Alex Rodriguez may be giving Derek Jeter a run for his money. And it isn’t just Jeter who should be worried.
Rodriguez’s postseason resurgence and clutch hitting have been the big news this October, and if the Yankees do get to the World Series (they’re up 3-2 on the Angels in the ALCS), Rodriguez may be hailed as “the new Mr. October”.
Reggie Jackson, the current owner of the nickname, might deserve some credit for the metamorphosis. The Yankees have employed Jackson to serve as A-Rod’s mentor the past few postseasons. This time, it worked.
But despite his stellar performance, not everyone believes Rodriguez will be able to completely redeem himself after admitting he used performance-enhancing drugs.
“For his previous failures in the clutch, some teammates used to call A-Rod ‘A-Fraud,’” writes the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Bill Livingston. “As far as his place in the record book goes, it still seems to fit.”
Livingston claims that “Rodriguez should go down in history as [Barry] Bonds with a better personality.”
Time will tell if A-Rod’s postseason dominance is enough to fully expunge Rodriguez’s record, but his redemption is on the fast track in the Bronx. His teammates have shown support during the current playoff run, and manager Joe Girardi is in awe.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Girardi told RealGM Baseball. “I know Bernie [Williams] had some big series, and Paul O’Neill had some big series. But Alex is — wow.”