When you make $25 million you need to BECOME the dominate type. Fans expect this from you. A-Rod needs to step up himself. You can't strike out, hit into double plays and hit pop ups in the playoffs and then say,"my team mates didn't get it done." 
You have to lead by example. Jeter came through time and again in big spots, whereas A-Rod tightens up.
I agree with you on the first sentence, and I agree with your assessment of the fans expectations. You're spot on.
The problem is, ARod IS dominate. There's a perception that he chokes in the clutch. Yes, he has yet to have a huge playoff series outside of one ALDS vs. Minnesota, but, in those Yankee losses, it was a team failure, where the Yankees ran into completely dominate pitching. In other words, they all sucked. I can't think of a case where ARod played poorly and many other Yankees exceled.
You can't put up numbers like his and not hit in clutch situations. He's hit big HRs off Papelbon, Schilling, etc. There's just the notion out there that since he makes so much money, he should get a hit every single time he's up in the ninth inning. His last MVP season, he was running neck and neck with David Ortiz, and fans (and pundits) were making the argument that Ortiz should win with poorer numbers because he was so "clutch". But, when the numbers were actually looked at that year, ARod had more HRs to put his team in the lead, or when there was less than a three run differential. And Ortiz had more HRs when his team was ahead by 5 or more. But Ortiz was labeled the clutch guy, and ARod was the choker.
That said, I think ARod is a complete head case who does worry about how things look. He reacts in a way the makes the prophecy of failure self fulfilling. He's a complete idiot.
What's next with this guy? He's got to be gay. Might as well start with Gay-Roid now, because you know it's comng.
