Attention: Either Alex Rodriguez is out fawning for attention again or is just letting his insecurity bubble over again.
2009 does not appear to be starting off on the right track for A-Rod.
Warning: The World Baseball Classic may have unnecessary coverage of Alex Rodriguez upstaging another signature event in baseball. So brace yourself.
A-Rod appears to want to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic at the start of the 2009 season. So, one year he's American (after much deliberation) and now he's Dominican.
Rodriguez has shown over the years he just can't get out of his own way, especially when it comes to dealing himself in matters of his public image. Remember when he upstaged the World Series by opting out right before the end of Game 4?
Are we really going to have to go through this song and dance routine again? And yes, I know it's his right to play for either team, but this just seems disingenuous. It may also show that he is uncomfortable once again with a very minor matter.
If Alex is going to keep struggling with minor matters, how is he going to be able to focus on what really matters? A-Rod will need more than a clear mind if he's going to succeed against Papelbon in the 9th inning at Fenway. He's going to need self confidence and clarity!
Most players can separate their personal lives from their professional ones, but Alex has not been able to show this to be the case for him. It's an honest question.
One of the reasons that 2007 was such an unbelievable year for A-Rod was it looked like he just didn't care what people thought of him anymore. He didn't worry about things beyond his control.
He didn't care that what people knew was obvious: He and Derek Jeter weren't best friends anymore. He didn't care that he got spotted in Toronto with a blonde bimbo outside a strip club.
He appeared to be gaining temerity and callousness. Needless to say, both are a winning combination to succeed in New York.
Hopefully, the 2009 season brings more of that back to the surface. Odd years recently have been a launch pad for A-Rod. He won the MVP in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
What's so maddening about A-Rod is the fact that he has the most security in the game, and has had it for quite some time. He bilked the Yankees into a 10-year, $275 million deal last winter. And this was after he opted out of his record-setting deal of 10 years and $252 million. That's security!
But A-Rod's insecurities came to light fast. His insecurities are due to the fact that he plays in New York and he hasn't been fortunate enough to win a championship. And until he does, he's going to continue to be the main target for the press and fans.
Let's imagine for one second that Mariano Rivera converted the save in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS and the Yankees won their 27th World Series championship.
If that had happened, A-Rod would be untouchable. He, Hideki Matsui, or Rivera could have won ALCS MVP. Because A-Rod is so talented, his potential to be revered in New York is almost unfathomable. He could have rocketed into the stratosphere of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, and Jeter.
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