Saturday, March 14, 2009

Thoughts about A-Rod

Okay, well it goes without saying now that Alex Rodriguez is a cheater, a liar, and a bigger asshole than Christian Bale.

But, none of that matters to Yankee fans, as long as you can pencil this guy in for 160 games, a .300+ batting average, 30+ home runs and 100+ RBIs from April to the end of September.

Now, that mainstay in the middle of the lineup is gone.

I've heard some talk of the Yankees trying to go out and get a utility infielder than can play third for a month or so while A-Rod rehabs his arthroscopic hip surgery. I wonder why. Because they're the Yankees and can? Maybe. Because they don't have faith in Ransom? Maybe. 

Bottom line is this is the first time the Bombers have had a good rotation since 2003, a year they went to the World Series on the wings of an nobody third baseman named Aaron Boone.

Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Pettitte and Joba-if healthy-will be able to carry this team to tons of 2-1 and 3-2 victories, doing it with pitching and defense.

The point is the Yankees can survive without A-Rod for a month, letting Cody Ransom take the reigns at third, hit in the lower part of the lineup, and have a chance to help this team get to October.

Should Yankee fans be nervous? No. A lineup with Damon, Jeter, Teixeira, Posada, Matsui, Swisher/Nady and Cano is more than good enough.

Reports have A-Rod out for two months from his March 9 surgery, which would get him back on the field for a weekend series in Baltimore in early May.

The Yankees will be 31 games into the 2009 campaign by that time. This team will get off to a good start for the first time in what feels like 100 years, and be around 20-11 when he returns. They will go on to win 98 games as well as the American League East.