It’s so much fun to root for Alex Rodriguez.
He’s one of the most polarizing figures in sports history. At times, he feels larger than the game of baseball – almost too big of a celebrity for his own good. It can also be frustrating to root for him, but that’s what makes it fun. When he succeeds after all the failures, it’s a slap in the face to everyone who hates him – and it feels gratifying. The 2009 postseason was awesome. You could see how happy A-Rod was. It was genuine.
When the Yankees traded for A-Rod, I was ecstatic. Here was a guy who was on his way to becoming the greatest player of all-time, and he was right in his prime. I made sure I stopped what I was doing to watch every time he was at-bat because it was greatness. He’s an immortal talent, which doesn’t come around all that often. He’s one of the best right-handed hitters to ever put on a Yankees uniform.
Yes, I know the guy’s made mistakes, and a lot of people can’t seem to forgive him for it. As long as he helps the team I root for win, that’s all I care about. He’s made such a transformation over the years from a guy who cares about his individual numbers, to a guy that has a team-first attitude who cares about winning.
I admire the fact that he ‘s stuck it out in New York through good and bad. A lot of guys run and hide when things hit the fan in this city, but A-Rod has stayed front and center. In postseasons where he hit .100 and was unfairly blamed for the team’s elimination, he took it like a man. He didn’t make excuses, he didn’t point fingers – he flat out said he played like a dog and deserved to get booed. You have to respect that.
You also have to respect the fact that A-Rod is one of the hardest workers in the game. He’s one of the first to show up and last to leave. He also takes the time to help out the kids. Last year, he worked with Didi Greogorius on his defense at shortstop – Didi then turned into a gold glove caliber player before our eyes. The Yankees are lucky to have a player of his caliber who’s willing to mentor young players.
The Ryan Dempster game is one of my favorite A-Rod moments of all-time. It felt different than just a regular baseball game. It was us against them, and A-Rod came up huge and quieted Fenway Park.
It’s moments like that that make it fun to root for him.
