A season that began with an embarrassing press conference for Alex Rodriguez ended with a triumphant trip up Broadway.
Rodriguez captured his first championship, and in the process answered all the questions about his postseason capabilities, batting .365 and driving in 18 runs in 13 games. The only thing his critics could rip him for yesterday was the black fedora he wore.
“For me, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the year ‘09, which we all know didn’t start very well for me,” Rodriguez said.
Spring training began with a Sports Illustrated report that Rodriguez used steroids in 2003. He followed that with a public admission. Hip surgery delayed the start of his regular season, but when he returned to the field, fans saw a different Rodriguez. He appeared relaxed and limited his time with the press, concentrating on baseball.
“The goal was to come in and simplify things this year, and I’ve done that,” Rodriguez said. “I think that’s a format that worked this year and will work in the future. Obviously, winning is the only goal. I’ve never experienced such an amazing feeling.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi listed several players he was especially happy for, and his third baseman was at the top of that list.
“I think of guys like Alex because all that was written about his struggles at times and how great he was for us in these playoffs,” Girardi said.
Rodriguez clicked with Girardi this season. He called the manager the MVP of the team yesterday.
The 34-year-old slugger said it will probably take a little while for it to sink in that he actually won a championship. He said the loss in 2004 to the Red Sox made this feeling sweeter. The memory of losing the ALCS after being up 3-0 was something that was always in the back of his mind.
“People were saying: ‘Are you comfortable against Minnesota or Anaheim?’ And when you have [2004] in your memory bank — we have five or six guys on this team from that year — you definitely don’t get too comfortable until the last 27th out,” he said. “I did not believe we won until we collected the last out.”