Then, just like Fredo, they get shot in the lake and there goes their 2008 season - I think last night was the lake scene.

Argh, I'm not trying to be an A-Rod apologist but, argh. Can we stop this bashing of him? He had a shitty game last night, he's having an off year with RISP, but geez he's otherwise been amazing. I was at the game last night and Cliff, you're wrong about the booing, it started on Cash's infield single when A-Rod tried to barehand it. It was embarassing to call myself a Yankee fan at that point and be associated with those people. They literally expect A-Rod to run faster than a speeding bullet and hit a HR everytime out.

I was also at Game 4 of the ALDS last year and I remember when A-Rod hit that HR in the 7th people were complaining saying it was too little too late. Meanwhile, everyone forgets that the inning before Jeter grounded into a DP in a 1st and 3rd, 1 out situation. My point is not to bash Jeter at all, its to show that even the "clutchiest" of hitters screw up in big situations and that often our prevailing prejudices force us into a storyline. Does no one remember Alex's 12th inning HR a week ago?

I'm ranting a bit, but I'm sorry. In the long list of why the 2008 Yankees are mediocre the idea that A-Rod is high on that list is laughable. He has a 157 OPS+ and is playing a good 3B. I'm amazed no one besides Cliff has even pointed a finger at Andy for last night's game. You can't walk the 7-8-9 hitters as much as he did.

Last night's loss though, that IS MRod's fault. Andy didn't have his best stuff, but MRod had many chances to do something about it, to make a difference, to make us all believers again. The bottom line is that he didn't, sorry, it has nothing to do with how much money he makes, his image, looks or whatever, he's just a big loser who is suppose to be the best player and he plays like one big loser. If you want to pretend you don't see it, then fine.

That second at-bat against Wakefield, where he swung at a pitch 3 feet on the left handers batter's box is typical of what you'd expect from him when a big hit is needed. You can always count on MRod to fail when you most need him.

It's not even about "clutch", it's about when you most need him. I'm not talking about a game in the middle of May where he fails, this is when he's suppose to shine. Yet, he continually fails...the only conclusion you can make is that he's just a loser.

It took me a while, but yesterday I came to that conclusion.

.362/.470/.723/1.193 203 OPS+, 10 HR, 31 RBIs. Yeah he really didn't help them when they really needed it last year.

You know when they should have knocked it down? Right after Game 5 of the 2001 World Series. One of the greatest, 'gritty' performances I've ever seen (starting with the night before) from that bunch, and it would have been the perfect sendoff with YES just starting up as well.

Who cares that they didn't have a plan at that point. Bring in the wrecking ball, play at Shea for 7 years, who cares. They've done about as well in the playoff department as the boys from Queens anyway... Just a complete disgrace of a year it's been up to this point.

Either that, or keep the old Stadium up until we finally win another championship, then have the parade route lead right into it for one final celebration.

That all off my chest, I'm glad I chose to catch up on my DVR viewing last night instead.

http://tinyurl.com/58o3gm

Hank will be in the owner's box, looking down:

Hush, my A-Rod. A-Rod, dont you cry.
Hank is gonna make all of your nightmares come true.
Hank is gonna put all of his fears into you.
Hank is gonna keep you right here under his wing.
He wont let you fly, but he might let you swing.
Hank is gonna keep A-Rod cozy and warm.

Torre is Merlin, imprisoned in LA, helpless to stop the impending doom he had prophesized.

Jeter is Arthur. Not the best knight, not the best player, but the man trying to hold it altogether in the face of diminished skills. His early career brought unheard of success, and his later career will never quite measure up. He is the once and future Yankee.

Mariano is Percival. A holy man, able to achieve the ultimate quest and rise above the folly of the latter day knights. Always separate from the brotherhood in some sense.

Arod is Lancelot - the greatest Knight who will never achieve his most important quest because of a fatal flaw.

Giambi is Gawaine, a powerful figure whose strength increased 'til noon and then faded in kind.

I'm sure their are other good comparisons, but these are the one that jump out.

BTW, just cause the regular season went one day into October then that doesn't mean he REALLY put those numbers up in October. A little misleading. Because we all know what ARod HAS done during the real October.

Anyhow, here's what MRod has done with bases loaded this YEAR, 2008:
.100/.182/.100

Late inning pressure:
.286/.379/ .469

RISP:
.246/.400/.413

RISP 2 Outs:
.245/.452/.415

Keep in mind that he has 9 and 7 IBB when there are RISP and RISP w/ 2 outs, respectively.

