When Alex Rodriguez provided baseball analysis in studio for ESPN, he garnered praise for his insight as a former star of the game.
His performance as a color commentator has garnered him, shall we say, less praise.
All ears were on him again on Tuesday during the Red Sox’s 6-2 win against the Yankees in the American League wild-card game on the main ESPN broadcast. Most who heard him weren’t praising his work.
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A-Rod’s comments saw many claim to flip their TV sets to the Statcast Broadcast on ESPN2 rather than watch it on the main network. So, just what was he saying? Well, he of course took some shots at the new wave of baseball analytics, particularly exit velocity:
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Even as the Yankees’ lineup was being dismantled, he made sure everyone knew his former team was not to be trifled with. According to Fangraphs, the Yankees’ regular-season 101 wRC+ had them ranked seventh in the American League, a single tick above league average.
He also had thoughts on what makes a baseball player, well, a baseball player.
“3 runs in this ballpark is like 1 run in other ball parks”-Alex Rodriguez
— Ian Zimmermann (@Zimmermannian) October 6, 2021
Arod…”Boonie you still have a rested pen”. Wow. Embarrassing. Get him off the air
— Lou Merloni (@LouMerloni) October 6, 2021
“I love the Anthony Rizzo pickup because he’s a baseball player.” – A-Rod
— Joe (@JoeRiveraSN) October 6, 2021
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He also prepared those Red Sox viewers who are ready for their ALDS matchup against the Rays.
On ESPN wild-card broadcast, @AROD just gave the #Rays some praise: “You better pack your lunch for Tampa Bay, because they are ready and they are good.”
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) October 6, 2021
Also lots of praise from @arod for #Rays rookie Wander Franco – “Wow” – and a suggestion that big-market teams, including #Yankees and #RedSox, should stick to spending money and not try to be the like the #Rays because “you’re not that smart, you’re not that good.”
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) October 6, 2021
Alex Rodriguez just told the Yankees and Red Sox not to bother being smart just “just keep to your superpowers, which is tremendous resources.”
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) October 6, 2021
He also told Yankees fans not to worry, as Gerrit Cole’s second season in the Bronx will be much better than his first. (Spoiler alert, his second season in New York just ended).
ARod predicted that Gerrit Cole is going to win the AL Cy Young next year because the sophomore season in New York is easier.
One issue with that: THIS IS his sophomore season.
— Adam Pellerin (@adampellerin) October 6, 2021