The A-Rod Chronology Project

[DoubleX]

I hate to start a thread like this, but Alex Rodriguez is such a lightning rod with the Yankees, that I thought it would be both helpful and interesting to chronicle what he does this year, game by game. I really would rather not single out one player for a thread like this, but A-Rod has become such a topic that tons of conversation about him are inevitable, so I figure might as well nip things in the bud and consolidate into one place, rather than new things sprining up everyday.

So every few days or so, I'll try to update the third post in this thread (thanks to Tony interjecting ) to account for what A-Rod's done in the games recently played, and by the end of the year, the second post will hopefully have a summary of A-Rod's line in each game. Any suggestions or contributions are certainly welcome, especially because I envision it being difficult to keep on top of updating his daily lines.

Also, this is not meant to be a hate A-Rod or praise A-Rod thread. Just meant to keep track of how he's progressing on a daily basis and our thoughts based on his production.

[TonyStarks]

Funny...I was thinkin about making this same thread last night.

But then I decided against it...because I knew it would be a hate filled thread where people do nada but bash the man every AB he doesn't hit the HR and making the dive stop in the hole.

[DoubleX]

Game One (4/2/07)
1st Inning (Defensive): Error - Dropped foul ball but leads to no harm.
1st Inning (Offensive): Strikeouts swinging with two men on and one out.
3rd Inning (Offensive): Ground out.
5th Inning (Offensive): Fly out.
7th Inning (Offensive): Single, steals 2B, and scores go-ahead (and winning) run on a Giambi single.
8th Inning (Offensive): Two-run homerun with two outs to put Yankees up by four.

Overall Line: 2-5, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB, 1 HR, 1 E (Yankees Win 9-5)

Game Two (4/5/07)
1st Inning (Offensive): RBI Double to put Yankees up 1-0 (Just missed a homerun in the cold weather)
3rd Inning (Offensive): Pop out with a runner on.
5th Inning (Offensive): GIDP
7th Inning (Offensive): Fly out with two men on (and Yankees down by 2).
8th Inning (Offensive): Pop out with bases loaded (and Yankees down by 1).

Overall Line: 1-5, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 GIDP

Not a good game. This one gets chalked up to the defense (3 errors, including 2 by Jeter, Jeter's poor range up the middle, past balls), pitching (a bunch of wild pitches), and bad bullpen decisions (Torre going to his bullpen in the 5th).

[Waitinfor27]

Game One (4/2/07)
1st Inning (Defensive): Error - Dropped foul ball but leads to no harm.
1st Inning (Offensive): Strikeouts swinging with two men on and one out.
3rd Inning (Offensive): Ground out.
5th Inning (Offensive): Fly out.
7th Inning (Offensive): Single, steals 2B, and scores go-ahead (and winning) run on a Giambi single.
8th Inning (Offensive): Two-run homerun with two outs to put Yankees up by four.

Overall Line: 2-5, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB, 1 HR, 1 E

Wouldn't that be runs scored? One after the single and one for his dinger.

[ChrisLDuncan]

Isn't this part of the problem? The fact that people harp on everylittle thing he does?

[DoubleX]

Isn't this part of the problem? The fact that people harp on everylittle thing he does?

I think part of the problem is that he'll have a bad game or two and people will forget the good things he did in other games, or they'll write off those contributions as "meaningless." By tracking his game by game production, we can get a better view of his production and how significant it is.

For example, A-Rod played a very key role in Monday's win, but the critics (like Skip Bayliss) are already out there pointing to his error in the first (which ended up being meaningless) and saying that his 2-run homerun was meaningless because it came when the team was already up. Those people missed the boat, IMO, as A-Rod's hustle created the go-ahead and winning run and his homerun, with two outs, pretty much put the game away. On the flipside, no one has criticized Jeter's poor fielding for allowing at least one run (and it may have been more) to score.

[ChrisLDuncan]

I think that "error" was a blunder and a horrible play...but it happened in foul territory for one, so no one advanced so I don't see how that can be considered an error (that's something that fielding metrics at the end of the season won't shot) no other third basemen in baseball gets that called as an error and two like you said the inning was over anyways and he had an otherwise decent day defensively. Now I know there are a lot of critics (Peter Abraham, Mike Lupica, Skip Bayless, and other writers with poor genetic material) but I now see what you're intention was...and I agree with you.

[TonyStarks]

So by Lupica and Abraham's train of thought...ARod had a good game yesterday.

No Errors...and he didn't K with runners on!


...

Also....
In Pre-Game Warmups...ARod was wearing the High socks again.

Me likey...reminds of throwback players.

Anyone think that Menky (not Melky) talked him into the socks...because I saw him sporting them too.

[DoubleX]

I've been thinking about it, and I'm now leaning towards scrapping this project as I don't think I can give it the meticulousness it deserves.

[mikesty]

I've been thinking about it, and I'm now leaning towards scrapping this project as I don't think I can give it the meticulousness it deserves.

I hate to agree with you.

[Mariano_Rivera]

Eh, we could give it a shot.

