When heat is on, it seems he's not so hot
Filip Bondy/NY Daily News
Nearly everybody and his uncle were knocking balls over the wall last night for the Yankees. Seven Bombers effortlessly ripped eight homers, tying a franchise record from FDR's days back in 1939. You got the feeling the bat boy might have lined one off the left-field foul pole, if given half a chance during the 16-3 victory against these White Sox pitching imposters.
But Alex Rodriguez kept flying out - deep, deeper, deepest; then shallow and sharply shallow. His balls died like wounded quails out there by the warning track, where they usually take flight. He finished the night 0-for-5, sagging along on an 0-for-17 slump since his 499th homer Wednesday.
And while it is easy to feel for the guy, this may be yet another unfortunate indicator that A-Rod is still not A-Man for A-Moment. The cameras flashed. The star fizzled.
"Home run derby," Rodriguez said after it was done, smiling at himself. "That was pretty cool. They were taking pictures of the wrong guy today."
Before the game yesterday, Rodriguez strode from the clubhouse toward batting practice with assurance, as if he faced no inconvenient records or Octobers ahead of him. "Everything's good," A-Rod said, glancing briefly over his shoulder. He surely knew that matters were not so simple.
This has been a particularly shaky stretch for a player whose poise and performance under pressure are forever under scrutiny. His once eye-popping batting average this season has sunk below .300. Pitchers are bearing down on him, and A-Rod isn't bearing up that well.
Suddenly again, there are these nagging doubts about Rodriguez's ability to rise to the special occasion. If he can't hit now, how will he manage against Eric Gagne in the AL Championship Series?
The Yanks, of course, are not about to encourage such cynical analysis. There are reasons for the blip in A-Rod's otherwise splendid year, they insist.
Johnny Damon points out that Rodriguez is seeing a lot of 2-0 curveballs and 3-1 sliders - select pitches to a selective hitter - because opponents want no part of Yankees' history. What starter or reliever in his right mind wishes to be a featured segment on the YES network for the next three decades?
"It's just part of the game," Damon said.
This was not the case last night, however, when Rodriguez had many, many potential home run balls from three very different, mediocre Chicago pitchers, beginning with starter Jose Contreras. Once the Yankees zoomed ahead by seven runs, A-Rod admitted to aspirations of the long ball. He insisted, however, that he was not yet frustrated by this bad streak.
"Not really," Rodriguez said. "When you hit the ball well to the opposite field, that's all you're looking for."
Joe Torre agreed, arguing that Rodriguez had swung the bat better than in recent days. The manager also suggested that A-Rod will feel some extra love when he finally collects his landmark homer at the Stadium. That, in turn, may inspire Rodriguez to remain in the Bronx rather than opting out in November.
"It's an emotional thing," Torre said, of the 500-homer chase. "Hopefully it carries some weight (in A-Rod's eventual decision). I'd like to believe that."
There are no guarantees about anything at the moment. A-Rod remains in his personal limbo, waiting for homer 500 to arrive while surveying an unsettled scene in New York. The Yankees are still seven games behind the Red Sox, who picked up Gagne at the trade deadline to secure their front-running position.
Brian Cashman has put his bullpen where his mouth is, banking on a young prospect named Joba Chamberlain who has never even been seen by Torre. Cashman wouldn't deal Melky Cabrera and minor league starter Ian Kennedy for Gagne. The Bombers are all about tomorrow right now, not about today.
This is not exactly what Rodriguez signed up for, when he came to the Bronx nearly four years ago. Back then, there were some implicit promises that the Yankees would chase and sign the very best players available.
Meanwhile, there were flashbulbs and high hopes last night for homer No. 500 in the Bronx, all in vain. Yes this was the steroid era, but nobody since Mickey Mantle has reached that milestone in pinstripes. The place lit up like an inverted Christmas tree whenever Rodriguez stepped to the plate.
It was another test run for A-Rod, on the final day of July. He gets another chance tonight, dragging his 0-for-17 to the plate. No time to exhale.
