Hey Lupica, stop whining!

Which is the most increasingly tiring theme?:

• ARod's whining?
• Mike Lupica whining about ARod's whining?
• Felz whining about Mike Lupica's whining about ARod's whining?

I don't personally even think ARod's comments qualify as whining. His observations seem quite clear-headed and self-aware. I haven't found any who can attack what he's saying, they just attack who's saying it.

"ARod needs to shut up." In America, ARod doesn't need to do anything. The only thing ARod needs to do is keep hitting those dingers.

Mike Lupica wants to control Alex Rodriguez. Mike Lupica doesn't just want to write negative articles about Alex Rodriguez, he wants Alex Rodriguez to fear the criticism. He wants Alex Rodriguez to think about it every time he steps into the batter's box. Mike Lupica actually believes that he can increase the pressure on Alex Rodriguez and thereby affect Alex Rodriguez's performance on the baseball field. Mike Lupica thinks his oh-so-witty wordplay in a "Shootin' From the Lip" column is a Sworld of Damocles hanging over the head of every NY-area professional athlete.

It's a nice theory, but there seems to be a hole: Alex Rodriguez hit .321 with 48 homeruns last year.

ARod won the MVP, even though Mike Lupica thought David Ortiz deserved it. ARod hit more homeruns in a single season than any American League third basemen ever (I think). ARod hit more homeruns in a single season than any Yankee right-handed batter ever.

I'm forced to wonder: If this is how ARod performs when he's stultified by the NY negativity and pressure, then how many homeruns would he have hit if he was more relaxed and self-actualized? Sixty? Eighty? One hundred?

Whatever. Nobody really cares what ARod talks about off the field or how happy he is. ARod said he does his talking with his bat, and he sure does.

Of course, the next article you read will criticize ARod, asking him to be more forthright with the press.

Now for some more Fun with Archives.

In his current article, Lupica said ARod is the most productive Yankee since Ruth and Gehrig. Lupica also said that ARod might hit 800 homeruns in his career.

I'm reminded of Lupica's article from August 29, 2005 (easily accessible through a convenient blogger search).

It's an embarrassing article in retrospect, considering how badly the Mets collapsed in the stretch run of 2005.

But I'm intrigued by this particular prediction: "In this time in New York, it will be something different. Maybe Terry Cashman can find some music for this debate: About which left side of the infield you would rather have, Wright and Reyes or Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. For now, the answer still has to be A-Rod and Jeter. For now. But not for much longer."

So, Alex Rodriguez might hit 800 homeruns and Alex Rodriguez is the best Yankee since Ruth and Gehrig.

At the same time, David Wright's ability is about to pass Alex Rodriguez's. Any day now.

Just how good does Mike Lupica think David Wright is? Is David Wright better than Babe Ruth? Is David Wright going to hit 900 homeruns?