Alex Rodriguez and 5 Falling Superstars Who Need to Step Up in October

Alex Rodriguez is hitless in eight at bats so far in the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers, and the New York Yankees need their aging superstar to step up if they want to move on to the ALCS and the World Series.

Every team has its superstars eventually, and over time they get older and their productivity decreases. Rodriguez, now 36 years old, has passed his peak, and although he is not the hitter he used to be, he needs to hit better than .000 in these playoffs.

Rodriguez is just one ailing superstar who needs to step up his game in October this year. Here is a list of five more.

Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers

Magglio Ordonez stepped up big time on Sunday when he went 3-3 in the Tigers win against the Yankees in Game 2 of the ALDS. But if Detroit wants to beat New York two more times, Ordonez will have to keep performing like he did Sunday.

Ordonez turns 38 this offseason, and after a season full of career lows, it is clear that the one-time superstar is looking at his last years in MLB. 

Despite his age and production level this year, Ordonez is still a player that the Tigers rely on for offense. If he continues his surge from Sunday, the Tigers could be looking at a trip to the ALCS.

Johnny Damon, Tampa Bay Rays

In a Game 1 win against the Rangers in the ALDS, Johnny Damon went 2 for 5 with a two-run homer. But in the Rays' Game 2 loss, Damon was just 1-4 with a strikeout.

Damon will be 38 years old in November, and although he does contribute at times , he needs to start producing more consistently if the Rays want to have any chance of making it to the ALCS.

He knows the playoffs better than anyone else in this ALDS matchup, and he needs to use that to his advantage over the next three games against Texas.

Michael Young, Texas Rangers

It is arguable that Michael Young is not a falling superstar after having the best batting average of his career this season, but Young does turn 35 in two weeks and has definitely surpassed the prime of his career.

Nonetheless, Young is 2-8 in the ALDS against the Rays so far, and he does not have an RBI. When the Rangers lost Game 1, Young went 0-4; when the Rangers won Game 2, Young went 2-4 with a run scored.

Clearly, Young getting on base makes a solid impact for Texas, and they need more hitting out of him over the next few games.

Lance Berkman, St. Louis Cardinals

The 35-year-old Berkman may have seemed like he had lost his touch after an abysmal 2010 campaign, but his resurgence in 2011 has been captivating. Now he needs to continue that performance in the playoffs.

Berkman is just 2-8 so far in the NLDS against the Phillies. Despite the fact that the remaining three games against the Phillies include matchups against Cole Hamels, Roy Oswalt and Roy Halladay, the Cardinals will need Berkman to back up Albert Pujols with big hits in the clutch if they want to make it to the NLCS.

Derek Jeter, New York Yankees

Mr. 3000 managed to finish with an average of .297 this season, which was an improvement from 2010, but Derek Jeter is 37 and his years in baseball are dwindling down.

The Yankees lost Game 2 of the ALDS against the Tigers on Sunday, and Jeter certainly didn't help the cause. Jeter was 0-5 in the leadoff spot, and the Yankees need him to step it up the rest of the series.

I am not a Yankees fan, but I know that Derek Jeter is the heart and soul of that team. They need their captain to perform. If he does not, the Yankees quest for No. 28 could end quickly.