THE CURSE OF A-ROD

It wasn't long ago that The Curse of the Bambino was common discussion during the baseball season, and especially in October. The Red Sox hadn't won the World Series since they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. Before trading Ruth, the Sox had won five World Series, the last of which was in 1918. The Yankees hadn't even been to a World Series. Ruth came to the Yanks in 1920, had his team in the fall classic by 1921, and the first World Series banner was raised in 1923 in the House that Ruth Built. Twenty-Six World Series victories later, and 39 World Series appearances, and the Sox still hadn't won it all since 1918.

The 2003 ALCS was arguably one of the greatest post-season series in the history of the game. It was loaded with drama- intensity, fights, tight ballgames, and a Game 7. The Yankees trailed the Sox late, but came back to tie it. In the Bottom of the Eleventh, 3B Aaron Boone came in as a pinch-hitter and smacked an unbelievable walk-off home run to win it for the Yankees. Sorry Joe Carter, but this is my favorite walk-off home run of all-time. The light-hitting Aaron Boone was an instant legend. Could he be the next Scott Brosius?

The Yankees went on to lose the 2003 World Series to the Florida Marlins, but hopes were high for the 2004 and their beloved third-baseman. For the Red Sox and their fans, it was more of the same. They were used to this. For the last 85 years, it had been the same. The hated Yankees winning, disappointment, losing the World Series even when victory seemed almost certain... The mantra was always “next year,” but “next year” never came.

Then something happened. Aaron Boone got hurt. The Yankees panicked. How do you replace a legend at third base, even if his only claim to fame was that one clutch home run? Well, the Yankees had money. Lots of it. So, naturally, they decided to go out and get the best and highest-paid player in the game and have him play third base. Enter Alex Rodriguez.

The Yankees traded perennial 40/40 threat and rising star Alfonso Soriano to the Texas Rangers in exchange for the overpaid A-Rod. They purchased the best player in baseball, exiling the next Yankee Great to Texas. This is the origin of the Curse of A-Rod. A-Rod had a decent, though unspectacular, 2004 season. Everything was going as planned, and the Yanks found themselves up 3-0 in the ALCS against the Red Sox once again. The inevitable ending was another win for the Yankees and more disappointment for the Sox. It had been that way for 86 years now. Little did anyone know that the Curse of the Bambino had finally been broken by the Curse of A-Rod. And this new curse manifested itself in the greatest playoff collapse in baseball history. The stunned Yankees lost the series four games to three. Game 7 wasn't even close. I called my pastor and asked him if hell had frozen over. Well, I would have, but my pastor was a Red Sox fan. I didn't want to talk to any Red Sox fans for the rest of October. I knew what was coming next. The curse would broken. Of course the Red Sox would win the World Series now. And they did. Two years later they did again. The Yankees haven't been to the World Series since 2003, and they haven't won it since 2000.

It's not because of A-Rod's poor postseason numbers that this has happened to the Yankees. It's because of the Curse of A-Rod. And they had a chance to atone for their sins when A-Rod opted out of his contract then came crawling back, asking to remain a Yankee. But the Yankees just paid him more money instead. Then, in 2008, they missed the postseason for the first time since 1993 (there was no postseason in 1994). A-Rod's questionable morality in his personal life continued, and there was clearly some sort of rift between him and Derek Jeter, though Jeter knows better than to ever admit that. Then the news ultimately came out the A-Rod had used steroids. And now he has a hip injury too. And this is going into a 2009 season in which the Yankees sent an ungodly amount of money on free agents C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixiera.

How will the curse of A-Rod be broken? Will it ever be broken as long as he remains on the team? I, for one, will not accept A-Rod as a Yankee until the Yankees win the World Series with him as an active part of the team. Even if he hits .120 in the Series, all would then be forgiven. But unless that happens, A-Rod will never be a Yankee. Even if he hits 900 home runs.