We had our first rehearsal last night. It should be something else.

And it's free.

I understand stats, and know enough to recognize bs when I see it, even if its a veteran baseball scribe (say, Murray Chass) doing the writing. But when it comes to the mechanics, I stay away. I feel lost when I read this kind of thing, because I have no way to evaluate it. This guy might be full of it (who knows more, him or A-Rod?), or he might really have something here (I remember when Posada told Moose about his change-up last year).

But I have issues!
(OK... I won't bore you with them, so lets talk baseball)

ARod HAD a much higher foot-lift until last year. He still has one, but it was worked on and now it's much lessened. He attributed his success in 2007 to this change.

However, is John saying ARod ONLY does this, or does it to a greater degree, with RISP? His OPS is about 1.000, but with RISP only .800. So he must be doing something DIFFERENT with RISP (if you believe the 109 AB sample size is valid) to account for this. (His Runners on OPS, 179 AB is .865)

If he is not doing something different mechanically, they maybe.... maybe it's in his head? Possible for ARod?

Personally, I feel he's thinking if he doesn't come through, he will NOT get an invite from Jeter for a sleepover. This is still very disturbing for ARod. Others believe he is simply feeling pressure to live up to his hype, his image, his contract, and the fact that maybe he SHOULD carry this team (he shouldn't). Maybe it's the fact that the more you think about anything other then 'I'm not gonna let this shitty pitcher beat me', the better your odds of getting beat.

I feel sorry for ARod. I think Pujols, Bonds and the other greats understand and except the fact that you can't always come through. They understand that failure is 2/3rds of the game. And while ARod might understand this intellectually, he does not get it viscerally. In his gut, he honestly feels 'it always comes down to ARod'.

10 years. $270 million. Plus bonuses.
Nobody... NOBODY can live up to that.
ARod needs to stop trying.

Maybe it's just RCNB?

CC Sabathia... COME OOOON DOWN!

But the problem is, he would only be able to do it once. We'd have to buy in bulk (lots of emergency puddings there... >;)

(Come to think of it, half the roster now seems like it's made up of emergency puddings...)

when u look at strikes and swing at balls its mental - its forgetting your strike zone because instead ur thinking: i wanna crush this next pitch and win the game.

the fact that this becomes more apparent and is reflected in a lower performance with RISP - merely confirms that assertion.

furthermore - think about A-rod as a person - (from the version we know of him through comments, interviews, and public actions) He's self absorbed, but knows he should appear modest (even though he doesn't and ends up feeling guilty about it). Also he's been near perfect his whole life - but he's cerebral/sensitive enough to realize how hard perfection is to achieve and to lose confidence in himself - and so he's stuck in mental conflict between reality (knowing perfection is impossible) and idealism (wanting and believing at times that he can be the best baseball player to ever live) - which is why he looks at strikes and swings are balls.

Was that supposed to be comedy?

Are youe basing your "classic A-Rod strikeout sequence" off your impressions and memory, or data about pitch sequence, location, etc? If its the data, please share, because I'm really interested in finding out whether its true or not.

8 Unless CC Sabathia would prefer to pitch for a team that can win, but doesn't play in NYC (or Boston), where the pressure won't always be on (like it is for A-Rod), for tons of money of course.

You did just get through saying that nobody could live up to 10 years, $270M.

Besides, when do we begin holding the media (and sharing accountability) for the inordinate pressure, if such applies? If pressure kills a once-great player, then we should hold ourselves as much responsible as the players. But it's never OUR fault, so stone the reporters and blow up the TV stations! >;)

http://tinyurl.com/66terk

"We're going to win it next year..."

NEXT year??? What kind of Yankee attitude is that?

I'm not being unrealistic about this team. I hadn't been convinced that the FO had plans for the playoffs this year. I've just never -- never -- equated the Yankees with a pack-it-in mentality. Not even close.