Filip Bondy/NY Daily News
Nearly everybody and his uncle were knocking balls over the wall last night for the Yankees. Seven Bombers effortlessly ripped eight homers, tying a franchise record from FDR's days back in 1939. You got the feeling the bat boy might have lined one off the left-field foul pole, if given half a chance during the 16-3 victory against these White Sox pitching imposters.
But Alex Rodriguez kept flying out - deep, deeper, deepest; then shallow and sharply shallow. His balls died like wounded quails out there by the warning track, where they usually take flight. He finished the night 0-for-5, sagging along on an 0-for-17 slump since his 499th homer Wednesday.
And while it is easy to feel for the guy, this may be yet another unfortunate indicator that A-Rod is still not A-Man for A-Moment. The cameras flashed. The star fizzled.
"Home run derby," Rodriguez said after it was done, smiling at himself. "That was pretty cool. They were taking pictures of the wrong guy today."
Before the game yesterday, Rodriguez strode from the clubhouse toward batting practice with assurance, as if he faced no inconvenient records or Octobers ahead of him. "Everything's good," A-Rod said, glancing briefly over his shoulder. He surely knew that matters were not so simple.
This has been a particularly shaky stretch for a player whose poise and performance under pressure are forever under scrutiny. His once eye-popping batting average this season has sunk below .300. Pitchers are bearing down on him, and A-Rod isn't bearing up that well.
Suddenly again, there are these nagging doubts about Rodriguez's ability to rise to the special occasion. If he can't hit now, how will he manage against Eric Gagne in the AL Championship Series?
The Yanks, of course, are not about to encourage such cynical analysis. There are reasons for the blip in A-Rod's otherwise splendid year, they insist.
Johnny Damon points out that Rodriguez is seeing a lot of 2-0 curveballs and 3-1 sliders - select pitches to a selective hitter - because opponents want no part of Yankees' history. What starter or reliever in his right mind wishes to be a featured segment on the YES network for the next three decades?
"It's just part of the game," Damon said.
This was not the case last night, however, when Rodriguez had many, many potential home run balls from three very different, mediocre Chicago pitchers, beginning with starter Jose Contreras. Once the Yankees zoomed ahead by seven runs, A-Rod admitted to aspirations of the long ball. He insisted, however, that he was not yet frustrated by this bad streak.
"Not really," Rodriguez said. "When you hit the ball well to the opposite field, that's all you're looking for."
Joe Torre agreed, arguing that Rodriguez had swung the bat better than in recent days. The manager also suggested that A-Rod will feel some extra love when he finally collects his landmark homer at the Stadium. That, in turn, may inspire Rodriguez to remain in the Bronx rather than opting out in November.
"It's an emotional thing," Torre said, of the 500-homer chase. "Hopefully it carries some weight (in A-Rod's eventual decision). I'd like to believe that."
There are no guarantees about anything at the moment. A-Rod remains in his personal limbo, waiting for homer 500 to arrive while surveying an unsettled scene in New York. The Yankees are still seven games behind the Red Sox, who picked up Gagne at the trade deadline to secure their front-running position.
Brian Cashman has put his bullpen where his mouth is, banking on a young prospect named Joba Chamberlain who has never even been seen by Torre. Cashman wouldn't deal Melky Cabrera and minor league starter Ian Kennedy for Gagne. The Bombers are all about tomorrow right now, not about today.
This is not exactly what Rodriguez signed up for, when he came to the Bronx nearly four years ago. Back then, there were some implicit promises that the Yankees would chase and sign the very best players available.
Meanwhile, there were flashbulbs and high hopes last night for homer No. 500 in the Bronx, all in vain. Yes this was the steroid era, but nobody since Mickey Mantle has reached that milestone in pinstripes. The place lit up like an inverted Christmas tree whenever Rodriguez stepped to the plate.
It was another test run for A-Rod, on the final day of July. He gets another chance tonight, dragging his 0-for-17 to the plate. No time to exhale.
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