Are A-Bombs from A-Rod Good for Baseball?
Baseball history has
its share of true legends who have transcended the game into a greatness that
seemed unmatched by other sports. Players like Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron and the
“Great Bambino” Babe Ruth, have blessed the sport of baseball with their powerful
swings, presence, and all around great play. Since this time a lot has changed.
Baseball has become sort of a secondary if not some people’s last choice in
sport to follow. This isn’t because those much appealing “long balls” are gone,
it just has more to do with how they have managed to hit the seats and whom the
sender was. The once glorified home run ball has now become, in some eyes, a
mockery of sorts. Players like Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and star New York Yankee
slugger Alex Rodriguez have participated in providing baseball’s biggest value
of entertainment. It’s how they did it that kills many baseball fans.
If you don’t know the stories of these type of men and you’re a baseball fan perhaps you have been living under a rock or something. The biggest “stars” that have been a part of this game are also considered the biggest crooks. These players who could have been a part of baseball lure have instead chosen a different path. But there remains this question that has remained over the steroid era; are guys like this good for baseball? And more from a Yankee perspective, should the Yankees be employing A-rod. The answer, in my opinion is yes.
Let’s face the sheer
facts here, there are a lot of other sports out there that have that
sex-appeal, or that flavor that every sports fan craves. In basketball you have
the dunks, in soccer the bicycle kick goals, in football the spectacular
receiver catches, and in baseball it’s the home run. Not a lot of casual fans
are going to sit back and enjoy watching a pitcher’s duel. While this may
appeal to the more avid fan it certainly won’t have viewers tuning in to watch.
In order to get some of these casual fans to become bigger fans the long ball
must still be in effect. This is where
players like A-Rod come in.
Back in the beginning
of 2007, I was like some baseball viewers, a casual fan. I grew up in a
household of some Yankee fans, mostly my older brother and grandfather, and I
had taken to the Yankees as well. However, I was yet to be truly acclimated
with the game of baseball and the fandom of the Yankee lovers. I’d watch a game
every now and then, looking for perhaps a reason to watch some more. Bring in
Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez. I began watching the Yankees primarily back in
2007, and I was hooked. My love for the Yankees began at this time and it was
all thanks to my guy Alex Rodriguez.
Many may scoff at the
idea of a known cheater being their hook into baseball, but I say nay to all
the haters and my reason being is simple. Baseball, like many teams in the
sport itself, is a game that lives and dies by the long ball. The phrase
“Chicks dig the long ball” wasn’t just some silly myth but honestly is as close
to fact as being a fact can get. So when I fell in love with baseball and my
favorite team The New York Yankees it was during this monstrous home run
hitting season by A-Rod back in 2007.
A-Rod Stats were as
followed:
Batting
average: .314
|
Home
Runs: 54
|
On
Base Percentage: .422
|
Runs
Batted In: 156
|
Slugging
Percentage: .645
|
Runs
Scored: 143
|
*Also
note A-Rod was the AL MVP in 2007*
A-Rod’s numbers this
year (2015) following the suspension:
Batting
Average: .250
|
Home
Runs: 33
|
On
Base Percentage: .356
|
Runs
Batted In: 86
|
Slugging
Percentage: .486
|
Runs
Scored: 83
|
Now, I don’t want
anyone to mistake this by me suggesting that I find cheating honorable or that
I commend players like A-Rod for using PEDS. The point I’m trying to make is
that the fact of the matter is, in my opinion that baseball was built and is
continually built upon the long ball. A lot of these HR hitters who have been
caught shouldn’t be glorified but also shouldn’t be banned for life either. No
matter how you stretch it, these guys, a lot of them anyway, with or without
PEDS are still the primary HR hitters and that is what drives people to this go
and watch baseball. The appreciation for pitcher’s duels, fielding highlights
and speed on the base paths doesn’t happen without the gateway of the homerun.
So personally, I’d like to thank A-Rod for getting me into the sport I love,
and the team I love the Yankees. For all those who don’t agree, keep this in
mind: It may be time to #FORG1V3.
Article
by: Joe’l Cruz
Follow
me on twitter @Joellovestacos
Follow
the BBB on twitter @BronxBomberBlog
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