What home run drought?

August 7, 2009 by Joe Pawlikowski 25 Comments

One one person in the media picks up on a story, it seems like everyone runs with it. I felt not a twinge of surprise, then, when the Yankees beat writers all noted at some point or another that A-Rod is in home run drought of sorts. Specifically, he’s gone 66 at bats without a homer, quite a long drought for him. Yet, how much does it really matter?

Players slump and streak throughout a season. Mark Teixeira went through a homer drought earlier this year, and that created a media story. Yet it was just another slump. He hit poorly in that span to some degree, though he did have a .368 OBP in that span. Similarly, A-Rod is hitting .281/.352/.344 since his last game with a home run, so it’s not all bad. It’s just a little loss of power.

Since Teixeira hit that homer that broke the drought, he’s hit .310/.367/.630. A-Rod could be poised for just that kind of run once he hits another one out of the park. Things will only get better from there. Which is crazy, because the Yanks are 12-5 since A-Rod last hit a home run in the finale of the Tigers series. Even crazier, they’ve averaged over six runs per game in that span. Without A-Rod hitting balls out of the park, and generally not hitting for much power.

If the Yanks offense can thrive while Alex Rodriguez is in a mini-slump (and he still has a .885 OPS over the past week), imagine how they’ll far when he’s streaking again.

Tom Zig

Damn it! he only has a 135 OPS+! Get rid of dis bum
http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime

Yankee offense is insane
- http://www.twitter.com/wahbjo01 Jordan
  
  Orgy-like, if you will.
  - J Squared
    
    An Offensive Orgy… I’m in.
http://www.twitter.com/wahbjo01 Jordan

So true, Joe.

How great would it feel to see ARod tee off on either Beckett or Papelbon (putting us in the lead of course)?

And it’s really nice to think that this team has even more offensive potential.
- Rocky Road Redemption (formerly RAB poster)
  
  Our offense is freaking crazy.
jsbrendog

go check a website that might be able to tell you
Rocky Road Redemption (formerly RAB poster)

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiago?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vPywpcyUQg (safe)
- Rocky Road Redemption (formerly RAB poster)
  
  Did they remove that post asking about Rios?
  
  Darn. Now the above comment makes no sense.
Pete c.

Gettin a little giddy here. Let’s get through this series first before everyone starts talking orgies and shit.
J Squared

Yes, the offense is spectacular. We can not discount how important Teixeira has been and how great the defense has been behind that great offense.
- Rocky Road Redemption (formerly RAB poster)
  
  Except in the corners (cough Damon cough).
  - http://www.puristbleedspinstripes.com Rebecca-Optimist Prime
    
    +42.
    
    But when it’s Hairston-Gardner-Melky in 7-8-9, which is when we score all our runs anyway…
    
    *orgy*
    - J Squared
      
      Yes, but the defense is definitely an upgrade over last year, and i like damon’s recent effort, sacrificing his body for an out, had a spectacular catch in Chicago.
Steve D.Fl

Pete @ 6:05………..good point.
- Rocky Road Redemption (formerly RAB poster)
  
  You know there’s a reply button?
  
  Just saying.
  - http://mantisfists.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/julius-carry-aka-shonuff.jpg The Honorable Congressman Mondesi
    
    It’s your LoHud brethren. Takes some of them a while to get up to speed.
Salty Buggah

Heh, the title of recent GAKIII article (don’t know how I came across his articles because I hate reading him but I did) was, “A-ROD HR DROUGHT RAISING EYEBROWS.”

This was written after the Chi-Sox series I think. Some interesting statements:

“Since the Yankees have lost three of four and open a crucial four-game series against the Red Sox on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium, it’s imperative the cleanup hitter hit.

Does he have to send balls into the seats at the homer-friendly Stadium? No, but people don’t watch Rodriguez to see him hit doubles or flare singles to left and right.

And you can bet on this: If the Yankees lose three of four or get swept by the Red Sox, against whom they are 0-8 this year, and Rodriguez doesn’t homer, the blame is going between the 1 and 3 on his back.”

NYP writers never cease to amaze me.
Sweet Dick Willie

imagine how they’ll far when he’s streaking again.

Tonight would be a good time to start.
- Tank the Frank
  
  I dunno…if he couldn’t take Smoltz deep then I don’t give him a good chance vs Beckett.
  
  This is just the streaky A-Rod we’re going to have to get used to since his surgery. Hopefully he can come back fully healthy next season and have an MVP type season. I really think he’ll catch fire next season…if not sometime this season. I think Teixeira takes a huge amount of pressure off of him. A-Rod just hasn’t been healthy enough to take full advantage.
  - kunaldo
    
    dude, pretty much all hitters are streaky…even arod in non-injury years…heck, he was on fire a little while ago
    
    and he just missed against smoltz…
    - Tank the Frank
      
      That doesn’t at all refute anything that I stated. Thanks for commenting though.
    - Tank the Frank
      
      That doesn’t at all refute anything that I stated. Thanks for commenting though.
      - http://mantisfists.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/julius-carry-aka-shonuff.jpg The Honorable Congressman Mondesi
        
        “This is just the streaky A-Rod we’re going to have to get used to since his surgery.”
        
        …
        
        “That doesn’t at all refute anything that I stated. Thanks for commenting though.”
        
        Short fuse, huh Tank. How about this… Just because a guy is in the midst of one streak does not make that player “streaky.” It just means he’s in the midst of one streak.
- Tank the Frank
  
  And holy shit that’s an awesome username bro!