Detroit – They were a better story than a lineup.
On Wednesday, the New York Yankees inspired comparisons to all-time greats like Murderers’ Row and the Reds and A’s machines of the 1970s.
By Saturday night they had completed a chilling collapse, cycling from legends to disintegration to elimination.
No player symbolized the stunning failure more than Alex Rodriguez.
In what may have been his last game as a Yankee, Rodriguez batted eighth, went hitless and extended his string of postseason futility.
It drove home a point made by Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson a few days before.
For anyone in baseball to rank among the elite, he explained, they must be measured by October, not gaudy regular-season statistics.
“Even one-year wonders can’t be considered among the best of all time,” Jackson said. “It’s all about winning. That’s the only reason you play. You can’t be in the conversation without championships.”
Many gushed over the Yankees’ lineup, which included the reigning MVP in Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, former MVP Jason Giambi and 42 combined all-star berths. “It’s one of the best I have ever seen,” Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline said.
“They don’t have the power hitters like (Mickey) Mantle and (Roger) Maris, but they have everything else. Everyone can get on base.”
That’s what made their ineptitude so remarkable. The postseason’s best lineup had one of the worst performances ever for any team, let alone the Yankees.
They entered Saturday 1-for-33 with runners on base in the previous two losses. They were shut out for 20 consecutive innings before pushing a run across in the seventh Saturday.
“You have to have that inner confidence,” said Yankees center fielder Johnny Damon after Friday’s meltdown. “You have to believe you can do it.”
Rather than show up with chests puffed out, the Yankees curled up in the fetal position. They were no-hit through the first five innings by Tigers starter Jeremy Bonderman. A team known for being picky-picky was retired on 40 pitches, including 32 strikes.
What happened to working counts, moving runners, that vanilla-mocha sweet blend of power?
“Their lineup is going to be what’s on PlayStation 3 when it comes out,” said Tigers starter Kenny Rogers, who won Game 3 Friday night. “Everybody hits .350, everybody homers. The key is that you can’t be afraid to fail. You have to go right after them.”
The hype actually worked against the Yankees, illustrated beautifully by Rogers. Given the opposition’s credentials, he reinvented himself Friday, pitching with more power and velocity, the Gambler shedding his image as a nibbler.
While the Yankee failure was not isolated to any specific player, Rodriguez drew the most scrutiny.
He’s 4-for-41 in his past 12 playoff games with no RBIs, unfathomable numbers for a player of his stature.
Manager Joe Torre dropped A-Rod – or A-WOL and K-Rod as he’s known in the New York tabloids – to sixth to open the series and shoved him to eighth Saturday without discussing the issue with his third baseman.
“They are going to blame whoever the heck they are going to blame,” Rodriguez said.
The idea that Rodriguez will have a shot at redemption as a Yankee nose-dived with this series. The damage may be irreparable.
He has shown no mental capacity to deal with the mounting pressure, so it’s becoming increasingly hard to imagine him returning with three years of postseason baggage.
No sooner had Rodriguez committed a third-inning fielding error that cost the Yankees a run had speculation begun that he would begin next season with the Angels or Cubs.
“I am committed to being part of the solution here,” Rodriguez said. “I am committed to coming back next year and I look at someone like John Elway and find some inspiration there.”
If it’s any consolation, he would not be leaving behind the greatest lineup ever.
“That’s why you have to wait until the playoffs are over to ask about who’s the best,” Hall of Famer Joe Morgan said. “You can’t be great if you don’t win.”
