Background: The contract defines him. As the $252 million man, Alex Rodriguez faces high expectations that spawn boos when they’re not met. A-Rod put himself in this position in the winter of 2000, when he accepted the largest contract in the history of professional sports, and later when he navigated his exit from the Texas Rangers to play for a winner. Now the reigning AL MVP can’t shake the image that he requires the Heimlich maneuver in the clutch.
What’s up: Rodriguez is famous for overanalyzing. He worries about pleasing everyone and playing perfectly. His desire to be all things to all people has backfired. He has contracted another case of the yips at third base, and this time his teammates are questioning him. Pitcher Mike Mussina criticized Rodriguez for his throwing error in Thursday’s loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Rodriguez inexplicably fired wildly to home when the easy out was at first base. “All he had to do was throw it on target and he was out by 20 feet. It’s not that I am not upset that I didn’t get the job done. But it bothers me when it all mounts up in one inning like that,” Mussina told New York writers.
What’s next: General manager Brian Cashman has called the hometown fans’ treatment of Rodriguez disgusting. Their boos were deafening last week when A-Rod made three fielding gaffes – “Winning with Es” screamed one tabloid headline – and struck out with the bases loaded. The reality is that Rodriguez won’t be embraced until he plays an important role in a Yankees’ World Series title.
Renck’s take: Rodriguez is not a bad guy, but he comes across so corporate and so image-conscious, like that kid in high school who tried too hard to be cool. You’d like to see him just let his guard down and shoot the breeze. And, as great as A-Rod is, he struggles under pressure. That’s why I argued that Boston’s David Ortiz should have won the AL MVP last year. To me, that award is about the one guy you don’t want to see up at the plate with the game on the line. Not only does A-Rod not inspire fear, his teammates currently don’t trust him with the game on the line.
