You Can't Win....You Can't Get Even...And You Can't Get Out Of The Game

I need to sit my ADD ass down and figure out how to use Paint Shop...because A-Rod as Michael Jackson's Scarecrow from the Wiz is the perfect analogy for this post.

Assuming you agree with ESPN's season projections, in an "off year", A-Rod is projected to hit 37 homers and drive in 123 runs. He's the youngest player ever to hit 450 homers (He turns 31 next Thursday) and the sixth youngest to hit 2000 hits after last night's homer. You're talking about a player with a .306 lifetime average and .959 career .OPS mark. Who makes $25 million a year on top of all this. A first ballot Cooperstown guy.

And you're talking about trading him???

This is why I agree with Bill Simmons recent comments in a recent mailbag response to a reader. He said that he doesn't read the Boston Globe except for a couple of beat writers because of all the constant negativity of the coverage of the Red Sox.

Ironic that he says that about Shaughnessy and the Globe...but he was one of the pied pipers of the whole "A-Fraud-Mr March"nonsense....Quite telling, when he and the rest of his whole phony "nation" backed their Volvo station wagons over Nomar to get A-Rod there in 2004. But I digress....he does make a valid point about the negativity of local press and how the need to generate headlines takes some of the joy away from following your favorite team.

That's why I pretty much stopped reading Lupica whenever he writes about the Yankees. Because 99 times out of 100, he doesn't tell me anything I don't know and he's going piss me off with some unnecessary dig at the Yankees. John Harper is on the cusp as well. He likes to stir the pot as well but he isn't as virulent as Lupica.

Granted, A-Rod isn't going to earn any admirers with the Golden Sombrero he earned today against Ted Lilly and the Jays bullpen. But the beauty of the game is that redemption is only a day away. Not to make excuses for him, but being the DH probably didn't help matters. It gives you way too much time to think about what you're doing wrong when the last thing you need to be doing is thinking. Torre's heart was in the right place when you consider the extra work he put in earlier today with infield practice with Mattingly and Bowa. But the last place A-Rod needs to be between at bats is the bench. He thinks wayy too much when he plays a full game. Playing half the game is an invitation to....well, what happened today.

Good win by Wang and the bullpen today. But not to take away from it at all, but as hard as Wang throws, he should have more than 40 K's on the year. When the ball is put in play as much it is during his outings....yeah you have low pitch counts, but sometimes the ball is hit where they ain't. Guidry and company should seriously consider working with Wang on an out pitch for next year. Someone who throws in the mid-nineties should make bats work a little than he does. Knowing how to pitch and hit your spots is important, but good old fashioned hardball can't hurt things either.

Anyone who thinks that the Boss is asleep at the wheel, doesn't watch the YES broadcasts. It was no accident that in the end of game montage, that they showed everyone of A-Rod's strikeouts. After a win, no less! If you don't think the Boss isn't trying to get his message across to Alex to get his head out of his ass, you're blind.

Ponson goes tomorrow. I think he think he has a good outing. Whether that translates into a win.....