Maybe, but I think his lows were so low that it was a bit more than just ebb and flow. I mean, yes, players go through streaks, but in this specific case, we’re talking about a guy who had OPS or 1.2 or so in many series, and and OPS as low as .230 in another. In his first season, 2004, he was spectacular in the Minnesota ALDS. His overall stats for the Boston series are good, but like most of the Yankees in that series, his performance in those final 4 games of the ALCS was bad. 2005 was bad, and 2006 was easily his worst series. He was a bit better in the 2007 ALDS, but still well below his standard.

So basically from game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, until the 2009 ALDS, he was, both by his standards and even replacement player standards, he was awful in the playoffs.

That’s why fans soured on him, why he got branded a choker, etc.

It was a tough streak to be on. Fans were entitled to be really upset about it. I personally don’t think it was due to any character flaw or “A-Fraud” or anything on that order. I’m sure he was just putting too much pressure on himself or overthinking. Maybe he got some bad BABIP luck accounting for some of it, who knows.

But whatever the case, he’s successfully ‘rehabbed’ himself from this lowest of lows, which is an incredible accomplishment in and of itself.

I am guilty of having been quick to boo Alex in the past, skeptical of his clutchness in light of his big contract and not-so-stellar playoff track record prior to this year.

After what he provided the team this past year and the playoffs though, based on all he went through personally and physically this season, I can only applaud and extend him the respect he rightly deserves. Well done, A Rod…

In other words, it mirrors the ebb and flow a normal season.

I checked a bunch of ARod stats over the weekend. For his career, his playoff stats mirror his regular season stats. Overall, he’s as good in playoffs as in the regular season. However, what he basically has had are many spectacular postseasons, and 4 lousy ones. His 05-07 postseasons, as well as 04 to a degree, were really pretty bad, while all the ones before and since have been very, very good.

Look, hitters are going to 2 for 15 and hitters are going to go 7 for 15. It doesn’t mean they were “choking” when they went 2 for 15. It doesn’t they “found themself” when they went 7 for 15. It just means that in a small sample size, they were cold. And in another small sample size, they were hot.

How we really judge a player is by adding up all the small sample sizes, not cherry picking the ones that help us make our argument.

Doesn’t mean we aren’t aware that playoffs are short series, small sample sizes, etc. Even if a playoff failure is simply variance and not a “character flaw” as some media accounts of ARod have suggested, fans still have the right to be upset about how he played in the latter part of the ’04 playoffs, as well as in ’05-’07. If you wanted to call him a playoff choker, that’s fine with me, to describe those series. Results are what count.

However, overall, ARod has been unfairly treated by the media, and unfairly villified. He was unfaithful to his wife? Well, I’m not going to applaud that, but lots of people have marital problems, and for the media to get on him about that reminds me of something about people living in glass houses. When he gets busted for having 10 kilos of cocaine or trafficking sex slaves, then I want to know. Otherwise, just shut up about his married life. Steroids? Again…I’m not happy about the PED issue in baseball, but how many guys were using? What was baseball management doing about it? Wasn’t there at least some confusion as to how “illegal” it was? Haven’t athletes ALWAYS done whatever they felt they could to obtain an edge? Willie Mays took uppers, right? Again, the press drooled all over McGwire and Sosa in 1998, and then as soon as the PED shit hits the fan, they turn on these guys like a pack of wolves. Making ARod a villian over his admission of PED use is ridiculous.

The guy performs on the field better than 99.9999% of baseball players in history. He works incredibly hard. He has never stopped trying, and he had a fantastic postseason this year. He should be celebrated and called a hero. He’s not a choker anymore. (In fact, it’s interesting that Jeter “choked” more than once in this postseason, at least by standards previously applied to ARod, and it hardly gets mentioned other than in blogs like this one.) It’s time to turn the page and recognize ARod as a true Yankee, a great Yankee, and right now, the best Yankee.

Think about it. You are a 17 year old kid whose mom is a waitress. There are eight scouts in the stands at your high school baseball game. You play well, you will become a millionaire and your mom will never have to wait another table again. You don’t think that’s pressure?

You don’t think there is pressure to try and play well in the minors so you can make it to “The Show”?

My point is, we already know how a major league player will handle pressure by the time he has made it to the playoffs. Especially veteran players. It’s not a new factor.

Consequently, over a large enough sample size, a player’s playoff numbers will come incredibly close to that player’s career averages. The only new factors are that they will be going up against better competition and it will be slightly colder.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Look up the playoff numbers for guys who have had a ton of post-season at bats. The consistency is astounding.

It’s fun to try and find deeper meaning from small sample sizes. But its also wrong.