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Verducci with a darn good piece about A-Rod

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Double Down, Sep 19, 2006.

  1. What was Verducci doing on SportsCenter? Is there some sort of detente between SI and ESPN?
     
  2. jagtrader

    jagtrader Active Member

    Three-year splits:

    Jeter

    Close and Late
    .249/.352/.392/.744

    RiSP
    .288/.380/.405/.785

    RiSP w/2 Out
    .288/.396/.419/.815

    Bases Loaded
    .388/.444/.490/.934

    Month of September
    .329/.407/.502/.909

    Rodriguez

    Close and Late
    .276/.392/.553/.945

    RiSP
    .273/.381/.482/.863

    RiSP w/2 Out
    .270/.392/.495/.887

    Bases Loaded
    .371/.422/.657/1.079

    Month of September
    .290/.399/.532/.931

    If I need that "clutch" hit, I'll take Rodriguez. He'll get it more often.
     
  3. Columbo

    Columbo Active Member

    No... not "power numbers aside"

    I love the he's "a different hitter" than Jeter.

    Yes... a much more dangerous one.
     
  4. Oz

    Oz Well-Known Member

    Buck, that's highly unlikely. A-Rod went only 2 for 10 with no homers and no RBI in three games at Kauffman Stadium this season. Just saying.
     
  5. Boobie Miles

    Boobie Miles Active Member

    Here's my problem with those who present numbers as the end-all and be-all on this topic: games aren't played in a vacuum. There are very different stakes in an April game against the Royals trailing by a run in the seventh, than in the 9th inning of a september game in a pennant race, but once the stats are tallied up there is no differentiating the two. Obviously games count the same in the standings in April and September, but there are players out there actually playing and they will all say there is more pressure in the Sept games. A-Rod is freakish talent, there is no debating that, but he doesn't seem to have those intangibles; that thing inside of him that won't allow him to get rattled and the poise to step up in the biggest moments. You can have A-Rod up in that late game situation and I'll take Jeter or Ortiz, and I'll feel a hell of a lot more comfortable regardless of what the numbers say.

    One other thing: what were A-Rod's numbers in the 04 ALCS and what were Ortiz's? That's rhetorical, and I didn't even look it up so I have no idea what they would say. My point is that no one knows remembers who had better numbers, all people remember is Ortiz jumping around on home plate and A-Rod taking the gas. Numbers are great for arbitration cases and Hall of Fame debates, but on the field there is far more to being a winner than "simply luck."
     
  6. shotglass

    shotglass Guest

    And of course, the reason that this debate will be an endless circle is that when we talk about intangibles, it's going to be a subjective argument. It can be no other way.
     
  7. jagtrader

    jagtrader Active Member

    You guys are amazing.

    Those numbers are a three-year sample from entire seasons and you still want to buy your Jeter myths.
     
  8. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    You're agreeing with me. That wasn't my opinion. I was talking about perceptions, not what *I* think. And you just agreed with me, even though you misunderstood my post. As I said, it's obvious that ARod has a problem with how people perceive him. He does the same thing as Jeter and people think he's a phony. Jeter does it, and people think he is genuine. I didn't say anything about whether those perceptions are right or what I think. In fact, if you read what I wrote, I began what you just quoted with "whether or not he's a phony."
     
  9. Derek Jeter's tears cure cancer. Too bad Derek Jeter never cries.
     
  10. indiansnetwork

    indiansnetwork Active Member

    The Yankees are a big balloon that is going to bust come the post season because of players like A-Rod, Jeter and Giambi. They all are self serving jerks who could care less about anyone else. The motivations of each one of these players are highly different however. I actually believe Jeter's motivation is to be a winner and he realizes A-Rod does not seem to care about winning but cares more about stats and being liked. Giambi has the motivation to prove he isn't a fraud because of BALCO and to make good on his fathers once promising baseball career. The ego show only gets worse when you add in Johnson and Mussina. The only true Yankees are Posada, Rivera and Matsui. Don't forget that Gary Sheffield is only going to create more of a mess now the Yankees have Abreu. The pitching is very suspect especially the bullpen and it seems that Rivera could be hurt and the injury is worse then they are letting on. I actually feel bad for A-Rod because I think if he would just let go of trying to prove his value to everyone he could actually be a great player to watch and admire. His biggest problem is his want to feel accepted. The more he tries to be accepted the more he is rejected.
     
  11. Columbo

    Columbo Active Member

    You've been pretty good not being stupid on baseball threads.

    What a sad departure for you.
     
  12. indiansnetwork

    indiansnetwork Active Member

    I don't think it is a fluke that teams get better after A-Rod leaves the team.
     
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