Scout on A-Rod: “He just looks like he doesn’t give a sh-t”

Scout on A-Rod: “He just looks like he doesn’t give a sh-t”

Andy Martino of the Daily News spoke to a scoutabout the resurgent Alex Rodriguez. Why is hitting so well?

“He has the easiest swing I’ve ever seen from him,” the advance scout said. “He just looks like he doesn’t give a sh-t. And that’s a good thing.”

Alex Rodrigueez

Martino’s take is that A-Rod is relaxed and the year off helped him get his body and his mind straight and he’s now appreciating what time he has left in the game a lot more than he did before. I think all of that is probably true.

I also think that no amount of contentment fully makes up for being nearly 40-years-old, so it’s quite possible he’ll have some trouble as the summer heats up and his numbers will go down a bit. Not that that takes anything away from what he’s doing now.

And as of now: the putatively washed up, broken down A-Rod is hitting .277/.372/.561, which translates to a 158 OPS+. The best OPS+ mark since his MVP 2007 season. He’s also on pace for 37 homers and 91 driven in.

hardballtalk.nbcsports.com

A-Rod ties Bonds for 2nd on RBI list

A-Rod ties Bonds for 2nd on RBI list

Yanks slugger: It's 'special' to catch friend at 1,996

Alex Rodriguez

OAKLAND -- Alex Rodriguez drove in the 1,996th run of his career on Thursday, tying Barry Bonds for second place on baseball's all-time RBI list, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Rodriguez lifted a fifth-inning sacrifice fly to center field off Athletics starter Kendall Graveman, driving home Brett Gardner with the Yankees' third run of the evening in a 5-4 loss.

Henry Aaron is first on baseball's all-time RBI list with 2,297, according to Elias, the official statistician of Major League Baseball. Rodriguez said that, just as it was meaningful to be mentioned alongside Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in his recent RBI chase, tying Bonds marked a memorable moment.

Alex Rodriguez passes Gehrig on all-time RBI list, Yankees sweep Royals

Alex Rodriguez passes Gehrig on all-time RBI list, Yankees sweep Royals

Alex Rodriguez passes Lou Gehrig for sole possession of fourth place
 on the all-time RBI list.(Photo: Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports)

NEW YORK -- The only thing Yankees manager Joe Girardi focused on in regards to pitcher Michael Pineda being successful before Wednesday’s game against Kansas City Royals was that the right-hander’s slider had to be on.

“When I look at the last two starts, (Pineda) really hasn’t had a very good (slider), and that’s a key pitch for him,” he said. “I think it’s important to get that back.”

In the top of the first inning, Royals first baseman Mike Moustakas crushed a poorly-thrown slider into the second deck of right field that tailed foul. The next pitch, Moustakas sent another weak slider into the bleachers for a solo home run.