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March 01, 2007
Reggievision: This Is A-Rod's Year
From The Post (hat tip to BaseballThinkFactory.org) -
Smooth and powerful swings sent the sound of thunder racing through the Legends Field batting cages yesterday, where a Hall of Famer was working with a future Cooperstown resident long after the Yankees' regular workout ended.
With nobody watching but The Post, A-Rod looked as if he never wanted to leave the cage, and Mr. October sounded as if he could have talked forever.
"Reggie speaks a language about hitting that I can relate to and exudes such confidence and passion for the game that it motivates you," A-Rod said.
Later, Jackson talked of A-Rod's skill level being above others. He said A-Rod had the second-best plate range in baseball and that he isn't going to be shocked if A-Rod posts monster numbers.
Then Jackson told The Post the reason A-Rod may be on the verge of a colossal season has nothing to do with hitting mechanics.
"The best thing that has happened so far is the press conference when he got here," Jackson said of A-Rod admitting his friendship with Derek Jeter had been downgraded from being blood brothers to a working relationship. "I wasn't in favor of it, but it was the best thing. It helped clear his mind. It's not going to bother the shortstop and it will help [A-Rod]."
Jackson knows about the pressure of New York; understands the abuse A-Rod has endured the first three seasons in The Bronx despite batting .299 with 119 homers and 357 RBIs.
"You know how we talk about a guy needed one or two years to adjust to New York?" Jackson said. "Maybe it took him three."
"If I told people he was going to hit .340 with 60 homers and 150 RBIs there isn't a person alive that would say I was crazy because that's how good he is," Jackson said.
I only have two issues with what Jackson is saying here:
1. "You know how we talk about a guy needed one or two years to adjust to New York?" Jackson said. "Maybe it took him three."
Bull. The guy was the best hitter in the league in 2005. Alex showed, in that season, that he was able to play extremely well in New York.
2. He said A-Rod had the second-best plate range in baseball and that he isn't going to be shocked if A-Rod posts monster numbers.
Again, I have to disagree here. If A-Rod had great plate coverage, then why does he pull off the ball so much and why are his strikeout rates increasing?
I haven't seen Reggie try and do this big of a sell job since he was pitching the Panasonic Omnivision portable video recorder.
Posted by Steve Lombardi at March 1, 2007 09:24 AM
Comments
Steve, let's assume for a minute that there are different degrees of comfort. Maybe ARod feels better this spring than he did in 2005? Yes, he was the MVP that year, but he sucked it up in the playoffs. Are you telling me that it's absolutely impossible for ARod to be feeling better about himself and his situation this year than in 2005?
Second, even if Reggie is spinning things, who cares? Isn't the point to win ballgames rather than any sort of "truth in advertising"? If ARod has a great season - and it's certainly possible, given his talent and the team around him - then who cares about anything else, right?
Posted by: MJ ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.waswatching.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 1, 2007 10:19 AM
You left out Reggie's followup comment after he said that ARod could hit 60 homers and 150 RBIs this year:
~~~ "You can't say that about [David] Ortiz or about Manny [Ramirez]. Maybe you can say that about [Albert] Pujols, but maybe not. The only thing about [A-Rod] is he has to get his mind right." ~~~
Is he crazy to dis Manny like that? Manny is the greatest right handed hitter of our time. He's our Lou Gehrig. The guy could be an idiot, he could be a lot of things, but there isn't a more consistent player, as far as production is concerned, in the major leagues. I still fear him more than Papi. The guy could mash AND he has a ton of plate coverage. Have you ever seen him go the other way on the outside pitch? He hits to all fields. No way ARod compares to Manny in plate coverate.
Posted by: Garcia at March 1, 2007 10:21 AM
~~~Are you telling me that it's absolutely impossible for ARod to be feeling better about himself and his situation this year than in 2005?~~~
I suppose not. He could be feeling better now. But, to produce like he did in 2005, he must have been feeling great than too. Reggie paints it like 2004-2005-and-2006 were tough times for Alex in NY, and that's not true. April through September 2005 were great times for A-Rod in the Bronx. Life was golden for him then.
Posted by: Steve Lombardi at March 1, 2007 10:32 AM
Wow, anyone know what that Omnivision setup cost when it came out?
Looks es-pensive.
Posted by: Pete at March 1, 2007 11:26 AM
Why so pessimistic about A-Rod still, Steve? By many accounts, he was actually the second best hitter on the Yanks last behind Jeter. Doesn't he deserve some support instead of the scorn?
Posted by: Benjamin Kabak at March 1, 2007 12:52 PM
Most sabermetric measures have him as 3rd best last year, FWIW.
And, where am I "scorning" him in this feature? I'm just saying that Reggie is saying things that are not true.
Posted by: Steve Lombardi at March 1, 2007 01:47 PM
Add-on to the above: If you pro-rate Abreu to a full season in NY, Alex would probably be the 4th best hitter on the team last year.
Posted by: Steve Lombardi at March 1, 2007 01:49 PM