A-God

"I could prove God statistically." -- George Gallup

In the fever of statistics, the sweaty palms of junkies trying to prove their points, it should be considered that the Yankees coup of A-Rod is much bigger than mere statistics themselves. The arrival of A-Rod is an arrival in NYC that hasn't been seen since perhaps since the fixed draft that saw the Knicks collect Patrick Ewing out of Georgetown. It isn't the sterile calculations of combinations performed by people who love to take the heart from sports and slap a freshly printed dollar bill across it. It is about the passion discovered in sudden sports surprises that seize a city like an asthma attack and prove once again that is the beauty of speculation that allows us to feel happy as sportsfans, even when our team loses.

A-Rod spoke beautifully a few years ago at Cal Ripken's last All-Star game, about his admiration for Cal Ripken and how he'd modeled himself, as a shortstop, after Cal Ripken. I can't think of a better modern role model for a baseball player.

Most of all, A-Rod is Torre's baseball player. King George's fickle nature requires players like Kevin Brown and Sheffield, the klieg lights and the fire. But there is still a core of Yankees who are Torre's players. It was the core that gained them those World Series Championships. A-Rod fits perfectly into it. I rather think Pettitte did. Jeter does. I think personally, Torre's brilliance is very exaggerated. He's had talent and won championships and had talent and lost them. The thing to consider, something I read this week in explaination, was that for the Yankees under Steinbrenner, there are only 11 games that matter and those are the 11 games of the post season.

I wonder if Mike Piazza thinks about how many games he might play in the post season when he whines about playing first base.

As a Mets fan, I like to compare A-Rod jumping at the chance to play third and Mike Piazza being shoved over to first like you were forcing him to stare into his coffin. And I like to point out another reason why I wish Wilpon would stop treating the players he hires like girlfriends and start looking at them realistically, as failed athletes.

But this is supposed to be about A-Rod because I'm tired of reading stats and speculations about what it means-what it means-what it means like a dripping faucet. A-Rod brings class to the Yankees that Steinbrenner has done his best to undermine with greed and throwing money. Throwing money (and as I understand it, for getting the best player in baseball, they've actually saved some money on his contract) == at the problem is Steinbrenner's speciality but I think trading for A-Rod is an instance where when you toss the hook in the water with enough bait, eventually, you'll get a fat fish. Getting A-Rod dwarfs the signing of Sheffield, Brown and Vasquez combined.

Now the Red Sox Nation can focus on their next important issue:

How to pry Pujols from the Cardinals.

Until then, they're in the hole, at a loss, treading water, gaining no ground.

ChopChop Red Sox Nation. You're my best hope for unseating these heathen, capitalist whore Yankees!