Gut-Check Time
It meant that the wind was blowing, the leaves were changing color, eventually falling, and of course, it meant that the New York Yankees were the toast of the town.
Over the past four seasons, however, October in the Bronx has meant one of two things. Either the Yankees faithful has put away their pinstriped apparell completely, or simply exchanged their Alex Rodriguez gear to sport the jersey of a more productive, likeable player.
It’s no secret that, over the Yankees’ four postseason appearances with Alex Rodriguez as their third baseman, baseball’s highest paid player has been less than stellar. The perennial hall-of-famer has a measly batting average of .182 in the four series, and his 1-16 
performance in the 2006 divisional series with Detroit is not easily forgotten.
This year may be different, though. As tough as this may be to believe, a level of sympathy may actually be felt for Rodriguez. He started out the offseason in the middle of a very public divorce from his wife Cynthia. He quickly became the center of controversy after he turned down an offer to play third base for the American team in the World Baseball Classic, only to later accept an offer from his mother’s home country, the Dominican Republic. He then starred on television as an interviewee of ESPN’s Peter Gammons. The subject? Rodriguez’s alleged steroid usage. Almost immediately after his admission, an MRI revealed a cyst in his right hip. After the cyst was drained, it was discovered that Rodriguez suffered from a torn labrum in the same hip. He missed the first six weeks of the season, and it was apparent that the Yankees missed him as well.
Now, Rodriguez is fairly healthy and ready to play a big role. A player as good as Rodriguez can only struggle for so long before he comes around and the shaky pitching staff of the Minnesota Twins that he will face can do more good than harm.
The fact of the matter is simple: all of the star power the Yankees accumulated last winter put Rodriguez under less of a microscope. The league’s highest profile player is flying into the radar despite playing such an important part on baseball’s best team.
Maybe that’s what he needs. Maybe Rodriguez simply wasn’t comfortable in the spotlight. Now, the true test is how he performs against a much lesser team, while batting in between two all-star sluggers (Mark Teixeira and Hideki Matsui) who are red-hot going into this postseason.
Things are already looking up for ARod, who had two RBIs in Game 1 against the Minnesota Twins, then pushed in three more runs (along with a game-tying home run in the ninth) in the Yankees 4-3 victory in Game 2. Believe it or not, he’s hitting .500 even through the two games. But the important thing is, for once, he looks like he’s having fun.
This October is what will define the man known as “A-Rod.” It won’t be the contract. It won’t be the steroid accusations. It won’t be any of his dumb comments. This postseason will make or break Alex Rodriguez’s legacy.
He may finally be ready.
