ALEX THE LOST BOY

Where oh where, can our big money 3rd basemen be? Oh where, oh where can he be? Well, I can answer this question easier by telling you where he isn’t, and that is on the top of the team “batting leader” list. I can tell you who I do see and that is Derek Jeter not once…..not twice, but THREE times. Yup, don’t blink, you read that correctly. Then, I see Curtis Granderson and Nick Swisher trailing behind him but chugging along steadily. So, where is Alex then? Someone hang up the “Missing person” sign, and bring him back home.

Maybe we should offer a reward, because this Alex Rodriguez is an impostor. Maybe Alex was kidnapped and this is his “invasion of the body snatchers” image. OK, sure it sounds crazy but all I am saying is that this is not the real Alex, the one who is capable of so much more. Casey talked about why he is so important in his article NO QUESTION, AROD’S GOT TO TURN IT ON NOW! and he made some good points, but 1/3 of the season is in the books and ARod needs to work harder if he wants to get back to being the great hitter.

I miss the Alex we saw in 2010….the one that took Shaun Marcum deep for home run 600. I don’t recognize this one. If the vintage Alex comes back we can finally return that home run record back to the Bronx!

I’m trying to find Alex the “clean-up” hitter, the guy that pitchers used to walk because they were afraid to challenge him and chose to test their luck against Robinson Cano instead. Wow, those days have changed. Now I watch the TV and squint in hopes to find a shadow of what he used to be. I know hitting a ball that is flying towards you isn’t easy, but come on…just keep it simple, “see the ball, and hit the ball!”

Don’t think too much and don’t wait for an open invitation. We know you are spending a lot of time with former pro wrestler Torrie Wilson, but remember we don’t want you taking lessons from her on “How to swing a chair 101.” You swing a bat, so do that instead and please, when you do it make it count!

So how do we get the real Alex back? First we fix the ground outs and strikeouts with runners on base. We know you have the talent Alex, but as the clean-up hitter….you have to do just that….CLEAN HOUSE. When guys like Grandy and Jeter are on base you need to zone in on that pitcher, stop swinging at his first offering, wait for your pitch and make him pay the price. I know the cliché says “the early bird catches the worm,” but usually in baseball the early bird either strikes out or is fooled by swinging and missing or just goes back to the dugout with nothing to show for it. I know you strike out a lot off of the field, see previous relationships with Kate Hudson and Cameron Diaz, but when you are on the field, please don’t be THAT guy!

Also worth noting, confidence is a must but if you are going to talk the talk you need to walk the walk, too. Sometimes, I think Alex suffers from “open mouth insert foot” disease and he had a recent relapse where he was quoted as saying he felt like he was about to ”go off” at the plate. Sure, he hit back to back home runs against the Royals that night, but it didn’t take long for him to go back to doing the walk of shame back to the dugout.

We know you like the spotlight Alex, we have seen you eating popcorn at the Super Bowl and kissing a mirror in GQ magazine, but you won’t find a red carpet on the field. Talk is cheap, and your contract isn’t so I must steal a line from Jerry Maguire and say “SHOW ME THE MONEY” but in this case…show me the return on that invested money.

Alex, I know you have the same goal that we all do and that is to win another World Series, but that bat needs to be revived! I know some people may read this and think I am picking on you but I assure you that is not the case. Just think of the fans like you do the paparazzi at a fabulous Hollywood event that are anxiously awaiting your arrival. I promise you have our support and our attention.

--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor

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.