an ABOMB from AROD

[ufojoe]

You guys just don't get it.

Before A Rod came to NY, New Yorkers and everybody familiar with NY and the Yankees knew
that he would have a lot of pressure on him when he came here. He knew it too. His
success was going to be judged on what he did in the POST SEASON. The Yankees
had plenty of WS championships before A Rod came to town. But they needed
somebody to put them back over the hump so they could win the series again.
Winning the AL East was not a problem for them before he got there.

What has A Rod done to help them once they got into the playoff? I know he had
a decent first playoff year but after that, it's been horrific for him in the post
season. Total choke. And it all started when the Red Sox won four in a row
to sweep the Yanks in the ALCS. The whole Yankees team went cold. But
A Rod never recovered, post season-wise.

Are Yankees' fans fickle and spoiled? Yes. We all knew that going in. So did
A Rod. Winning year after year will do that to you. Braves fans don't even sell
out playoff games because they are so spoiled. Well, not any more. But I
can't blame them for that.

Jeter has done it in the playoffs time after time. You can say yeah, yeah,
yeah but it's true and that is how Yankees' fans think. Reggie, Jeter,
Brosius, and plenty of others, are loved because what they did when
the game was on the line in the PLAYOFFS. That's really all that
counts in NY.

A Rod makes $20 million a year. He should be able to get a hit in the
post season every now and then, right? That is how Yankees' fans
think. And I can't blame them. If we were in their shoes and used
to winning for so long, we'd be pissed at him too.

If Yanks make playoffs and A Rod struggles again, I think he'll ask
to be traded. I think the Yanks will have to trade him. Let's see how
he does this year.

[rayfsc07]

Again, just a thought but maybe if he were embraced more it would be easier for him to perform.

If I want a guy to do well I don't boo him.  I cheer my ass off and try and motivate him.  Not saying these guys need motivation but generally when the crowd is behind an athlete they seem to perform better. When they are dogging a guy they underperform.  It's funny because in most ballparks the home fans heckle the other teams best guys to try and rattle them.  Often it works.  But the Yankees fans rattle their OWN guys.  LOL!  Seems kind of odd to me.

[ufojoe]

No, other team's fans boo their own players when they struggle too. NY is just more extreme.

A Rod was embraced when he got to NY. But after the recent struggles, in the playoffs, the
fans have turned on him.

World Series success or bust. That's it.

[rayfsc07]

No, other team's fans boo their own players when they struggle too. NY is just more extreme.

A Rod was embraced when he got to NY. But after the recent struggles, in the playoffs, the
fans have turned on him.

World Series success or bust. That's it.

Well, you have to get to the WS and playoffs to start.  Arod has helped that.

Other teams boo their own players but not like NY.  It's sad and pathetic really.  It's easy to root for a team or player when they are doing well, but only a TRUE fan backs a team and players when they are down.

I don't believe I have ever seen Chipper, Andruw, or any of the Braves get booed in ATL no matter how bad they were struggling.

Arod has become the scapegoat in NY but in reality George and Cashmen have built flawed teams and that is the real reason for their struggles. 

[rayfsc07]

Yanks lost today.  Arod only had 1 HR.  Must have been his fault that bum!

[ufojoe]

He's great for getting to the playoffs. Afterwards? Not so much.

[rayfsc07]

Again, maybe a little fan support and appreciation would go a long way??

But they needed somebody to put them back over the hump so they could win the series again.

They needed starting pitching, A Rod was far from the problem.

[ufojoe]

In the playoffs? He was a big part of the problem. Pitching too.

[InChuckyITrust]

It is obvious that Joe gets it and no one else does.

[Samari28]

Blame ARod all you want for his lack of production in the playoffs but you are crazy if you think the Yankees pitching had nothing to do with their failures.  ARod could hit .500 and they would still lose with that pitching staff - I mean look who they have and have had over the past couple of years: Mussina (nice pitcher and reliable for the most part), Johnson (was great in his younger years but a joke now), Pavano (still looking for his first win since May, 2005), Wright (enough said) - I forget the other pitchers but I think you see my point.  How many outfielders do the Yankees need - they should invest some money in pitchers, not Matsui, Abreau or some of the other above average players they have playing for them.  Giambi is solid although way overpaid, Cano is a great young player, Jeter enough said, ARod enough said, Damon is solid, Posada is solid but after that they have millions invested in Matsui and Abreau.  Then they trade one of their best players - Sheffield - WHY??

[ufojoe]

Because A Rod demanded Shef get traded! ;-)

[rayfsc07]

It is obvious that Joe gets it and no one else does.

No, he doesn't.

And I don't think you do either.

The Yankees need pitching.  Pitching is the problem, and has been for some time now.  Yet every year the Yankees add a bat or 2 or 3 and think they can just out-score everyone.  I don't think it has worked for about 6-7 years now. 

A-rod has struggled some in the playoffs but the pitching concerns have been more of an issue.

 I am sure bashing A-rod in the stands and papers doesn't help him much either.

[ufojoe]

ICIT and I get it. A big part of this deals with perception. It's hard for most people to grasp the attitude
in NY without actually having grown up there watching both the Yanks and Mets. My friends who still
live in NY and are Yankees' fans understand the A Rod issue.

ICIT, I don't know if you were born in NY or lived there for a long period of time but you understand
the attitude perfectly.

[rayfsc07]

ICIT and I get it. A big part of this deals with perception. It's hard for most people to grasp the attitude
in NY without actually having grown up there watching both the Yanks and Mets. My friends who still
live in NY and are Yankees' fans understand the A Rod issue.

ICIT, I don't know if you were born in NY or lived there for a long period of time but you understand
the attitude perfectly.

The attitude is precisely the problem.

Yankess fans are some of the worst in sports. Not in terms of going to games, because they do show up, but in terms of turning on players, booing their own, flip flopping attitudes about certain guys, etc.

They are miserable.   I have never seen a stadium boo so many of their own players than New York.  That is pathetic. They probably boo more Yankees players than opposing players.  They have the largest payroll year in year out yet they still can't be happy?  Everyone wants to win it all and everyone wants their big players to perform in key situations, but MOST OF US realize these guys are human and giving it their all and sometimes crap happens.  Booing them isn't going to help them.  In New York they seem to lack intelligence to realize that......