Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Alex Rodriguez: why do people think A-Rod will break down in spring training? PED voodoo?

I've heard multiple people on MBL Network and YES Network say that, including former pitcher Ron Darling and writer Bob Klapisch.  Why would they think that?  Alex Rodriguez has not played a league game since September 2013.  However, Rodriguez has been working out all along and, among other things, doing the only thing that the Yankees say they want him to do in 2015 games: bat.  Presumably in spring training Rodriguez will concentrate on batting.  Why would that cause him to break down?

Rodriguez is one year younger than former best buddy and former Yankee teammate Derek Jeter.  Jeter played a significant amount in 2014, primarily at shortstop, and performed pretty well for a 40 year old player.  Jeter had played only 17 games in 2013, so he was about as rusty as Rodriguez will be in 2015.

New Orleans Voodoo Dolls
by Mysticvoodoo
Created by artist Denise Alvarado
via Wikimedia Commons
Is it performance enhancing drugs (PED) voodoo?  Are players and writers alike trapped in believing that there is evil in those PED?  That they will corrupt an athlete's physical well being and soul even after he has stopped using them?  What else could we conclude?

Maybe the VooDoo proponents are correct.  Maybe they will fulfill their own prophecy ... by sticking needles into little A-Rod VooDoo dolls.  Maybe Manfred, the A-Rod slayer, will be doing that too.  Along with Yankee president Randy Levine.  And the Steinbrenner Kids.  Maybe.

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