Torre and A-Rod Will Stay
I completely agree with Times' columnist Harvey Araton's comments about Alex Rodriguez.
I think the real shame is that players like Miguel Cairo and Andy Phillips did not get a chance to play in the ALDS while A-Rod, Sheffield, Giambi and Matsui had all the time in the world to prove their worth and did not. Steinbrenner is right to demand a team with chemistry and with passion, and this team is not it, and next year's Yankees, nearly identical to this year's, will not be it either. I am thrilled to see the new stars of the post-season, I am thrilled for Ordonez and Pudge, for Thomas, for Wright and Reyes and for Pujols. These are baseball players who play like they want it on teams who play with heart, and when the Yankees management begins to emulate this recipe, they will, to the dismay of Yankee haters everywhere, get their rings.
The “greatest lineup ever” wasn’t enough to get the Yankees out of the first round, the starting pitching is a mess, and the time has come to level with A-Rod because he is their most tradable asset, their surest way to acquire young pitching, if he will allow it.It's been said a million times, good pitching beats great hitting, every time. Still, I will be surprised if Alex Rodriguez is not a Yankee next season, and I actually think that A-Rod is poised to have another MVP caliber season next year. Aside from his horrid October play, the question has never been A-Rod's skills. He hit .290 this seasons, with 35 HR and 121 RBI, a fanstastic set of numbers by any standards. The question has been pitching, and the answer has not been Mussina (6 seasons with New York, no championships) the answer has not been Johnson, and obviously, the answer has not been Jaret Wright. The Yankee formula of buying big names who come with big salaries and big eogs is ineffective but enticing.
I think the real shame is that players like Miguel Cairo and Andy Phillips did not get a chance to play in the ALDS while A-Rod, Sheffield, Giambi and Matsui had all the time in the world to prove their worth and did not. Steinbrenner is right to demand a team with chemistry and with passion, and this team is not it, and next year's Yankees, nearly identical to this year's, will not be it either. I am thrilled to see the new stars of the post-season, I am thrilled for Ordonez and Pudge, for Thomas, for Wright and Reyes and for Pujols. These are baseball players who play like they want it on teams who play with heart, and when the Yankees management begins to emulate this recipe, they will, to the dismay of Yankee haters everywhere, get their rings.
