A-Rod has pretty amazing company

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Posted By: Ryan Christoff

Al,

I have to agree that it is absurd for anyone to blame A-Rod for the hole the Yankees find themselves in. Don't get me wrong, he does suck. But this postseason he might not even be in top 10 of those most responsible for the Yankees losing. In fact, even the most ardent A-Rod hater among Yankee fans (certainly I'm a member of that club) cannot deny the fact that the Yankees would not have even sniffed the playoffs this year were it not for Alex Rodriguez. There is no question he was the MVP of the regular season. He was even clutch this year in ways that he has not been in the past. His home runs this year were not all solo shots when the Yankees were winning 8-0 in the 9th inning.

But that doesn't change the fact that he is, indeed, a huge loser that now has a 3-year running postseason batting average in double-digits (.085) with zero RBIs. We're talking about 3 hits in 35 at-bats.

So I will have to respectfully disagree with your statement that Alex Rodriguez has had the greatest year in the history of Yankee thirdbasemen. As of right now, I would put him 27th on the list, behind the following (in chronological order):

1. Joe Dugan - 1923
2. Joe Dugan - 1927
3. Joe Dugan - 1928
4. Joe Sewell - 1932
5. Red Rolfe - 1936
6. Red Rolfe - 1937
7. Red Rolfe - 1938
8. Red Rolfe - 1939
9. Red Rolfe - 1941
10. Billy Johnson - 1943
11. Billy Johnson - 1947
12. Bobby Brown - 1949
13. Billy Johnson - 1950
14. Bobby Brown - 1951
15. Gil McDougald - 1952
16. Gil McDougald - 1953
17. Andy Carey - 1956
18. Andy Carey - 1958
19. Clete Boyer - 1961
20. Clete Boyer - 1962
21. Graig Nettles - 1977
22. Graig Nettles - 1978
23. Wade Boggs - 1996
24. Scott Brosius - 1998
25. Scott Brosius - 1999
26. Scott Brosius - 2000

The good news is that this year is not yet over and A-Rod still has a chance to have the greatest year ever for a Yankee thirdbaseman! But for now, he's #27 on the list.

-Ryan