We need to move him to shortstop.

[tommybaseball]

There's usually one moment in every game where the outcome is decided. It usually happens somewhere from the seventh inning on. Everyone gets their turn sooner or later. Last night it was in the eighth. A-Rod bitched out again. Lets' just have 2 columns:
CHOKES MAN'S UP

Last night, we put 1 in the choke column. The last "big hit" I remember this guy getting was last year against the Mets in the middle of the summer. I would love to see him get big this summer. I just don't think it's going to happen.

A-Rod is a numbers guy and Stats are misleading. The 2-out RISP stat means nothing if your team is up or down by a bunch. Turning a eighth inning 2-run lead into a 4 run lead is nice, but with Mariano coming in, I mean, come on!

A-Rod does get a raw deal, no doubt. But when you're supposedly "the best player in the game" you have to get the big hits in the clutch. I hope that he finds a way to do it.

Even his teammate, Al Leiter brought this out during the August 18th Boston series last season, the series that essentially knocked the Bosox out of it. The Yanks held a tenuous 3.5 game lead going into that series. After the sweep, (BOSTON MASSACRE ll) the lead was 6.5 and Boston was essentially done for the year. In the Friday night game, after the Yanks had taken the day game, Jeter came up with the bases loaded and 2 out in the seventh, the Yanks trailing 10-8. His bases clearing double turned a 10-8 Red Sox lead into a 11-10 Yankee lead. Abreu followed with a walk and then A-Rod padded that with a run-scoring double. Al Leiter said, "You know, there's a big difference in the mindset between Jeters hit and A-Rod's" . Why would a recent teammate (Leiter retired after spring training) even bring that up in a broadcast?

This morning, Tim McCarver mentioned on The Imus in The Morning program that in all of his years in baseball, he's never seen someone with A-Rod's talent fail so many times in the big spot. Imus said that he's worked in corporate situations and is aware how 1 guy can ruin the harmony of an office. I think A-Rod is that guy. His "head" problems have grown too large to fit into the Yankee dugout.

I still say that A-Rod would flourish in California where people show up in the third inning, leave in the seventh to beat traffic and spend most of the game on their cell phones. He'll get cheered for his homeruns when the team is up 9-2 in the eighth. He might even get his ring with Artie Moreno's Angels. He'll hit 67 homeruns, drive in 150 and bat .350 with the spotlight off. I would take Ervin Santana or Kelvim Escober, along with Chone Figgins (he'll be off the DL soon enough) in a heartbeat and never look back even if A-Rod won the MVP every year until he retired. Why? Because he can't get it done under the New York spotlight.

[winningtheweapon]

There's usually one moment in every game where the outcome is decided. It usually happens somewhere from the seventh inning on. Everyone gets their turn sooner or later. Last night it was in the eighth. A-Rod bitched out again. Lets' just have 2 columns:
CHOKES MAN'S UP

Last night, we put 1 in the choke column. The last "big hit" I remember this guy getting was last year against the Mets in the middle of the summer. I would love to see him get big this summer. I just don't think it's going to happen.

A-Rod is a numbers guy and Stats are misleading. The 2-out RISP stat means nothing if your team is up or down by a bunch. Turning a eighth inning 2-run lead into a 4 run lead is nice, but with Mariano coming in, I mean, come on!

A-Rod does get a raw deal, no doubt. But when you're supposedly "the best player in the game" you have to get the big hits in the clutch. I hope that he finds a way to do it.

Even his teammate, Al Leiter brought this out during the August 18th Boston series last season, the series that essentially knocked the Bosox out of it. The Yanks held a tenuous 3.5 game lead going into that series. After the sweep, (BOSTON MASSACRE ll) the lead was 6.5 and Boston was essentially done for the year. In the Friday night game, after the Yanks had taken the day game, Jeter came up with the bases loaded and 2 out in the seventh, the Yanks trailing 10-8. His bases clearing double turned a 10-8 Red Sox lead into a 11-10 Yankee lead. Abreu followed with a walk and then A-Rod padded that with a run-scoring double. Al Leiter said, "You know, there's a big difference in the mindset between Jeters hit and A-Rod's" . Why would a recent teammate (Leiter retired after spring training) even bring that up in a broadcast?

This morning, Tim McCarver mentioned on The Imus in The Morning program that in all of his years in baseball, he's never seen someone with A-Rod's talent fail so many times in the big spot. Imus said that he's worked in corporate situations and is aware how 1 guy can ruin the harmony of an office. I think A-Rod is that guy. His "head" problems have grown too large to fit into the Yankee dugout.

I still say that A-Rod would flourish in California where people show up in the third inning, leave in the seventh to beat traffic and spend most of the game on their cell phones. He'll get cheered for his homeruns when the team is up 9-2 in the eighth. He might even get his ring with Artie Moreno's Angels. He'll hit 67 homeruns, drive in 150 and bat .350 with the spotlight off. I would take Ervin Santana or Kelvim Escober, along with Chone Figgins (he'll be off the DL soon enough) in a heartbeat and never look back even if A-Rod won the MVP every year until he retired. Why? Because he can't get it done under the New York spotlight.

