A-ROD!

[Old_Rooster]

Mr. April!

Expect the slump about end of august-september

[CalvinH]

Hahaha it won't matter if there pitching doesn't tighten up.
they called up there #1 prospect Phil Hughes to pitch Thursday.

[Grape Ape]

Mr. April!

Expect the slump about end of august-september

If ARod doesn't slump until the end of August, he will have had the greatest year in baseball history.

[Option D]

If ARod doesn't slump until the end of August, he will have had the greatest year in baseball history.

a-rod=60HR this season...esp when jason really gets goin...they will have that manny-big papi effect

[Camel Jockey]

A-rod should have a monster year and yankees should win the world series. Afterwards he should opt out and tell the people of new york to go fuck themselves.

[Grape Ape]

A-rod should have a monster year and yankees should win the world series. Afterwards he should opt out and tell the people of new york to go fuck themselves.

I am a huge Yankee fan, but I agree the fan's reactions towards him have been abysmal.  Add in ESPN and the NYPost, etc... highlighting every bad AB he had, and it bordered on insanity.

Most baseball fans are stupid, and would rather rely on myths of clutch, intangibles, etc.. instead of actual statistical evidence.

[egj13]

a-rod=60HR this season...esp when jason really gets goin...they will have that manny-big papi effect

45 HR max. Remember the Pujols April of last year? Sure ARod might not get hurt but when the yanks pitching is so bad they are always behind 3-4 runs, teams will pitch around him.

[Option D]

45 HR max. Remember the Pujols April of last year? Sure ARod might not get hurt but when the yanks pitching is so bad they are always behind 3-4 runs, teams will pitch around him.

dude, no one is gonna put a-rod on base with giambi right behind him.

[egj13]

dude, no one is gonna put a-rod on base with giambi right behind him.

They will up 3 runs. Why let Arod hit a homer instead of let Giambi hit a single/double.

[Option D]

They will up 3 runs. Why let Arod hit a homer instead of let Giambi hit a single/double.

and thats the beauty..they will not be up 3 runs because their pitching sucks

[Grape Ape]

45 HR max. Remember the Pujols April of last year? Sure ARod might not get hurt but when the yanks pitching is so bad they are always behind 3-4 runs, teams will pitch around him.

You can't pitch around him with that lineup.  Giambi, Matsui and Posada are 5-6-7, and could be 3-4-5 on other teams.  The dimensions at YS could be detrimental, but haven't been so far.

As far as the Yankee pitching being bad, does anybody really expect this trend to continue?  Pettitte has been good, and Wang and Mussina will be back.  I'm not expecting Hughes to be lights out yet, but he will be an improvement.

Bullpen could be worrisome, but we'll see.  Recently, the Yankees have had poor starts but at the end of the year have been fine.

[CalvinH]

You can't pitch around him with that lineup.  Giambi, Matsui and Posada are 5-6-7, and could be 3-4-5 on other teams.  The dimensions at YS could be detrimental, but haven't been so far.

As far as the Yankee pitching being bad, does anybody really expect this trend to continue?  Pettitte has been good, and Wang and Mussina will be back.  I'm not expecting Hughes to be lights out yet, but he will be an improvement.

Bullpen could be worrisome, but we'll see.  Recently, the Yankees have had poor starts but at the end of the year have been fine.

they started 11-19 last year

[egj13]

and thats the beauty..they will not be up 3 runs because their pitching sucks

Exactly, The yanks will be DOWN 3 runs. Do you want to pith to a guy hitting a HR every 5.6 ABs or every 18.75 ABs?

[Mr. Intenseone]

GH, that the only explaination

[Grape Ape]

Exactly, The yanks will be DOWN 3 runs. Do you want to pith to a guy hitting a HR every 5.6 ABs or every 18.75 ABs?

Do you want to pitch to a guy with a + .400 OPB after you've put on a guy in front of him?

[egj13]

Do you want to pitch to a guy with a + .400 OPB after you've put on a guy in front of him?

How much of that OBP is walks/singles? I personally would pitch around in every chance. Look at Pujols last night. 2 guys on, so if you walk him you load the bases right? And I am sure Jerry Narron was thinking "rolen has 8 hits in his last 11 at bats" so they pitch to Pujols and he drives in 2. Rolen then pops out, I would pitch to the guy behind Pujols/A-Rod and make them string together 1-2 hits.

[Grape Ape]

How much of that OBP is walks/singles? I personally would pitch around in every chance. Look at Pujols last night. 2 guys on, so if you walk him you load the bases right? And I am sure Jerry Narron was thinking "rolen has 8 hits in his last 11 at bats" so they pitch to Pujols and he drives in 2. Rolen then pops out, I would pitch to the guy behind Pujols/A-Rod and make them string together 1-2 hits.

Who cares how much are walks/singles?  Then you have two runners on for Matsui/Posada who are both good hitters.  If that's the way you treat the other team's mythical 3 run lead they'll always have, the statistics say that lead will vanish in a hurry.

The more people you put on base, the more opportunity you give them to score.  Instead of an HR being the only way to score, now it can be a double or even a single if ARod stole a base.

Opposing managers may choose to pitch around ARod in certain late situations, but it will not happen too often, given the talent surrounding him.

[egj13]

Who cares how much are walks/singles?  Then you have two runners on for Matsui/Posada who are both good hitters.  If that's the way you treat the other team's mythical 3 run lead they'll always have, the statistics say that lead will vanish in a hurry.

The more people you put on base, the more opportunity you give them to score.  Instead of an HR being the only way to score, now it can be a double or even a single if ARod stole a base.

Opposing managers may choose to pitch around ARod in certain late situations, but it will not happen too often, given the talent surrounding him.

Are we talking about the same managers that walked Barry witht he bases loaded even though Alou was hitting behind him? Alou averaged 99 RBIs in 2003/04. the years bonds set and broke the BB record.

[Grape Ape]

Are we talking about the same managers that walked Barry witht he bases loaded even though Alou was hitting behind him? Alou averaged 99 RBIs in 2003/04. the years bonds set and broke the BB record.

Were the hitters behind Alou of the same level as Matsui/Posada?  Also, Giambi's better than Alou.

If you have a three run lead, you don't put someone on base.  You pitch to him.  Putting a runner on with no outs and a three run lead makes no sense, no matter who the batter is.  Especially if they are followed by Matsui/Cano/Posada.

Alou's RBI numbers were inflated anyway becasue of Bonds' intentional walks.  He had many more opportunities than he would have.

[egj13]

Were the hitters behind Alou of the same level as Matsui/Posada?  Also, Giambi's better than Alou.

If you have a three run lead, you don't put someone on base.  You pitch to him.  Putting a runner on with no outs and a three run lead makes no sense, no matter who the batter is.  Especially if they are followed by Matsui/Cano/Posada.

Alou's RBI numbers were inflated anyway becasue of Bonds' intentional walks.  He had many more opportunities than he would have.

Guess we will see how it unfolds