Pull_T

I've been a huge A-Rod fan for about a decade and i always wonder about the criticism he gets and althoug I understand the reasoning...I think it's unwarranted.

So for anyone who is a Yankee fan...is he a "true" Yankee yet?

slayer202

I would think most yankee fans would say not until the playoffs

JediMindTricks

fixed.

PillsburyChoboy

only fans of below-average intellect would believe in the existence of a "true yankee." what if the yankees make a run in the playoffs and win the whole thing but a-rod goes 3 for 20 with no homers and 11 K's in the WS? does this make arod a true yankee ... just because his team won? on the flip-side, what if a-rod goes 10 for 20 with 5 homers and a couple game-winners but the yankees falter due to crappy pitching and lose the WS in 7? now, he's not a true Yankee?

winning the WS or any short series involves plenty of luck.

NetEditor

As a Yankee fan, I do think of A-Rod as a Yankee and I think my fellow Yankees fans should, too. A-Rod has single-handedly won enough games with his bat to keep the team in the race. His ninth-inning batting average and slugging percentage are through the roof. He's had plenty of game-winning or game-tying hits. Without those hits, the team wouldn't make the playoffs.

Yumcha

A true Yankee does not whine all the time about needing love from the fans.




But, that being said, I'm suddenly a big fan of his to break Flaxseed's HR record.

Fibonacci

He comes off as a needy wench. Hang w/ Jeter, down a few more jaeger bombs, smack a few more bottle blondes and stfu.

NetEditor

Do you consider Reggie Jackson a true Yankee? There's a guy who needed lots of attention.

And I do agree with A-Rod wanted to be beloved like Jeter. He tried too hard. I think he's finally let go, which is why he's doing so well this year.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

How can you say that? He bated .100 in the last 2 post season rounds. He did not help the cause in the post season. I mean ZERO!

I'm not an arod fan at all. But he is on his way if he stays. He needed to change some things to adjust to NY & it seems he's done that. I think if he does stay & accepts a normal deal to stay he will be accepted. If he leaves, he's going to be the most hated ex Yankee of all.


Postseason, yeah that needs to change, but it should giving the state he's been in all year. This year has been a totally different arod. No error after error & long slumps. His attitude is different & he's been constant all year. That's a plus.

Pull_T

A-Rod hit .320 with 3 HRs in the 2004 playoffs for the Yankees...no one ever mentions that when they start throwing around stats. His overall postseason record isn't far out of line from his regular season numbers. He's also had other great series in the postseason with the M's.

Isolating things one series at a time, then only using the bad series is just poor logic.

Take Jeter, for instance:

- Hit .200 against the Sox in 2004 ALCS
- Hit .148 with 1 RBI and 0 walks against Arizona in 2001 WS
- Hit .233 with 2 RBI against the Sox in 2003 ALCS

Of course he has had great series and average series which average out the overall numbers...just like A-Rod. Excpet with one guy, the focus is the negative, and with the other, all that people see is the positive.

Especially that 2001 WS...it was a 7 game nailbiter....if jeter had even a slightly less shitty series they could have another ring...but he's still Mr. Clutch.


People just don't realize how small a sample size an individual series is. If you look at a column of numbers for a good player it's not:

.300
.300
.300
.300
.300
.300
.300

It looks more like:

.150
.450
.300
.500
.150
.250
.500
.100

Random "clutch" and "choke" all over the place.

GIBSON6594

Thanks for doing all the work I was about to do. I don't know where people get this crap. A-rod has been the heart and soul of that yankee team all year and his playoff stats are not as bad as everyone claims. People forget that Jeter almost single handedly lost that Florida series.

IMO Arod will be a true Yankee only if he re-signs.

JediMindTricks

i remember reading an article that said a-rod's career stats are really just in line with jeter's.

it's just that jeter has the rings, and he has more "career-defining" plays like that throw against oakland. but the reason he has more of those moments is because he's played in way more games than a-rod and has more chances and opportunities to get the big hit, make the key throw, etc.

it was an interesting point.

not too much of an a-rod fan here, but take away the criticism (just and unjust) from ny fans, a-rod's sensitivity and whining (though not so much anymore), i can't hate the guy's talent and skills. he is the best baseball player i've seen in my lifetime.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

I said last 2.... 05 & 06. Not saying he should be judged on that, I'm saying he isn't helping the team in post season play as of yet.
I agree there's a "jeter standard" going on, but remember even when Jeter sucks he has his entire pro ball career as a Yankee & many WS rings to back his play up. Arod does not.

Pull_T

I know you said 05 and 06...I was just pointing out that you skipped 04 for some reason. When you pick and choose, you can make anyone look good or bad.

You demonstrate exactly what i was saying...you overlook Jeter's awful series that he has had, but do not give ARod the benefit of the doubt.

Pull_T

Yeah...both ARod and Jeter have about the same overall performance in the postseason. Jeter has postseason numbers virtually identical to his regular season numbers...which is to be expected with 450+ at-bats to average away all the "clutch" and "choke". ARod's postseason numbers are just slightly below his regular season numbers...nothing significant, especially with a smaller sample size of at-bats.

And good point about Jeter having more "moments"...i mean, he has played in practically a full season of games in his postseason career. Every player will have some huge home runs, great defensive plays and game winning hits. Of course they will also have strikeouts wth the bases loaded, costly errors and slumps were they go hitless in 4-5 games. That's baseball.

But for Jeter, people don't remember the bad, the remember the good. ARod gets the opposite.

I really don't mind when people say things like "well, Jeter does all the little things" or "gets the key hits" or "is a leader" because those things are all perception and overrated. however, when someone wants to use stats to prove ARod is a choker, then I'll fire back some real stats lol.

JediMindTricks

it's remarkable how jeter is, for the most part, remembered for the good things he does, and a-rod isn't. but to me, it's just part of jeter getting a pass for the early success he's had.

the thing with stats is that you can always present them in a manner to back up nearly any view/opinion.

S14 n Tsx

wow! well put... I don't understand how people can still complain about his performance. All I can say is that he is the best hitter out there right now. I guess we all have to wait to see how he does in playoff.
Off the record, I think A-rod is going to break barry bond's HR record.

Rodney

Damn, I bet his wife could hit nearly as many with that physique

TlsNavi03

iTrader: (1)

I agree totally with this comment. I'm a Yankee fan, but it's annoying to me when they talk so much crap about Jeter being clutch and all this shit, the guy strikes out more than anything, how his anerage is good i dont know.

As far as ARod goes I think he and Jorge Posada have been carrying the entire team this year as far as performance.

To me, He's a Yankee.

Pull_T

52

Mike 350Z

Homers in 5 games in a row too.