ARLINGTON, Texas — Alex Rodriguez declared the Yankees’ season a failure, admitted not winning a championship this season will hurt for a long time, and said he fully expects to have a big season next year.
“The goal is to win a championship every year, and obviously it hurts very much not to get the ultimate goal accomplished,” Rodriguez said after the Yankees lost Game 6 of the ALCS to the Rangers, 6-1. “Bottom line is: I didn’t do enough, the team didn’t do enough and we’re accountable.”
Rodriguez suffered through a miserable ALCS, hitting a lowly .190 (4-for-21) with two RBIs, both of which came in Game 1. He was also homerless for the entire nine-game postseason.
“I felt comfortable pretty much all series, especially after Game 4,” Rodriguez said. “You go out there, you hit rockets and nobody really wants to hear about that. They want to hear about results.”
Rodriguez characterized the season as a disappointment.
“The team didn’t accomplish a goal,” he said. “I’m one of the leaders of the team and therefore it’s a failure.”
During the regular season, Rodriguez’s average slipped to .270 and he blasted 30 home runs. He said he expects to rebound in 2011.
“I expect to come back next year and have a very strong performance and, more importantly, hopefully lead the team to another world title,” he said. “I think for the last two years I’ve been a little bit underwater just trying to get to par and get this hip even [after surgery last spring]. I feel like this is the first winter I will have to train and condition and come in tip-top shape and have a great year.”
Rodriguez made the final out of the series, striking out against Neftali Feliz. The former Ranger marveled over the fact that he was the one to end the series, adding, “I’m sure it made it a little bit sweeter for them.”
Still, Rodriguez said, “This is going to hurt. And it’s going to hurt for a while. And it should. We expect to win every year and our front office has put a team on the field that’s expected to win and should win, and we came up short. I’m a big part of that and we’re going to get better.”