If the New York Yankees fail to win the World
Series this year, Alex Rodriguez is going to become Public Enemy #1 in the
minds of Yankee fans.
Sure, there will be other culprits if
the Yankees fail to advance after leaving Baltimore with the American League
division series tied at 1-1. Curtis Granderson, pulling an ARod by getting
himself dropped to 8th in the batting order, will be a target
(although his easygoing, good nature and ambassador-worthy personality will insulate
him to a certain extent). But ARod will bear the brunt of the vitriol from the
fans and the media.
If ARod thinks his 2009 postseason performance
will insulate him from verbal attack, he is seriously kidding himself. Yankee
fans have short memories and are easily frustrated. They are not going to
celebrate the fact that ARod helped them win a World Series three years ago.
They are going to rue the fact that the man makes nearly $30 million per year
and can’t seem to get the ball out of the infield or swing the bat with runners
on base. I don’t blame ARod as much for the contract as other baseball fans—the
Steinbrenners were the ones foolish enough to give him that massive deal that
is now strangling the Yankees payroll. But I do think the fans are entitled to
their anger (but not bottle throwing) when ARod doesn’t come through in the
clutch, as he hasn’t for the Yankees except for that one postseason.
The Boston Red Sox are too sad to hate
these days so Yankee fans are looking for a new villain. It won’t be those annoyingly
pesky Baltimore Orioles even if they manage to swipe this series away from the
Yankees. The blame will be placed squarely on a guy closer to home, the one
that mans third base in the Bronx.
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