or advance them on the bases?
The other one is CC,he has a poor postseason record.To his credit,he never had this kind of line up supporting him on those teams(Indians,Brewers.)
The Brewers abused him with over use on few days rest often.
Has anyone actually watched the games with posada catching? The staff shakes him off all the time. His head is not into the game. There gave been numerous times this year where he didn’t know the count when HE was up to bat. You think that’s better when someone else is? You people that want him bc of offense remind me of the morons that wanted giambi over Doug m a couple years ago. Baseball is a defensive game. Of course, you guys believe a poster that wanted to TRADE cano for being lazy, release cabrera, bench swisher, and demote Hughes for not being tough. Ps Betsy. You need to get a grip on reality. You are crazy. It’s just a game. That you ate not playing. And the funniest part us: you don’t know too much about how to play it. But I’m sure AJ is very concerned you ate upset with Jim.
“Jim” is “him”. “ate” is “are”- iPhone issues.
I don’t think there is a Yankee with more pressure on them than CC. If CC goes out and has a bad game in Game 1, the Yankees entire game plan falls apart. Now there is immense pressure on Pettitte and AJ and the bullpen gets stressed with Aceves having to be used up in game 1. I just don’t see CC as a given as everyone else does. The post season is more about mental makeup than it is about physical. Mechanics get thrown out of wack when mental pressure is added.
CC is the key. But I’m more confident than with headcase mussina.
What Alex seems to have embraced this year is more situational hitting.
Taking the walk to get on base, hitting the sac fly when that is what is needed, driving the ball up the middle for a single to keep the line moving or popping one out in a 15 inning game because we all had enough already. All of those are hitting for the situation.
He’s always been a guess hitter and I don’t think that’s going to go away completely so he’s going to K looking now and again but he does seem to have given this contacting hitting thing a try on occasion this year.
What’s kind of surprising is the amount of media “support” he’s getting this week. It’s like he made a pact with them on May 8- “If I don’t say anything all year and you’ll all be supportive in October. All bets are off in November based on how I do. Deal?”
I haven’t heard ANY media member not say he is going to have a good postseason including Ian O’Connor and Joel Sherman who don’t have anything nice to say about anyone. If Lupica gives him even the benefit of the doubt, it will surely be a sign of the apocalypse.
Here we are as the fan base of the best team in basesball.Is getting someone to admit how they see Posada all you want to talk about?
Why does anyone need to admit anything to you? How PETTY!!
Relax and enjoy postseason with the Yankees,Joe will manage,like he’s done all season.
I think the fact that he was crucified and tortured for steroids and ortiz got a tickle under his chin made people realize they were creating a martyr of Him. They’re praying he fails. Sells more papers.
Does anyone actually think if the yanks make the WS that in the event that AJ is our game 3 starter that Joe would take a chance with Molina out there knowing that AJ has to hit as well? Do you think Joe is that nuts to take two bats out of the lineup in the WS? I guess if AJ has pitched THAT well with Molina (in the playoffs going forward) that he sort of has to think about it, but in my mind there is NO way Molina gets a road start in the WS, they will have to flip flop Andy-AJ if they wanna do that!
If Alex plays the game he played this season,he’s got one great postseason ahead of him.
I think Joe has kept the Yankees as one cohesive loose group.They have fun.
Molina in the batting line up now is an automatic out.No way
in a NL park will he catch.You’ll be batting with 7 people and 2 instant outs.
The Yankees will have a better lineup than anyone they play no matter who is catching. If AJ thinks he’s better with Molina then let him throw to Molina.
I agree that the whole key to the ALDS is CC’s performance in game one. Yanks have a huge advantage with the opposing team having to travel tonight and they can’t just give it away.
Still I’m more confident about the post-season than any since 2004 — is that a bad sign?
Maybe Molina will have a monster postseason. Not likely, but it would be fun for the crow eating possibilities.
new ———–>
This is such *BS*.
Why is the spotlight on ARod any more than it is on the other 8 guys in that lineup?????????
This is how EVERY friggin playoff w/ the Yankees begins. The media over exaggerates the importance of ARod in that lineup.
Its a team game and everyone relies on everyone else to manufacture runs whether they hit in the 1, 4, or 9 hole or wherever else. If this team has shown us anything offensively, it is that they are stacked from 1 through 9 and EVERY guy is capable of and should be expected to produce.
I see the numbers, I see how the Yankees took flight once ARod came back. He was the missing link in an already solid lineup, but it wasn’t just ARod’s presence that allowed that lineup to excel.
Let’s put the spotlight on EVERY hitter and not just ARod. Despite what you guys write, I actually believe that ARod knows that he can count on the guys around him to be just as accountable as he is for the success, or lack thereof, that the team has in October (and hopefully November).
Uh oh, sounds like Alex is already starting to pressure himself into the role where he then fails miserably under the pressure. I’d much rather he say that he is just a cog in a great offensive machine, with seven players with >20 homeruns and 7 with >80 RBI (not to mention 4 players that scored > 100 runs!).
Paco- if Arod said all that people would accuse him of looking at the numbers too much
Vinnv- being the best doesn’t mean one can’t improve. Even if you pick somone else other than Arod as the best baseball player, I bet we could all pick something that player could improve upon, even the Great Albert
Time to layoff A-Rod..The Yankee’s are not a one man team..It’s made up of a line-up second to none..Appreciate the talent of the entire team,inclusive of A-Rod…