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March 23, 2008
A-Rod On A-Rod & Some Other Players
Via Nick Cafardo:
Yankee fans were all over the guy in '06. Yeah, he had a horrible season (note sarcasm): .290 with 35 homers and 121 RBIs with a .392 on-base percentage. But A-Rod was perceived as a guy who couldn't get the job done in the clutch, and it gnawed at him.
"I always knew I was a great player," he said. "Some years are better than others. I'm sure you go through it, too. [Not really, Alex].
"2005 was an MVP year. '06 was a bit of a down year, and '07 was a pretty good year again. It's kind of like the stock market. Up and down.
"You wish you could have an MVP year every year - 20 years of great years - but it's not realistic. Sometimes, like in '06, I think you wind up learning the very most about yourself. You get a chance to look in the mirror and be honest with yourself and just figure out what you need to do to get back on top again."
"I love New York," said Rodriguez. "I was born there. Look, New York is not an easy place, and it hasn't been easy for me. I've had my best times and my worst times. But I think at the end of the day - like Boston - it's a place that makes you look in the mirror and be honest with yourself and to be accountable for some of the stupid crap you do.
"And at the same time, when you do well, you can match up against some of the greatest in history. Whether it's a Joe DiMaggio or Mickey Mantle or the numerous Hall of Fame players that have put on this uniform.
"To be in this Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is a gift. I think anyone who played in New York or Boston and then goes somewhere else, at least for me, it would be quite a drop-off."
[A-Rod] spoke about his affection for Manny Ramírez and responded to a story that he had advised Ramírez to hire Boras.
"I talk a lot with Manny, but I really don't want to talk about any promotion for anyone," he said. "Definitely don't want to promote that.
"When all is said and done, Manny will be the greatest righthanded hitter ever. I'm very biased because he's one of my best friends. I just love Manny.
"I love your center fielder [Jacoby Ellsbury]," he said. "I like his attitude. I like his energy. He looks to be a bright, bright star. I like that kid that went from Detroit to Florida [Cameron Maybin]. I think the kid in Detroit [Curtis Granderson] is about to take off. He's an MVP-type player.
"I'll also say I've never seen a guy do what Big Papi did. That I haven't seen. He went from platoon player to great player. And he did it in his mid-20s. To be an average-to-good player, platoon player, to be an absolute All-World. Granderson has that chance."
It's interesting that Alex gave such a long interview to someone with the Boston Globe. He's been short with the New York media lately. Granted, Nick Cafardo is a very good writer. But, still, I have to wonder if, privately, some of the local media in Yankeeland are thinking "Sure, he talks to an out of town guy....." Then again, you can't blame Alex for shutting them out...considering the treatment he got from most of them the past few years.
Speaking of media, it will be interesting to see how the local boys handle Alex this season, if he has, say, "just" 17 homers and as many as 12 errors by the All-Star break. Will the MVPs of 2005 and 2007 buy him some slack? Or, will it be 2006 all over again?
Posted by Steve Lombardi at March 23, 2008 08:10 AM