That’s the problem with ARod, there are always two extreme opposing viewpoints and none can ever meet in the middle.

He’s a colossal failure, IMHO. It all comes down to money, if someone pays you a ton of cash to be great, not just good but GREAT, then you shouldn’t need to come up with all sorts of stats to prove to people that you are really great. They will already know it because their eyes are witness to it all.

Most people don’t see the VORP numbers, nor should they care, the game is played on the field and ARod is someone that leaves you wondering — is he even worth all that money? People have every right to associate money with success.

People understand (albeit slight) a multi-billion dollar company turning large profits and their CEO getting a huge bonus, however, people do not understand when the company loses massive amounts of cash and the CEO still gets his bonus. The latter is more representative of ARod. He’s getting paid how MUCH!!!! For producing ONLY THAT!?!??

I think it makes all the sense in the world to me, despite all the numbers you can spit out to prove otherwise. And I like numbers and you do a great job of showing people that other side, so please don’t take this as a slight on your work whatsoever.

Sometimes perception is reality.

I also hate the notion that this team shouldn’t have been there and that they overachieved. I don’t think I can remember this team being out of games constantly this year, other Yankee teams that were beaten in the first round I can. Those other Yankee teams weren’t that good and they overachieved, but this team was fighting all year and never giving up. Overcoming adversity and injuries constantly. They were very, very good. This team was one of my favorites, probably more so than 2009. The bullpen was lights out, the hitting was on point, and they seemed to be a very likable and cohesive group. I was ready for a long post-season run.

ARod is the last fucking memory I have of this team and I am repulsed at the fucking thought. Sorry! To me, he’s still the devil. Even two full days after being eliminated by the Tigers. Oh yeah, FUCK YOU PAPA GRANDE!!!!

He just can’t get any positive perpetual motion to ingratiate himself to the fan-base. The bottom line, he’s just not that good so people feel cheated by seeing the gaudy numbers and then when you need him most he turns into a pumpkin right before you eyes.

Yeah CC didn’t help, yea Tex sucked balls, but A-Rod played like a partial birth abortion. Bottom line. I hate him for it and consider him the fucking devil.

I am still pissed.

The Yanks lost 2 out of 2 one-run games in this series, and if close games are considered, not just one-run games, 3 out of 3. I’d say that’s pretty unlucky (but is the kind of thing that happens in small sample sizes).

Is luck the only factor in close games? Well…maybe not. Earlier this year, one of the ESPN talking heads mentioned a study that suggested that teams that repeatedly lose one-run games over a large sample size might be the victim of bad managing. Not saying that’s what happened here, mind.

MRI on Nova only showed a grade I strain of the flexor in his forearm.

Should heal fine on its own over the winter.

Now that they’ve lost with home field on their side, what do you have to bank on if luck is a major factor?

Maybe nothing. And for many, this is a feature, not a bug. It means more parity, more chances for teams without the Yankees’ bankroll to win.

Or…maybe you put more emphasis on things that aren’t as susceptible to luck. BP did an analysis awhile back, that found three factors influence postseason success. They were 1) defense 2) power pitching and 3) a lights-out closer.

Why those? They claimed it was because luck plays such a huge role in the short postseason, and those elements were less likely to be influenced by luck. That is, defense is less likely to slump than offense, and power pitchers are less likely to have bad days than finesse guys.

A slugging lineup was not an advantage in the postseason, and I think we Yankee fans know why. Sometimes, even the best hitters slump. All at once, even. And while it will probably even out over the regular season, there’s not enough time for that in the postseason.

That’s why not even pinch-hitting anyone at key moments makes no sense to me. If you believe in luck, why would you not press it when it mattered? Leyland did so with Don Kelly, and boom, it worked. If it didn’t, even so people would still say he “made an effort” to win an important game by riding a hot hand. There were several not-so hot hands in the lineup last night and they did what we expected (if not admitted) them to do. Even Torre had his hunches and sometimes they worked.

Meh, perhaps Don Kelly is this decade’s Shane Spencer for the Tigers. That would be lucky.

[7] [13] [15] “It bothers me that he never got Montero into the game, but I do understand that they didn’t want him to catch.”

Montero should have hit for Martin last night in the 8th. In a sense, the Tigers were the ideal team for Montero to catch against. Jackson is the only one with any speed, or likely to pull off a steal – and would have been the 4th guy up in the 9th. Especially with Mo in there, Montero catching should not have been a concern.

I’m sure what Girardi was thinking was, “Oh shit, what if we go into extra innings?” I understand that, but then they should have carried Romine on the roster. Sigh.

[16] Exactly right.

And yeah, I’m not as annoyed at A-Rod as at Tex and CC. I would have liked to see what Montero could have done.

Teixeira, Swisher and Martin were all far worse.

[7] You know, I can’t accept that a team that let Frankie Cervelli catch regularly wouldn’t let Montero catch. He cannot possibly be worse than Cervelli behind the plate

The whole team got to the best record in the AL. That implies an excellent team. Problem is, in the postseason you are playing other excellent teams. You put Miguel Cabrerra in against Velverde in that situation given the year Jose is having and I bet Miggy strikes out as well.

Yes it’s disappointing, but getting to the postseason 16 of 17 years is unheard of, and now with three rounds of playoffs, with a risk of losing in each series, there is going to be more failure than success.

LOL