MRod is like that guy at work who shines 9 - 5, but when he/she gets the call at 3 in the morning because something is not right then he's no where to be found - though he's the one that help out the most.

He's like David Blaine, he always disappears when you need him most. However, unlike Blaine, you can still see him there but you see that his insides have been guttted.

Also, after seeing those two runs score on a grounder to third, J.D. Salinger might say that Giambi was Holden Ball-in-field...

You want to go postseason, take his numbers up to Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS and then after. The first set shows a great playoff performer, the last set shows a mediocre to bad one. Which do you put stock in?

I'm sorry, when the Yanks needed him most last year he didn't show up. It's been like that every year of his Yankee career, I'm sorry but there's a pattern here that is too hard to deny at this point. When the Yanks need him most, when there collective backs are against the wall and he comes up with an opportunity to remind us all how "great" he really is then he fails.

The only memory I have of MRod is of him failing, but there were those great games against the Indians and Orioles last year in April. Those were great and I am not diminishing them or his accomplishments, but when everyone is truly watching...he disappears. That's what I see.

Why isn't Jeter a choker to you for that GIDP in the 6th inning of game 4 last year? That killed the only real rally they had that game. Didn't they need Jeter to come through there more than at any other point in the season? and he failed.

Season BA OBA Slug%
2000 .295 .414 .597
2001 .307 .402 .647
2002 .366 .479 .752
2003 .281 .383 .527
2004 .248 .346 .439
2005 .290 .410 .484
2006 .302 .431 .508
2007 .330 .457 .659
2008 .246 .400 .413

So you could just use one of Boston's villains or one of the hugely disappointing Yanks. Neither is really satisfying though.

You can see the guy feels the pressure and, as Damon observed, feels the need to show he's the greatest player ever.

I believe that demonstrating Alex's performance by statistics fails to grasp the true nature of the argument here.

I believe the point is that something in Alex's psyche allows him to beat himself, to appear overmatched even by mediocre pitchers. "Choking" isn't the same thing as "making an out in a big spot."

"Choking" is allowing the pressure to negatively impact one's performance.

I think it's hard to make an argument that among players in Alex's class, he's conspicuously susceptible to beating himself rather than merely getting beaten or making an out.

Come on guys, we all watch Alex day in and day out; can any of us really say that he's the guy we want up in a pressure situation? Or that we've not often seen him just wilt under pressure?

This isn't Alex-bashing, just plain observation.

You should have put that in bold, so I did it for you. I think that's the easiest way to describe it. That statement is the clarity I was searching for, thanks again!

Here is the only place where I think you can knock Arod: compared to the very best in the game (i.e., Manny, Pujols and maybe one or two more), Arod seems much more prone to get into mental slumps, whereas the other greats seem to only suffer from mechanical problems. That's not really a big problem, however, unless your entire lineup is built around Arod and you really on him to get a big hit every night. I don't think it's a crime to suggest that Aarod may not be as good a hitter as Pujols and Manny, but it is rathe rabsurd to suggest he isn't a great player.

Ewing got booed constantly, Ewing would make absurd statements and never deliver when they needed him, I think that's it.....MRod will simply go down as the greatest player the franchise ever had who never won it all, just like Ewing.

By the way, how do the Knicks look without Ewing now?

Oh but Pettitte can never be blamed for anything. He's a TRUE Yankee.

I'm also a little tired of the fans who skip May and June and decide that a late August game against Boston is "big."

ARod's averages vs. AL playoff teams this year: .314, .318, .344, .390 with the ob% and sl% to match. (No CWS - he must have been injured.)

He hit .083 vs. Pittsburgh, quite possibly the lowest-pressure games of the year, vs. one of the worst teams, and pre-divorce, too.

The whole myth of true Yankee and big game blah blah really bothers me. Andy is a true Yankee, well how about him completely tanking Game 6 of the 2001 Serious? He was awful (2 innings, 6 ER) yet that never gets mentioned. On the other hand Moose isn't a big game pitcher even though he was great in Game 5 that year and in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS in relief. Its just making actual events conform to a storyline, which is fine I guess but its not the reality.

Bottom of the 7th, bases loaded, sure.

But then why does anybody care about a 3rd inning GIDP? Or a first inning strikeout?

Runners were not in scoring position. It wasn't close and late. It's not even the playoffs and we only care about the playoffs in the Big Apple.

Yuck, what a dull season...

Big deal. I'm so tired of listening to my fellow Yankee fans rip the guy. But whatcha gonna do.

D'oh!