Is It Possible?

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Is it possible to feel bad for a man who makes $30 million a year?

Okay, I must admit: I am not the world's biggest fan of Alex Rodriguez. I think he's a fine ballplayer, but I find him a little lacking in the sincerity department. He strikes me as a guy pretending to be someone you'd like when you sort of really know that you really don't like him. I know people who hate the sight of him.

In other words....he's the opposite of Derek Jeter.

And therein lies the problem for A-Rod. He can never live up to the guy who plays ten feet to his left.

Jeter has 5 rings. A-Rod has 1.

Jeter is the captain. A-Rod wants to be the captain.

Jeter plays hurt. A-Rod just can't do it.

I always think of the play against the Red Sux when Jeter raced by A-Rod and dove face-first in the stands while A-Rod stood there with his hands on his head and a "Oh no expression" on his face.

On Wednesday night A-Rod was scheduled to bat second in the 9th inning of a game that the 27-Time World Champion AL East Champion Yankees were playing against Baltimore. The Yankees were losing. A-Rod had struck out a couple of times and looked bad.

Yet it's A-Rod, right? He has 672 big league home runs.

"A-Rod is gonna' do it," Sam said before the inning started. "He's gonna' be the hero."

Yet it was not to be.

Joe Girardi did the impossible. He pinch-hit for the half a billionaire.

You probably know the rest.

Rauuuuuuuuuullllllllllllllll hit a home run and then for good measure he hit the game winner.

And the life lessons were right there for me etched on the face of A-Rod.

He looked happy for Raul and the team. He said all the right things. He was just happy with the win and he is all about the team.

But did you see his face?

For the first time in his life, he faced what we all face way more than him. He was called back. His coach didn't think he was the best option.

That has never happened.

Immediately the negative crap was jumping off the screen on Facebook and Twitter. People were bashing A-Rod for the earlier strikeouts. Happy Yankee fans were screaming that no one needs A-Rod.

But I felt bad for the guy.

I really did.

I hope he has a shot at redemption.

He's not my favorite, but there was that pain in his eyes.

Poor guy.

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