First to Third: A-Void or A-Blessing?

Since Alex Rodriguez was put on the shelf with a hip injury, experts, critics, bloggers, and the uninformed have been debating the impact of his absence on the Yankees' early part of the 2009 season. Some have even suggested that Yankees are better off without Rodriguez, which is complete nonsense. Those who suggest that Rodriguez's signing with the Texas Rangers put the Mariners in great shape, helping the M's go from around 90 to 116 wins. What those pundits fail to reveal is that the Mariners' pitching improved by 153 runs from the 90 win season to the 116 win season. I can't imagine A-Rod's departure was the cause of improved pitching.

Of course the Yankees are not better of without one of the best players in the history of the game. Let us not forget that when the Yanks were twirling on the edge of an implosion in April 2007, it was Rodriguez that hit .355 and 14 home runs to lift the team to mediocrity. The Yanks can't just cast aside a three-time MVP in his prime and say they have a better team.

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