It's been about two and a half years since that fateful February evening. I was leaving the house, and the TV was
on ESPN2, where I was watching a replay of Kobayashi booting out his 54th hot dog (though the rule committee at Coney
Island later ruled that the puke was legal), and that's when I stopped. The breaking news ticker came across the bottom of
the screen as I was at the door. I was expecting it to be something along the line of "Shawn Kemp found dead after the "Rain
man" tried to let himself rain off of a 40 story building," or maybe another update about T.O and the Eagles (or
whatever team he was playing for by that time). Either story would have been better than what actually followed. "The Yankees
acquire Rangers SS Alex Rodriguez in exchange for 2B Alfonso Soriano."
I had to sit down for a moment to let what I just heard soak in. My first
reaction was that we already had a SS, so this must be wrong. However, it was revealed that Alex would be playing 3B
for the injured Aaron Boone (I now can relate to the term "Aaron bleeping Boone"). My next reaction was one that I believe
many of the current Yankee fans have forgotten in the circus that has become A/K/E Rod's tenure in New York. And that
is that we gave up Alfonso Soriano in this trade.
At the time, Yankee fans were a little fed up with Soriano following his shaky performance
in the 03' playoffs-where he became a human strikeout machine. However, let me refresh a little about Soriano.
First, he was the answer to the always annoying (and somewhat true) comment that
the Yanks are a bunch of overpaid, over the hill, not home grown veterans. Here we have a young player that came up through
the system, and wasn't making $20 million a year.
The most important thing though, were the actual accomplishments that
he achieved in his short time in the Bronx. In his rookie year of 2001, he had one the great post-seasons ever by a rookie.
In the ALDS against Oakland, he hit over .300, with very clutch hits in the latter part of that series. In the ALCS against
Seattle, he hit a walk-off home run in game 4 that essentially sealed the series. Than his best work came in the World
Series against the D-backs. In game 5, he made a great diving stop with the bases loaded in the 10th, before winning
the game in the 12th with an RBI single. All he did in the decisive game 7 was hit what should have been the series clinching Home
Run (I hate you Gonzo-Steroids anyone?) in the eighth off Schilling (I hate you too Curt-does anyone buy that it
was real blood on his sock)(Editor's note- Yes. We do. Also, A-Rod wears lipstick).
His next season in 02', he was one Home Run shy of being a 40/40 player. His
next season in 03' was about the same year, and he had some experts saying that he might be the first
50/50 in MLB history. The only knock against him was that he struck out a bit too much (which should make any
Yank fan get hysterical as we watch A-Rod), and that he had a rocky 03' Post Season.
To me though, that year the Yankees still made it to the sixth game of the World Series.
Soriano did have a Home Run in Game 2 of the series, and two of the five hits off Beckett in Game 6. The Yanks would have
won it all that year had it not been for David Wells' back, and the luckiest streak I've ever seen a pitcher have in Josh
Beckett. So for them to trade Soriano away based on that was a bit drastic.
Now what do the Yankees have? We have good old E-Rod. Let's look at his wonderful
career as a Yankee. His first year in 04', the Yanks had the biggest collapse in baseball history. Yes I know it wasn't his
fault, but do players who are supposedly as good as him go completely silent in the final three games of the 04' ALCS as he
did. Remember him hitting Brunson Arroyo in the arm after he was frustrated for stopping an eighth inning rally of Game 6.
That was an inning that the old Yankees keep the line going, and win the game, but instead A-Rod grounds to the pitcher, and
sucks the momentum out of the inning, the game, the series, and my life for about a month after that. We all know how the
series played out.
Now comes 05', and some people feel that he's turned the page. He even wins that A.L
MVP (even though any true Yank fan that watched all the games knew that there were about five people on the team more valuable
than him-Rivera, Sheffield, Matsui, ...) compiling impressive statistics.
Now let's review his 05' playoffs. Only a couple of things need to be said. One was
his stats for the series. 2 for 15 with no RBI's. He made the error that blew Game 2. He grounded into a double play after
Jeter's lead-off single in the ninth. Enough said.
Which brings us to this year. We all know what's going on. Leading the league in K's,
second worst in the league late inning pressure situations, second worse in the majors ahead of only Michael Cuddyer (yes,
the Michael Cuddyer) at getting the run in from third with less than two outs. The recent stretch of 15 K's in 20
at bats is just a mini sample of his season.
So there we have it. We traded someone who's hit 42 home runs in the league's
biggest ball park, for a complier who can't perform in the clutch. Thanks Cashman.
