Well, it’s just past the middle of January, but already this fan’s mind is turning toward opening day at the ballpark. I was following my wife around in Macy’s and J.C. Penny, and surfing the Internet on my cell phone, when I found this article about A. Rod. Apparently he feels like he has something to prove against Curt Schilling after the Yankees blew their 3-0 series lead against the Red Sox.

Yes, Alex, you do have something to prove. You have to prove that you can do better than 2 for 17 in plate appearances in those critical close-them-out-the-series games. You know, the sort of games where the A’s have consistently choked in recent years. Like it or not, Schilling went out bleeding and kicked your collective asses.

Schilling won 21 games in 2004, the best in the AL. He ranked 3rd in strikeouts, 3rd in innings pitched, 2nd in ERA and had the 4th best batting average against rating of any pitcher in the AL. And most importantly, he summoned up what he needed to do, went out their with a foot held together with bailing wire, and helped the Sox kick your sorry butts four times in a row.

Oh, and Alex, that play in game six where you slapped the ball out of the glove and were called out for interference? It was a bush-league play.

I love to watch the Yankees lose. To anyone. I’ve never seen a team which seems to sap the personality and love of the game out of their players more than the Yankees. It seems like it’s just a business to them, and Alex Rodriguez is the perfect mascot for such an organization.

Oh, and Randy Johnson? Why Randy, why? Yes, you’ll win a lot of games with some run support, but… It disappoints me even more than Giambi’s departure.

Damn, I can’t wait for it all to begin again. 🙂