HERE COMES ALEX RODRIGUEZ

“I want to be a force in the middle of our lineup, someone who drives in a lot of big runs to win a lot of games.”
–Alex Rodriguez to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post

The other day, Kevin Kernan of the Post had a terrific piece about Alex Rodriguez. If you are a fan of Alex like me, you know it was important to see this piece as opposed to the bash pieces we see all day long. It was Alex as Alex, not his evil twin ARod. Read the full piece HERE.

I have always been one of the few that appreciated Alex and his ability to do big things. Don’t get me wrong, as a Yankee there are plenty of bad things he’s done too, like seeing him strikeout to end the playoffs the past few years is almost annoying at this point, but that being said, he’s accomplished a lot in his career, and that cannot be denied. There is no question that he’s talented, when healthy, but there is truly one big reason why the Yankees signed Alex Rodriguez, and that's that they hope he does what’s actually possible… to hit enough home runs and bring the All-time Home Run record back to the Bronx where it belongs…that my friends has always been the plan. Sure, we need him to contribute to championships and play the best he can as a New York Yankee, but out of all the guys at the time, Alex was at the top of his game, so signing him in 2004 and trading Alfonso Soriano away was big because it was the Yankees goal to get Alex in the Yankees spotlight. It was part of their plan… to get him as many at bats as possible and get Alex to launch homer after homer until we were able to finally take the Home Run crown back!

Kernan asked Alex about 2012 and what we can expect. Great quotes...check it out:

“I used to do so much so early, it was too much…It’s just about feeling good. The skill is there. This approach worked for me in ’09… I’ve learned to just trust the process and that has taken time… I always want to go out and do more.’’

He gets it, he finally gets it. Much like I have suggested before, Alex needed to win a championship and in 2009 and now he's grown up. Now let’s hope he let’s things happen and trusts his talent and not push too hard. He needs to stay focused and just play ball and he will help the Yankees succeed again.

Yes, it’s true…You either love Alex or hate him. I don’t hate him. Alex reminds me of a child sometimes, I coach Little Leaguers and communicate with them and strangely, some of the same type of conversation reminds me of Alex. I’ve always said he was a child in an adult’s body. He has the talent, but he was given so much at such a young age, he’s literally growing up in front of our eyes. Let’s not forget, this guy's a father as well. Plus it looks like he finally found the right companion in Torrie Wilson, good for him. So now, maybe the focus is better. Maybe finally he’s understood the “Yankee Way” and in his “old age” of 37 with 1 championship under his belt... looking at those quotes, it almost sounds like now he gets it. That’s how I see it anyway.

People think he’s an arrogant asshole. I don’t, I give him a pass. Maybe I’m wrong, and that’s fine, but it's how I see it. Anyway, I just hope Alex is successful this season, much like 2009, he needs to dominate with the rest of the team...After all, that’s the Yankee way.

By the way… Huge props to Kevin Kernan for a positive Alex Rodriguez piece. Thank you.

ORDER A BYB SHIRT NOW, DROB WEARS ONE! Also, Please comment, we have DISQUS, it's easier than ever. Let me know what you think and follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook, just type it in.