Boston writer defends ARod.

Gordon Edes uses facts and thoughtful, fair analysis. Maybe that's why his comments seem so shocking in the world of sportswriting:

"The Texas Rangers, Rodriguez's former team, nicknamed him 'The Cooler,' last season, according to Rosenthal, a subtle shot at how A-Rod cools off whatever team he goes to. But the Yankees, winners of 101 games last season, hardly went into deep freeze with A-Rod in pinstripes, and when the Yankees were ahead of the Sox, three games to none, in the ALCS, A-Rod was a leading candidate to be named MVP of the series.

The interesting thing is that much of the criticism leveled at Rodriguez -- that he is a phony, that he plays too much to the media -- are the very criticisms that have been leveled at Schilling over his career. Both players have experienced the damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't syndrome: Speak your mind, and you're a publicity hound. Shut it down, and you're an arrogant prima donna.

A number of Sox players this spring joined Schilling in taking shots at A-Rod, the most notable being when Trot Nixon called him a 'clown.' Pretty much overlooked in the chorus of barbs was Arroyo's admission that Rodriguez's slap play wasn't so bad after all, and that Arroyo had no doubts some of the Sox players might have tried to do the same if the roles had been reversed."

I'd also like to add that the man who supposedly can't ever get a big hit also practically beat the Twins singlehandedly in the first round of the playoffs last year.

There's no rhyme or reason to baseball. Manny Ramirez had zero rbis in the ALCS last year. He's a clown who can't deliver in big games. Then, the next week, he wins the World Series MVP. This should not surprise you. This is how baseball works.