The Yankees have a Hot Stove program on their YES Network. Those providing comments predictably are not critical of the Yankees. Somehow they think that the Yankees have a plan even if it is not readily apparent. I recently heard one repeat that the Yankees could not count on Alex Rodriguez to play third base in 2015. This was a way of approving the Yankees signing Chase Headley to play third for the next four years. In the last two years Yankee GM Brian Cashman constantly repeated with a straight face that Derek Jeter was the Yankee shortstop, ignoring Jeter's age, diminishing productivity and the fact that Jeter played only 17 games in 2013. Most Yankee fans and media sycophants bought it.
Can Alex Rodriguez do what Derek Jeter just did: play well at 40? Friday, December 19, 2014
Alex Rodriguez Born: July 27, 1975 in New York, NY (Age 39.145)
Derek Jeter Born: June 26, 1974 in Pequannock, NJ (Age 40.176)
Jeter is thirteen months older than Rodriguez. For annual stats baseball age for a season is determined by whether the player's birthday is before July 1.
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I'm asking two basic questions:
- Can the Yanks count on Rodriguez?
- Can Rodriguez play well at 40?
Who the heck knows? That's not the issue. The issue is how differently two players are viewed and treated even when it impacts the evaluation of the team. Many people wish that Rodriguez would go away, simply for the good of the team. But no one wanted Jeter to go away last season even though his presence delayed and prevented the Yankees from improving the team in fundamental ways.
I understand that Rodriguez is evil incarnate for some people. But he is a baseball player and he will be re-joining his team in spring training in 2015. Why not count on Rodriguez to perform well? If that is unreasonable, then why was it reasonable for Jeter in 2014?
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