Jeter and ARod are on the same team.

I have trouble believing that Jeter and ARod have any sort of substantial rivalry between themselves, but it is clear that some of the fans and writers feel a need to treat ARod like a Johnny Come Lately who is testing their personal loyalty to Jeter.

Maybe it's a result of Yankee fans defending Jeter vis a vis Rodriguez for so many years, maybe it's a result of ridiculously high expectations for ARod, maybe it's a result of the emotional connection that the fans and writers feel towards players on teams that win Championships. It is fun to win Championships, it makes everybody feel good, and the players that make you feel good deserve a special place in your heart.


A lot of times, the Jeter Worship is blatant. You know the drill: Jeter has already proven he was what it takes, ARod is a shrinking violet who can't handle New York.

But in this case, it's quite subtle:

"the time had arrived for him to help extricate Alex Rodriguez from his latest funk and put some growl back into the Yankees' recently meek batting order."

Wait a minute ... has ARod been in a funk? That's news to me. I've been watching most of the games and that doesn't sound right. I remember the four-hit game in Toronto, the three-run dinger against Cleveland, etc.

Let me check out how ARod has performed the past few weeks. In his past 17 games, the slumping choker who can't handle the pressure is 21-for-67 (.313) with 4 hrs, 2 doubles, 10 rbis, and 12 runs. During this time, he even slumped to a .395 on-base% that would remind Jeter of the old days and a .522 slugging% that Aaron Boone could only dream about.

Oh, and that doesn't include his 2-double, 3-rbi performance last night. That was about the 10th time in the past month that ARod "finally" got a big hit.


In contrast, when Jeter has a nice game, it's Captain Courageous to the rescue. I'll stick with Newsday, but every paper had the same angle -- Jeter basically saving the team from its plummet through the power of his will. If only ARod tried as hard as Jeter.

So when ARod hits a 3-run dinger against Cleveland ,or gets four hits in Toronto, or clears the bases against Tampa Bay ... let me guess ... those aren't really big games.

The Jeter 2-hit, 3-run game? Now that was a big game. It must be a big game because we all know that Jeter performs well in big games. Not including games against the Red Sox this year (.179). Or the World Series against Arizona (.148). Yes, that's completely unfair to bring up two series out of an entire career -- and it's stupid to bring up one 1-for-17 series in Boston.


ARod is basically putting up the same stats he always puts up. A few less walks, a few less rbis, maybe a few too many strikeouts. He is already the best 3b the Yankees have ever had and, if Torre would move the gold glover to the position he belongs, he'd be the best ss the Yankees have ever had. The low RISP BA is part of the story this season, but it shouldn't be the whole story.

But I also know why the whole thing makes no sense to me. In Baseball According to Felz, it's not Old Yankees vs. New Yankees. It's just Yankees vs. Everybody Else.