Not that they haven’t done this before but they’re really crowding ARod this year with hard stuff above the belt and inside off the plate. I think ARod has to start going the other way. A couple of right-center homers and extra-base knocks would do a lot to dissuade pitchers from this strategy. ARod should play to his strength and not try to muscle everything on the inner part of the plate.

You’re right, Steve, those numbers are awful. But the guy did hit more homers at Yankee Stadium last year than any other righty batter in Yankee history.

I think this is just a fluke. I imagine the numbers will even out over time.

Just for the heck of it:

Third Base Hitting Stats, vs Right-handed Pitcher@Yankee Stadium 2005:

Player TEAM POS G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI
1.A Rodriguez* NYY 3B 80 220 43 77 9 0 20 54
TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
146 28 55 7 0 .444 .664 .350

Third Base Hitting Stats, vs Right-handed Pitcher@Yankee Stadium 2004:

Player TEAM POS G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI
1.A Rodriguez* NYY 3B 81 230 34 64 12 0 10 40
TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
108 27 48 12 1 .359 .470 .278

(Sorry things don’t line up very well)

Not sure on Manny. But, if true, still, that’s just LHP – which would be a small number of ABs and therefore a fluke thing, for sure.

Interesting that this is just a home thing for Alex. NY getting to him?

I don’t know, it seems that something has not been quite right with him and I guess these stats prove it. Probably just a fluke, I think Manny Ramirez went through something similar against left-handers last year.

And, just for the record, coming into the game of 6/11, A-Rod had just 27 ABs against LHP (to date) in the Bronx this season. So, he’s seen just about RHP only at Yankee Stadium – and these 81 ABs represent most of his “home work.”

He has, on the other hand, hit LHP very, very, well at YS this year – but, again, that’s just 27 ABs.