Alex Rodriguez says that he will not participate in the Home Run Derby despite being the leading vote getter in the American League. The Derby is also in Yankee Stadium, Alex’s home park. He would have the opportunity to put on a show for his home fans, but he doesn’t want to because he feels that it would mess up his swing. Alex was quoted as saying, "My responsibility is to the New York Yankees. I need my swing to be at its best." While that excuse may sound logical to some, I don’t buy it.
Alex has participated in the Derby three times before and finished in 6th place each time. He has never made it out of the opening round and hit 5 home runs in his first attempt and only hit two in each of the other tries. Alex participated in the Home Run Derby in 1998, 2001, and 2002. In 1998 he finished the year with 42 home runs. In 2001 he finished with 52. In 2002 he finished with 57. A-Rod is in his 13th year and has averaged 44 home runs per season throughout his career. In two of the three years that he participated in the derby, Alex went above his average. These numbers suggest that the Home Run Derby has not affected Alex’s swing because he put up great numbers in each year he participated. In 2002, the season of Alex’s most recent derby, he hit .305 with 27 home runs prior to the break. Following the Home Run Derby, Alex hit .294 with 30 home runs. Those numbers are very similar and it does not appear that he messed up his swing.
The Derby does not appear to have messed up Alex in the past and I do not think that saying that Derby will mess up my swing is a valuable excuse. Alex Rodriguez is a professional athlete, he knows his swing and he would know how to fix it if anything went wrong. I’m confident that he could go study some film, spot a hitch in his swing, and go to the cage to fix it. I don’t thing messing up his swing is the real problem, I think Alex fears another poor showing in front of his home fans.
He ain't getting any younger. Maybe he wants, or needs, a day off and doesn't want to spend it at the ballpark. Maybe in order to have those highly productive years after the HR contest he has to do things he doesn't feel motivated to do anymore. And maybe he just doesn't want to do it this year. I think you are well on your way to getting to where you want to be in your career. You already think like a sportswriter. So and so doesn't want to do this because of this...even if it is only conjecture on your part. With all of the heat he has taken from the media out of and around "his home ballpark" I would guess, although I couldn't say it as a definate because I'm not A-ROD, finishing poorly in this contest is not real high on the reasons why he doesn't want to do it. That sounds so...so...juvenile...in a MLB sort of way. Why is it so hard to take what he said at face value and let it go at that? He is contracted with the Yankees and if he thinks NOT doing this will help him honor that contract more effectively...GREAT! What a difference from the glory hound, all about me and not my team mentality we are blessed with by a large portion of the professional athletes that make a living off of us. If the Yankees turn it around and end up winning it all...who is going to care if he hit in this thing or not? I think this is a lot to do over nothing. The fans want to see him do this. OK. Leave him alone when he is out to dinner with his family and maybe then he should do it for the fans. Personally...fans expect too much.
I am currently in high school. I will try to post reguarly, but at the very least I will comment your blogs daily. I am aspiring to become a sports writer or broadcaster and plan to attend collge and major in journalism or broadcast journalism.
