In February of 2004, the most remarkable thing happened to me: Alex Rodriguez was traded to the New York Yankees. Having grown up in New England and been a Yankees fan all of my life thanks to my father, who was born and raised in White Plains, New York, the prospect of having A-Rod, arguably the game's best player, in pinstripes was indescribable.
This was especially sweet, given the Bronx Bombers had basically stolen him right from under the Red Sox's noses after the team was unsuccessful in trading for the highly coveted star. So if the Yankees had beaten the Sox in seven games in the 2003 ALCS with the atrocious, but clutch Aaron Boone at third base, the potential for New York was astronomical with Rodriguez now moving over from shortstop to replace the Bronx's latest hero, joining a lineup with more voltage than a thunderstorm, Jack Bauer, and Pikachu combined.
They lost the World Series to the Marlins after they were dominated at home by 23-year-old flamethrower Josh Beckett in Game six, so what? MLB commissioner Bud Selig might as well have given the 2004 Yankees the trophy before the season even began; it was no contest with Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, Javier Vazquez, Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui, Jorge Posada, and, of course, A-Rod.
But the season started off slowly for the Bombers, and A-Rod struggled to find his groove early on through April and May. The names were there, they just weren't really performing. But as the season progressed, the offense was beginning to come around, with Sheffield and Matsui finding their strides and Jeter finally breaking out of his tumultuous slump. But A-Rod still struggled to find his groove. I'm not sure if it was anger that the New York papers and I were feeling towards the $252 million man for his average performance, but perhaps frustration or pure bewilderment as to how this pre-crowned "savior" had been unable to replicate his numbers from the past three years with the Texas Rangers (.305, 52 home runs, 132 RBI on average). However, most if not all of my bridled criticism of Rodriguez was suddenly vanquished when I witnessed him launch a walk-off home run in the 11th inning against the Oakland A's from behind the dugout at Yankee Stadium?his first with the Bombers. Perhaps he had finally come around.
Ultimately the Yankees went on to capture the AL East for the seventh straight year, leaving the Wild Card vacant for Boston. They had a rough start to the division series however, losing Game one to the Minnesota Twins, but rebounded in Game two with a tailor-made come-from-behind victory that saw A-Rod knock in the game-tying run with a double?New York went on to win the series three games to one, setting the stage for an ALCS rematch with the Red Sox who had just finished making mincemeat of the Anaheim Angels.
This next part is going to be painful...so the Yankees went up three games to nothing over the Red Sox thanks to A-Rod's bat, blah, blah, blah, and then the Yankees lost four straight games to the Red Sox thanks to A-Rod's slap, blah, blah, blah, the series going down as perhaps the greatest choke since Pierce Brosnan in "Mrs. Doubtfire." The 2004 Boston Red Sox, sans Alex Rodriguez, then went on to win their first World Series since 1918...blah, blah, blah.
So it was suddenly the next April, which brought with it copious showers, steroid-infused homework, and the fresh renewal of baseball. I was a junior in high school at the time, taking daily cuts out on the diamond for my JV baseball team, while simultaneously talking sports, and was more than willing to give Alex Rodriguez a second chance in New York. But the Yanks got off to a their worst start since 1966, going an abysmal 11-19, no thanks to Rodriguez who was fizzling early on once again, his average sinking to a dismal .235, when I had a sudden epiphany: I despised Alex Rodriguez.
It was true; I really did: his outrageous contract, his phoniness and superficiality towards the media, his overly-competitive nature, his attitude, his inability to adapt to New York and get the big hit, his obsession with self-image, but most importantly, his failure to be himself.
The Yanks famously circled the wagons and won the division on the second-to-last day of the season, and Rodriguez finally turned up the heat and completed his best season as a Yankee (.321, 48, 130), and was (quietly) awarded with the 2005 MVP, beating out Red Sox slugger David Ortiz (.300, 47, 148) who had about a thousand more clutch hits than Rodriguez, which greatly incensed Bostonians more so than the pre-Kevin Garnett/Ray Allen days. Then the Yankees lost to the Angels in the first round in five games, A-Rod going 2 for 15 in the series with zero RBIs?demonstrating his MVP prowess at full keel, and prompting me to writing another long article, venting my anger and full support of the permanent removal of Rodriguez from the Bronx, lest he thwart the Yankees chances of winning another title for the third straight season?well, last year is evidence enough that nobody heard my cry (1 for 14 in a 3-1 series loss to the Detroit Tigers).
At some point shortly after that, I was playing baseball with some friends out on the field. I was on second base when there was a grounder hit to the shortstop, and I stupidly decided to take third. The throw was made by the shortstop to the third baseman who caught the ball and then tried to tag me out?I wouldn't have it though. Realizing my egregious mental error, I thought of the only way out of my pickle, and proceeded to slap the third baseman's glove in a desperate attempt to jar the ball loose; and it worked. I made it to third base safely, but all of my friends looked totally bemused. This was a pick-up baseball game, and in the heat of the moment I had resorted to something straight out of A-Rod's playbook, and for what? To not get out in a pick-up baseball game? It was at that moment that I had another sudden epiphany: I was just like Alex Rodriguez.
Okay, so maybe not in terms of income, handsomeness, or sheer skill?clearly, I win all of those battles hands down. But in terms of personality and character, I believed that we were a spot-on match. It was strange and sometimes difficult for me to accept that everything that I disliked so much about Rodriguez all this time, so paradoxically, was pretty much everything that I was. I was highly competitive and would become infuriated whenever I lost a simple game of Madden or Rock-Paper-Scissors, my attitude wasn't great at times, I was highly concerned with sustaining my reputation and image, I could never make the big play on or off the field, but more importantly, I just wasn't really being myself.
I think all of us can understand where A-Rod comes from being in unfamiliar territory like New York, and failing to adjust?it's a lot like us in college. Perhaps we've been too hard on him all this time, especially for a guy who reportedly doesn't have any close friends on the team?how is someone expected to feel comfortable when he has no one to confide in? Whatever the case though, A-Rod is currently and easily having his best season for the Yankees (.309, 53 home runs, 151 RBIs going into Thursday) which will all but guarantee a third career MVP award at season's end. He also looks more and more comfortable with each passing day, which is hopefully a testament to his just being himself. And ironically, for perhaps the first time ever, I'm feeling more like myself, too.
My mother always used to tell me that you learn more and more about yourself as you get older, and while this seems like a fairly obvious statement, there is no denying its truth. So for the king (of baseball) and me, it's been quite a journey down that road so far; A-Rod, everyone, and I am learning more and more each day. So I urge you all to continue down this road and look within yourself and your heart for who you truly are, and while I keep getting to know myself, you can all keep getting to know you, getting to know all about you; just like the King and I keep trying to do.