Sports Views

Is Derek Jetter old news? Is Alex Rodriguez…the latest hot Yankees Team Player? I really am not sure…I really don’t care…Baseball for me…is way too slow….

I was surprised to see Bernie Williams only has 275 career home runs. All those post-season homers made me think he had more regular season power. Alex Rodriguez, meanwhile, has become the Barry Bonds of his time, suffering through one miserable post-season after another. As the Braves keep demonstrating, the post-season is an entirely different game.

It was a hell of a win, and the play of Robinson Cano over these past 2 weeks has been remarkable. Randy Johnson got unjustly ejected, but the Yankees didn’t suffer much because of it; yes, the bullpen was expended (including Mariano), but it was a game the Yankees had to win (since every game is indeed a must win). Unfortunately, both the Red Sox and Indians won tonight, meaning the Yankees did not gain any ground in either of their races; but by winning 4 straight games (especially under the circumstances—Randy Johnson being ejected in the 2nd inning), the Yankees sure are making a statement. Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, Jason Giambi, and Alex Rodriguez could not have chosen a better time to start hitting (althout truth be told, A-Rod has been hitting all season long). Even the bench players (John Flaherty, Bubba Crosby, etc.) are getting the job done.

Starting in the AL, it appears to be just a two man race between Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz. Now right off the bat I would have to say that there is no debate to be had here. David Ortiz is a DH. There is no way an MVP award can go to a DH. The position shouldn’t even exist (which deserves a separate column of its own) and plus, they only play half of the game. But for arguments sake, I’ll analyze this a bit more in depth. Taking a look at the numbers at the plate, the race appears very close. A-Rod with 108 R, 41 HR, 111 RBI, .321 AVG, .421 OBP, and .600 SLG. Ortiz with 107, 41, 127, .297, .397, and .600. I would possibly give Ortiz a slight advantage here for his RBI edge, but then you consider everything else. A-Rod plays on the field, Ortiz sits on the bench while his team fields. And not only does A-Rod play the field, he plays it well (.970 FP, 11 errors). A-Rod is the best player in the game right now and has been for some time. As much as I hate the Yankess, he wins the award without a doubt. It doesn’t matter how good his team is or which team is winning the division, he is the best player in the league and thus the MVP.

The Cubs head to the Bronx tonight for the first time since the 1938 World Series, which the Cubs lost in 4 games. This weekend should be an interesting matchup; the Yankees’ struggles have been well documented this season, but they are coming off a series sweep of the Pirates. The good news for the Cubs is that they won’t have to face Randy Johnson. The bad news is that the Yankees lineup contains Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui.

Alex Rodriguez hit his 400th home run last night. He is the youngest player ever to do that and truly a phenomenal baseball player.

Judging from the reactions of some fans, Alex Rodriguez is trying to fill in for the injured Barry Bonds as baseball's resident bad boy. But Randy Hill says A-Rod has a long way to go to generate the same level of hatred as Bonds.

Early this week, Alex Rodriguez admitted something that has long been kept silent among superstar athletes. In an interview on the television show Extra this week and to an audience of children, the Yankee’s early-season MVP admitted he is in therapy.

Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez hit one out of the park for troubled souls everywhere yesterday when he bravely declared that he sees therapists to deal with his personal demons.

Since there is no way I will ever vote for Alex Rodriguez, Brandon Inge of the Tigers gets my vote here. He doesn’t have as much power as A-Rod, but he has gotten on base more frequently and has gotten a hit once every three ABs. He is the only Tiger currently batting over 300 with over 20 RBIs.

Sad as it is to say, I have less confidence that my dawg, Barry Bonds will make it that far. I think he will pass Babe Ruth, but it is going to depend on his desire when he comes back whether or not he will pass Aaron. It is remarkably sadder to say that Alex Rodriguez maybe the most likely to hit number 755. He is seven homers short of 400 and three years younger than Manny. And if he gets out of New York and gives up a little of his crazy contract so he picks up a few fans, I think A-Rod will make it. As with all players, it all depends on...

The Yankees finally took a step in the right direction this weekend, shutting out the Oakland A’s 6-0 and winning their first series at home since they took two of three from Boston to start the season. Much-maligned Kevin Brown pitched seven shutout innings a day after Mike Mussina pitched the first complete-game shutout for the Yankees in nearly two years. Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez and Jorge Posada all had home runs, and for two days at least, the Yankees looked like the Yankees.

Very rarely will you read about me cheering on the Yankees, but last night was an exception. As I mentioned in , Matt Clement really hurt my fantasy team last night with his poor outing. Well, all is well because Alex Rodriguez went off. The man went 4-5 with 3 dingers and 10 rbi's. You read that right, 10 runs batted in. So now not only am I still easily in first place in my head-to-head league, I also jumped into first in my other league, a 6x6 rotisserie league. It is the first time I can recall that I am winning more than one league at...

Alex Rodriguez has been the best ballplayer on the planet for years. He was with Seattle. He was with Texas. And he is with the New York Yankees.

The Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez and the Yankees broke out for 13 runs in a record-setting second inning Monday night on the way to a 19-8 rout of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. One day after owner George Steinbrenner lashed out at his $200 million team for its 4-8 start, the Yankees quickly showed just how powerful they can be when the offense is clicking.

Alex Rodriguez, Tino Martinez and the Yankees broke out for 13 runs in the second inning Monday night on the way to a 19-8 rout of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, ending a four-game skid. One day after Steinbrenner lashed out at his $200 million US team for its 4-8 start, the Yankees quickly showed just how powerful their offence can be. "George challenged us, and the team responded really well," Rodriguez said. "We needed to stop the bleeding."

3. Tonight’s game offers the first confrontation between Balki Arroyo and Alex Rodriguez since the infamous Game 6 slapping incident. In the event that a brawl breaks out tonight, look for Rodriguez to abandon slapping and focus on scratching and hair pulling instead.

At the end of the day, I don’t care about steroids, or labor agreements, or how much money Alex Rodriguez is making. All I care about is watching my team playing some sound baseball under the summer sun.

Alex Rodriguez became a hero yesterday when he deftly scooped an eight year old boy from the path of a speeding truck and set him safely on the curb. Remarkably, Rodriguez did not drop, bobble or otherwise boot the child.