A-Rod's Amazing April

They used to call him A-FRAUD. Now it’s more like A-GOD.

Last year he was ridiculed. Now his revival is all the rage.

His stats read like Joaquim Villagomez. Never heard of him? That’s because he’s a created player on your XBOX 360 hard drive.

Now that we’re officially out of April (and can put the Yankees’ miserable 9-14 start behind us), let's look back and appreciate Alex Rodriguez’s stunning transformation from “Most Likely to Hit into a Double Play” to “Most Likely to Live Up to Lofty Expectations”.

His line after 24 games and 97 at-bats (figures include NYY versus TEX on 5/1/07):

Average .371
Home Runs 14
RBI 34
Runs Scored 28
On Base Percentage .432
Slugging .887
Hits 36
Doubles 8
Total Bases 86
BB 10
Strikeouts 23

He wound up tying the MLB record for most HR in April (Phat Albert) and in second place for most RBI in a month (Juan Gone). And the impact he’s made is not just in the record books. Two of his homeruns were earth-shattering walk-offs the Yankees desperately needed, considering their sluggish start and pitching woes.

What could have triggered A-Rod’s assault on the opposition? Was he simply tired of the constant nagging and decided to take his frustrations out on the hardball? Has A-Rod finally stopped thinking at the plate? Did he listen to Gary Sheffield's pre-season prediction that he would once again put up MVP-like numbers and see it as a challenge? Is it the shortenend swing?

Whatever it is (if you have any ideas of your own, please share), there's one thing Yankee fans will agree on: It's about time. It's about time A-Rod lived up to the hype. Stepped to the plate focused and confident. played with the devil may care attitude of a 16 year old who's practiced so much, there's nothing left to think about. Just look, swing, run and appreciate the fact you do it way better than a lot of other folks. All doing it while it counts...

well, until the postseason. We'll see if this new A-Rod sticks around that long.

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They should all wear Number 42.

As many baseball fans out there know by now, April 15th marks the 60th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking "The Show's" color barrier. As a gesture of respect, Ken Griffey Jr. contacted Major League Commissioner Selig and Robinson's widow Rachel and asked if he could wear Jackie's old number 42, which MLB retired in 1997 to mark the occasion. Once word of Griffey's gesture got around, other players (as suggested by the commissioner) decided to don Jackie's number, totaling over 200 ballplayers, and entire teams: Jackie's own Dodgers, plus the Cardinals and Pirates.

Now some players like Tori Hunter and C.C. Sabathia saying that with so many players donning the big Cuarenta Y Dos this expanded celebration will water down the meaning of MLB's Jackie Robinson Day.

That, i say, is the most insane and ego driven thing I've ever heard.

How can as many people as possible wearing the number of a man who changed how America thought about racial equality in baseball and beyond be overkill?

If anything, everyone on a Major League roster should wear Number 42. Hell, the bat boys, umpires and cracker jack flingers in the upper deck should wear it, too.

Number 42 is much more than a number.
Number 42 is the ultimate numerical symbol for America's greatest gift: Opportunity.

That's why it's the only number in professional sports no player is allowed to wear. (except for Mariano Rivera, thanks to the built-in grandfather clause). The baseball gods have (wisely) decreed it impossible for anyone to do anything more important than what has already been done while wearing Number 42.

Number 42 belonged to a man who crashed through a barrier made of fear and hate, turned back and called for everyone to do the same. That bright red 42 Jackie wore was about looking past color and realizing that giving people the chance to realize their potential is all that matters.

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