Spring Break
A-Rod, Get Out Of Here
Rajiv Leventhal
Issue date: 10/9/06 Section: Sports
Most teams would be ecstatic with a 97-win season and a playoff appearance. Getting home-field advantage and a ninth consecutive division title should be reason enough to celebrate. Unfortunately, as witnessed again this year, that is not the Yankee way. Their expectations are different from every other team, mostly due to their enormous payroll. This classifies 2006 as another disappointing season in the Bronx.
With a series loss to the Tigers in the first round, the Yankees are now 3-10 in their last 13 playoff games. Since winning the 2000 World Series, they are just 29-29 in playoff games, including two straight first-round exits. Changes need to be made in order for the Yankees to regain their playoff dominance.
First, they need to trade Alex Rodriguez. The A-Rod and New York marriage has not worked, but it is not all his fault. He gets too much criticism from the fans, media and his own teammates and is unfairly tagged as the poster boy for the Yankees' playoff troubles.
While he puts up great numbers in the regular season, he can not hit in the playoffs with the Yankees. Since joining the team he is hitting .240 in October with eight RBIs in 20 games. In his last 13 postseason games, Rodriguez is 5-46 with a paltry .109 batting average. This is not just a slump for one of the game's greatest players - it's a lack of being able to handle the pressure of playing in New York.
Rodriguez has said if he gets traded from New York he will retire. He has a no-trade clause that allows him to veto any trade the Yankees make involving him. However, A-Rod should waive the clause, as it would be best for everyone involved if he was dealt to another team.
A-Rod doesn't want to get traded because he fears being known as a player who could not play well on the big stage. But he needs to get over that. He needs to start relaxing and start having fun again. He needs to stop worrying about the doubters in the crowd and in the papers. This is much more likely to happen on the West Coast - in Anaheim, San Diego or Los Angeles. A change of scenery is imminent.
With a series loss to the Tigers in the first round, the Yankees are now 3-10 in their last 13 playoff games. Since winning the 2000 World Series, they are just 29-29 in playoff games, including two straight first-round exits. Changes need to be made in order for the Yankees to regain their playoff dominance.
First, they need to trade Alex Rodriguez. The A-Rod and New York marriage has not worked, but it is not all his fault. He gets too much criticism from the fans, media and his own teammates and is unfairly tagged as the poster boy for the Yankees' playoff troubles.
While he puts up great numbers in the regular season, he can not hit in the playoffs with the Yankees. Since joining the team he is hitting .240 in October with eight RBIs in 20 games. In his last 13 postseason games, Rodriguez is 5-46 with a paltry .109 batting average. This is not just a slump for one of the game's greatest players - it's a lack of being able to handle the pressure of playing in New York.
Rodriguez has said if he gets traded from New York he will retire. He has a no-trade clause that allows him to veto any trade the Yankees make involving him. However, A-Rod should waive the clause, as it would be best for everyone involved if he was dealt to another team.
A-Rod doesn't want to get traded because he fears being known as a player who could not play well on the big stage. But he needs to get over that. He needs to start relaxing and start having fun again. He needs to stop worrying about the doubters in the crowd and in the papers. This is much more likely to happen on the West Coast - in Anaheim, San Diego or Los Angeles. A change of scenery is imminent.
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