Something to Think About

I wish I could say that I did the research for this, but a loving family member brought it to my attention. Derek Jeter has received a lot of attention/acclaim during the postseason since 1996 and rightfully so. On the other hand, A-Rod has been mainly ineffective in October, until this season.

Despite the hate A-Rod has grown accustomed to, all the "A-Fraud" Daily News back pages, the boos and the rumors, given his amounts of at bats versus Jeter's the numbers present an interesting fact.

Jeter makes amazing plays and gets timely hits. Jeter gets all the love.

But....

So for Jeter:

PA - 599
Runs - 92
Hits - 163
2B - 24
3B - 3
HR - 20
RBI - 54
BA - .310
OPS - .860

ARod (pro-rated to Jeter's PA in parenthesis)

PA - 202
Runs - 30 (90)
Hits - 52 (156)
2B - 10 (30)
3B - 0 (0)
HR - 12 (36)
RBI - 28 (84)
BA - .299
OPS .951

"That last number's what stood out, .951 to .860. (OPS= on base percentage + slugging) Jeter's been more consistent, almost always very good, while ARod has had major peaks and vallys but overall, he's hit better, substantially better. Jeter has done better in the division series, ARod in the league championships."

I tend to hate on Rodriguez too. Not because I don't respect his ability or position as a Yankee. I just think he cares too much about life off the field and for someone who makes $27 milli per season, I'd like to hear more about life between the lines than life with Kate Hudson. Props though.

I think between his admittance to steroid use (yes, even his ego can take a hit), the acquisition of Mark Teixeira and the media focusing on Yankees other than ARod leading up to and during the playoffs, has allowed a calmness to come over Rodriguez.

His confidence at the plate is obvious. The other night, Joe Buck was speaking of exactly that as number 13 dug into the batter's box. Two pitches later Rodriguez was rounding the bases.

I will always love Jeter more. He plays the right way, he has always been clean and he remains the face of the franchise. With that said, ARod is proving his worth and his prowess. He is shutting up the naysayers with every game.

Myself included.