Maybe if you weren't such an all-or-nothing minion you'd see that A-Rod has produced in New York. A-Rod is not the problem. You guys simply lack pitching.

[DoubleX]

There's usually one moment in every game where the outcome is decided. It usually happens somewhere from the seventh inning on. Everyone gets their turn sooner or later. Last night it was in the eighth. A-Rod bitched out again. Lets' just have 2 columns:
CHOKES MAN'S UP

Last night, we put 1 in the choke column. The last "big hit" I remember this guy getting was last year against the Mets in the middle of the summer. I would love to see him get big this summer. I just don't think it's going to happen.

A-Rod is a numbers guy and Stats are misleading. The 2-out RISP stat means nothing if your team is up or down by a bunch. Turning a eighth inning 2-run lead into a 4 run lead is nice, but with Mariano coming in, I mean, come on!

A-Rod does get a raw deal, no doubt. But when you're supposedly "the best player in the game" you have to get the big hits in the clutch. I hope that he finds a way to do it.

Even his teammate, Al Leiter brought this out during the August 18th Boston series last season, the series that essentially knocked the Bosox out of it. The Yanks held a tenuous 3.5 game lead going into that series. After the sweep, (BOSTON MASSACRE ll) the lead was 6.5 and Boston was essentially done for the year. In the Friday night game, after the Yanks had taken the day game, Jeter came up with the bases loaded and 2 out in the seventh, the Yanks trailing 10-8. His bases clearing double turned a 10-8 Red Sox lead into a 11-10 Yankee lead. Abreu followed with a walk and then A-Rod padded that with a run-scoring double. Al Leiter said, "You know, there's a big difference in the mindset between Jeters hit and A-Rod's" . Why would a recent teammate (Leiter retired after spring training) even bring that up in a broadcast?

This morning, Tim McCarver mentioned on The Imus in The Morning program that in all of his years in baseball, he's never seen someone with A-Rod's talent fail so many times in the big spot. Imus said that he's worked in corporate situations and is aware how 1 guy can ruin the harmony of an office. I think A-Rod is that guy. His "head" problems have grown too large to fit into the Yankee dugout.

I still say that A-Rod would flourish in California where people show up in the third inning, leave in the seventh to beat traffic and spend most of the game on their cell phones. He'll get cheered for his homeruns when the team is up 9-2 in the eighth. He might even get his ring with Artie Moreno's Angels. He'll hit 67 homeruns, drive in 150 and bat .350 with the spotlight off. I would take Ervin Santana or Kelvim Escober, along with Chone Figgins (he'll be off the DL soon enough) in a heartbeat and never look back even if A-Rod won the MVP every year until he retired. Why? Because he can't get it done under the New York spotlight.

First, please clean up the language where appropriate.

Second, the Yankees did not lose last night because of A-Rod. Yeah, it would have been nice if he came through in the 8th, but it shouldn't have been necessary in the first place. Last night was chalked up to three errors, a couple of more plays that could have been errors (such as Cano's dropped throw), Jeter's poor range up the middle, wild pitches and past balls, and Torre's questionable use of the bullpen. You also forget to mention that in that 8th inning, Bobby Abreu also failed to come through with the bases loaded, and Jeter failed to come through with 2-men on and only got on base because of a poor decision by the pitcher.

[TonyStarks]

First, please clean up the language where appropriate.

Second, the Yankees did not lose last night because of A-Rod. Yeah, it would have been nice if he came through in the 8th, but it shouldn't have been necessary in the first place. Last night was chalked up to three errors, a couple of more plays that could have been errors (such as Cano's dropped throw), Jeter's poor range up the middle, wild pitches and past balls, and Torre's questionable use of the bullpen. You also forget to mention that in that 8th inning, Bobby Abreu also failed to come through with the bases loaded, and Jeter failed to come through with 2-men on and only got on base because of a poor decision by the pitcher.

Some how ...I knew that people would come to work in the morning and get in my face about how ARod blew the game because he failed to come through in the clutch again with the bases loaded in the 8th. I swear to you, that I lost it. :grouchy

I told my own cousin off. I had to explain to him that it was ARod who barely missed the HR in the 1st. That it was Jeter's error that led to an unearned run...AGAIN!! That it was Posada's poor play last night that allowed half the runs to score and that it was Torre who brought in the bullpen and left Vizcaino in the game way too long!! Then I had to mention that Jeter also didn't come through when 2 runners where on and that even Giambi failed to knock in Men in scoring position. It was a terrible night....and many failed to get the job done. So therefore it's impossible to blame ARod for the loss.
Many to others to blame: Jeter, Posada, Torre, Vizcaino Those are the choices!

I gave give the Goat of the game to both Jeter and Posada.
IMO, this may have been Posada's worst game ever and I surely hope it's not sign of things to come...but merely the freezing weather conditions last night.

But .....here we go again.



All Hail Alexander XIII:applaud: