Alex Rodriguez: Yankees Star Deserves Praise for Historic Opening Day HR
April 13, 2012 · Adam Wells · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Alex Rodriguez had a great day in the New York Yankees home opener against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday afternoon. He went 3-for-4 with a home run, which happened to be the 630th time he has gone deep in his career.
That total ties him with Ken Griffey Jr. for fifth on the all-time list, 30 behind Willie Mays. Everyone has their own opinion about Rodriguez, most of them negative for one reason or another, but just looking at things in a vacuum, can we realize that he has been one of the best players of his generation?
The steroids admission from three years ago is going to tarnish his image to the public forever. His personality tends to rub people the wrong way—like he is a smug human being who thinks he is better than everyone.
When did we become so obsessed with how our athletes behave?
Speaking for myself, I could care less if Rodriguez gets on the microphone and tells the world that he has more money than we do, he has dated hotter women than we will ever date and lives the greatest life in the history of mankind.
The only reason I know Rodriguez, or care to pay attention to him, is to see what he does on the baseball field. And no one can deny that what he has done on a baseball field deserves to be commended.
When you think of the company that Rodriguez is with now—Griffey, Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds—that’s not a bad group to be a part of.
It doesn’t matter who the player is, what your own thoughts about him might be, 630 home runs for anyone is an unbelievable accomplishment that deserves to be praised.
Let’s bash A-Rod the other 364 days of the year. Give him one day where we can take time to recognize how great he has been for the last 17 years.
For more talk about why A-Rod needs to be praised (or bashed), follow me on Twitter.
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