It was the top of the ninth and the Red Sox were one out away from besting the Yankees and advancing to the Divisional Round. And A-Rod decided to give his Cy Young pick for the 2022 season.
What?
“I’m going to make a prediction here for next year: Gerrit Cole will be the American League Cy Young winner,” Rodriguez said moments before Garrett Whitlock retired Gleyber Torres to end the game. “The sophomore season here in New York is so much easier than the first one. Just look at [Giancarlo] Stanton.”
That statement was the perfect nightcap for Rodriguez, who once again spewed inane non-sequiturs throughout the three-hour affair. In addition to the bizarre timing, Rodriguez got one big fact wrong: Cole is entering his third season in pinstripes, not second. Also, Stanton has been with the Yankees for four seasons already. His sophomore campaign came in 2019, when he played in just 18 games due to injury.
We told fans how to avoid A-Rod prior to Tuesday’s game, but alas, many still tuned in, and their heads were left spinning. It was a quintessential performance from the all-time great player and downright confused broadcaster. The only thing worse than his analysis were his attempts to engage in normal conversation with Matt Vasgersian and Buster Olney.
Hearing A-Rod try to talk like a human is so uncomfortable. Announcing is just not for him. Take his long-winded diatribe about how Red Sox pitchers were shutting down New York’s hitters, for example. Can anybody make out what he’s trying to say?
“How do you beat a bully offense? You hit them right between the eyes,” Rodriguez said in the top of the 7th. “That’s exactly what the Red Sox are doing. They’e coming at them. They’re not running from them. If you run from the Yankees, they will get you. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Rodriguez was one of the most polarizing and reviled players in baseball history, but he was also one of the best. The man blasted 696 home runs and won three MVPs. Yet, he gives viewers nothing but word salad.
Remember: to beat the Rays, it’s important to “pack your lunch.” Amazing that Tropicana Field doesn’t even serve food.
“What makes them great is they know how to do it the Tampa Rays way,” A-Rod said. “The Yankees can’t try to be the Rays, the Red Sox can’t try to be the Rays. The Yankees have to be the big bad Yankees that they are, and the Red Sox as well. I see a lot of big market teams try to make mistakes to be the Rays. You’re not going to be the Rays. You’re not that smart, you’re not that good. Stick to your super power, which is tremendous resources, and bring in the players you bring in.”
Somebody should tell A-Rod that Chaim Bloom, who’s now the Red Sox’ chief baseball officer, used to be in charge of the Rays. Or at least, can somebody tell him to stop openly rooting for the Yankees? When the Red Sox were up 4-1 in the bottom of the 7th, Rodriguez kept blabbering about how New York was primed for a comeback.
“A three-fun lead in this stadium here is like a 1-run lead in 29 other parks,” he offered. “Still six outs here for the weakest part of this Red Sox team, which is that bullpen.”
Red Sox relievers retired six of the final seven batters they faced.
We’ve been saying it all season long: A-Rod fails to ever provide any sort of insight or entertainment. He sends viewers racing for the mute button.
Come to think of it, maybe ESPN should install one on his microphone. Silence is more appetizing than nonsense.
