Yankees Fans Don't Deserve Him

.290 Batting average.
166 Hits
35 Home Runs
113 Runs Scored
121 RBI's
.392 On Base Percentage
.523 Slugging Percentage

How'd you like to have that in your lineup? I can't think of a team in the Majors who would turn their nose up at that, but the Yankees sure have. The greatest player in the majors today, and the only active offensive player on Sports Illustrated's All-Time All-Star Team has spent this season as a pariah in New York.

As I've grown older, the hero worship that comes with watching pro sports has waned. At a game at the Big A in August, my wife asked me "Which current Angel's name would you want on a jersey?" I couldn't think of one. It's not for lack of players on the Angels I admire. There's plenty of guys on my team I enjoy watching 162 games a season. It's not for lack of a superstar, as if I wanted to jump on a bandwagon, I'd have a Vladamir Guerrero jersey. "Well," I told her half-heartedly, "the closest player to the current Angels roster I'd want would be David Eckstein."

Of course, he's played with St. Louis the last two seasons.

When I was younger, it would have been tough narrowing my favorites down to one to put on a jersey. Chuck Finley, Jim Abbott, Bert Blyleven, Lance Parrish, Tony Armas, Dave Winfield, all would have been a tough choice that would have eventually lost out to Dante Bichette. But as I've grown older, the worship of the players themselves has fallen while the dedication to the uniform they wear has soared.

But I can say right now, with confidence, that if A-Rod were wearing an Angels jersey, I'd want one just like it.

During the dog days of Alex Rodriguez's slump in August, I watched a game in New York. I can't remember who the Yankees were playing, but I clearly remember the boos and jeers that Rodriguez got. He got a lot of flack for it in this Sports Illustrated article, but he has a point. Neither Jeter nor Giambi nor Mussina nor any Yankee gets the same poor treatment for poor performance that A-Rod gets.

Though his reasoning for his treatment is wrong. It has nothing to do with being biracial, nor because of his paycheck, nor his looks. It's because of his former position.

For nearly a decade the debate raged in sports pages and living rooms across the country: Who is the best shortstop in the game? Besides being one of the toughest positions in the game to play, in the late 90's/early 00's we had three young superstars playing SS in the American League: A-Rod, Jeter, and Nomar Garciaparra. Injuries took Nomar out of the argument (and he usually finished third in that race anyway), but time and again Derek Jeter lost many a heated debate to Rodriguez amongst fans and pundits as to the best player at Shortstop in the game.

That is, in all places but New York.

New Yorkers have been in love with Derek Jeter since the World Series championship he brought them in '96, and as the rivalry and arguments heated up, they clung to their hero regardless of stats and paychecks. Then, in '04, A-Rod becomes a Yankee, and their dedication was validated when Rodriguez "voluntarily" moved to 3rd Base, deciding the argument once and for all as only one player remained at the #6 position.

But the years of arguments stuck in the throats of the press and fans of the New York Yankees, and A-Rod has paid for it in the jeers and boos this year. He's right, if Derek Jeter were to suffer a slump as Rodriguez did earlier this year, he would never get the treatment A-Rod has, and that's because he's loved by New York. And even at his best, Rodriguez will never win over the heart of New York because of that history.

Unless he does something amazing.

Having a "good" October isn't going to do it for New Yorkers and A-Rod. It's going to take Herculean performances in clutch situations for him to be accepted by that team and town. It's going to take an ALCS and World Series MVP with a .400+ Batting Average and a few walk-off Home Runs in both series, combined with relatively poor performances by the rest of the new "Murderer's Row." And he's going to have to do it batting 6th in the lineup, which doesn't show him a lot of confidence.

Being great simply won't be good enough.

So screw New York, and screw the Yankees' fans. They don't deserve him. It just sucks that I'm rooting for them (a lesser of eight evils kind of thing) for the sole reason that I want to see Alex Rodriguez succeed. I'd love to see him make Yankees fans eat their boos, and writers eat their words.

But, because of articles and rumors like these, I wouldn't mind seeing him sub-par, as it may mean seeing him in an Angels uniform next season.

Rumors of off-season trades to bring A-Rod to the Angels have been swirling for a few weeks now. In August (during that slump), I remarked to anybody that would listen that barring a World Series win and a great October, you'd see him on the trading block before next season. (Admittedly, this was just "armchair quarterbacking," as the only information I have is 32 years' experience NOT working in baseball.) Last week, I heard that the Yankees want Chone Figgins, Ervin Santana, and three prospects. Yeah, it's a hefty price. But one I'd pay in a flat second.

Just imagine the 3-4 spots in the batting order being Alex Rodriguez and Vladamir Guerrero.

Possibly the greatest one-two punch since Ruth and Gehrig, or Mantle and Maris.

Doesn't seem such a high price to pay when you look at it that way, does it?

With that said, I hope you lousy Yankee fans get your wish. I hope you piss him off so much that he waives the "No-Trade" clause in his contract.

And I hope he comes to Anaheim, where we can show him the respect he deserves.

Come to the Angels, A-Rod. I promise, you will be loved in Anaheim.