Video: is this the end for Alex Rodriguez?
Here at CoachUp, we like to ask the hard-hitting questions, so we’re going to tackle the topic of one of sport’s most polarizing figures: New York Yankees’ Designated Hitter, Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez, a controversial figure, may finally, after twenty-two seasons, be facing the end of his dwindling career. With his numbers nosediving and the Yankees slipping behind in the American League East race, the Yankees’ front office may be forced to make a change.
More recently, an article in The New York Times quoted general manager Brian Cashman on Rodriguez’s struggles: “Carlos has been so hot, to keep him going, we want to play him every day. If we take advantage of some time to D.H. him here, play him in the outfield in San Diego while we’re in the National League ballpark, where we lose the D.H., it’s going to come at the expense of Alex. That’s it. None of these things are easy decisions.”
Alex has struggled mightily against right-handed pitching this year, and again, we’re almost hitting July,” he said, adding, “It’s the winds of change, and it’s blowing us certain directions.” Of course, Rodriguez is just 67 home runs away from becoming the MLB’s all-time leader, trailing just Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth, but his terrible numbers for the Yankees have him on the bench more often than not.
The former slugger is hitting just .213 thus far this season with 8 home runs and 27 runs batted in — with the Yankees at 38-39 and 9 games back of the division-leading Baltimore Orioles, it may be time for the Bombers to make a permanent swap. We’d be remiss not to mention that Rodriguez also lived through the controversial steroid era in the MLB, recently spending the entire 2014 season suspended for steroid use, with his use possibly dating back to 2004.
So, the big question is: when it’s all said and done, what will Alex Rodriguez’s long-standing legacy in MLB history be?
Seth Berkman — Alex Rodriguez Takes a Seat Again as the Yankees Cite His Anemic Numbers
