MINNEAPOLIS — Alex Rodriguez is comfortable in his skin, which has allowed us to remember that skin is wrapped around the most talented player on the planet.
He stopped trying to be The Man, became one of the guys and now stands out more than ever. Covered in champagne and joy, Rodriguez said last night that he took “self-inventory” of his tawdry, tired situation while convalescing from right hip surgery in spring, and look what that has meant this fall: His head is at peace and his swing is locked in.
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No official MVP is given for the ALDS. But no award ceremony was needed. As a be-goggled, soaked Mark Teixeira said of A-Rod in the winning clubhouse, “He carried us. What he did in this series was amazing.”
The heavy lifting is still ahead for the biggest player and the largest team. But this sure was an impressive first step as Rodriguez and the Yankees swept the Twins out of the Metrodome forever.
“Obviously, it feels good to win, and to contribute,” Rodriguez said.
Joba Chamberlain contributed. Melky Cabrera contributed. Rodriguez starred. He drove in at least one run in all three games.
Carl Pavano was working on an impressive — and unlikely — three-hit shutout with one out in the seventh of Game 3. The Twins led 1-0. The Metrodome, the stadium that did not want to die, was alive, a noisy player in this Game 3. And then A-Rod did something loud to bring at least temporary silence.
Rodriguez took a swing so easy it looked more like a practice pass than something that could damage a 92-mph fastball. But A-Rod has such calm at the plate these days, his head steady, his body fluid, that he can simply let the most powerful set of hands in the sport work. And work they did. His flyball had Titleist carry, going, going, into the seats beyond the baggy in right-center.
That is yet another sign Rodriguez is so locked in; his ninth-inning, two-run homer off Joe Nathan that tied Game 2 also went to right-center.
Jorge Posada homered two batters later, the Yankees added two runs in the ninth, and Mariano Rivera closed out yet another Andy Pettitte victory. The Yankees closed the birth place of the homer hankie with a 4-1 victory that like this whole series was a tribute to pitching, defense and A-Rod.
“Without Alex, we are probably still playing [this series],” manager Joe Girardi said.
Instead, the Yankees will now play their nemesis, the Angels, the ALCS opening Friday in The Bronx. This provides another forum this postseason for the Yanks and A-Rod to extinguish demons.
The Yankees were knocked out of the Division Series by the Angels in 2002 and 2005. They have not won a season series against the Angels since 2003, and are 7-18 in their last 25 games at the Big A, though they won two of three there last month.
The last time the Yankees had won a postseason series was the 2004 ALDS against the Twins. Rodriguez was awesome in those four games. In fact, A-Rod is now hitting .433 (13-for-30) with two homers and nine RBIs in seven postseason games vs. the Twins. In his other 20 playoff games as a Yankee, he is 7-for-44 (.159) with one homer and one RBI. That horror-show phase includes five games against the Angels in the 2005 ALDS when Rodriguez went 2-for-15 (.133) without an RBI.
But that was when Rodriguez still was trying to separate himself from the club, to stand alone, to accept a weight he could not handle. Yesterday, in one subtle, telling move, he sidled over to protect Rivera as a fan ran on the field in the ninth inning. A few minutes later he was in the clubhouse, teammates not begrudgingly including him in the good flow, but genuinely happy to have him.
“I have been in a good place all year, and obviously I still am,” Rodriguez said.
He was one of the guys, and standing out more than ever.