Mike Lupica's Love-Hate Relationship With Facts.

"Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez need to pick it up now. They were brought here, at ridiculous prices, to make a difference."

I can defend Randy Johnson to some degree (27-15 NYY record), but I have to concede that his Yankee tenure has been a disappointment.

Johnson was brought here specifically to make a difference in the playoffs and, while ARod gets showered with endless criticism for his 2-for-15 in last year's ALDS, the Yankees planned their entire season (and off-season) in order to give Randy Johnson the ball in game three of a tied playoffs series.

He was set up. He was at home. The Yankees scored seven runs.

Johnson couldn't even keep his team in the game. May was well have sent Jeff Weaver out there.

Alex Rodriguez had a bad ALDS in 2005 (hadn't you heard?). But Unit deserves more of the blame.

While Unit has been an average starter being paid superstar prices, ARod has been a superstar performer and has lived up to his contract. Don't insult ARod by comparing him to Randy Johnson.


As for the prices, since Lupica brings it up, I think it's important to note that the Yankees pay ARod $16 million. Yes, it's ridiculous in a world where teachers make $30,000, or whatever, but I think we're all way past that particular discussion.

Paying the AL MVP $16 million is not "ridiculous" in a world where Darren Dreifort makes $13.4 and Chan Ho Park makes $15.

Last year, the Yankees paid Kevin Brown as much as they paid Alex Rodriguez.

In 2005, Steinbrenner paid the AL MVP less money than three other players on his own team.


"Randy Johnson wasn't brought here, at $16 million a year (it averages out to $19 million if you factor in what the Yankees paid off on Javy Vazquez's contract) to talk about how he can't pitch deep into games."

The man has no shame.

Just the nerve to bring up the Vazquez buyout without mentioning the Rangers' contribution to ARod's contract.


"This is about someone widely regarded as the best all-around player in his game going into the second half of the season leading his team in two significant categories:

Games played.

Strikeouts."

I am intrigued by Lupica's sudden headfirst plunge into the world of "baseball statistics," but it's also problematic for a couple of reasons:

1) In 2005, when ARod won the AL MVP and tore up the Yankee record books, Lupica ignored statistics. 48 homeruns, but they weren't theatrical enough. 130 rbis, but they weren't aesthetically pleasing to Mike Lupica.

It doesn't work that way. You can start using stats, but you need to apply them evenly to all players in all situations.

The Scientific Method does not allow cherry picking.

2) I swear, my favorite baseball stat is Total Runs Produced.

Kwik-N-EZ.

Runs + RBIs - HRs.

HRs are deducted because, when a player hits a HR, the player gets credit for a run and also an RBI. He drove in himself. This is somewhat misleading because only one run scored for his team. Therefore, only one run was produced.

I consider it a very significant statistic. One of my favorites.

Alex Rodriguez leads the Yankees in Total Runs Produced.


"Rodriguez is second on the Yankees in runs, second in home runs, second in total bases, third in hits."

I guess that is supposed to be an insult.


"In a season when David Wright, the kid who plays third for the Mets, has embraced not only his leadership role with the Mets (at the age of 23) but also the responsibilities of being a star of the city, we have watched Rodriguez produce subpar (for him) numbers, heard the constant booing from his own fans."

David Wright leads his team in batting average and rbis and that's it. His own team!!!

It's very easy to give David Wright the ARod treatment.

It's certainly sleazy, and it feels kind of unethical, but it's not difficult to do:

"Wright is second on the Mets in hits, third in runs, third in homeruns, second in slugging percentage, second in on-base percentage, second in strikeouts, and first in errors."

Wright is first on his team in Total Runs Produced. In fact, Wright might lead the entire NL in Total Runs Produced.

But Total Runs Produced is not a significant statistic.