I never thought I'd see the day, but with one swing of his bat, New York Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez made me forget why I stopped watching baseball.
I lost interest in the game about three years ago because of the rampant steroid use. The lies players got caught up in became too much for me to stomach.
That all seemed to fade away on Friday night.
The Yankees were down 3-1 with nobody out in the ninth inning. First baseman Mark Teixeira led off the frame with a single to right field, keeping hope alive for the Yankees.
And then it happened.
Rodriguez stepped up to the plate and blasted a fastball to deep centerfield, clearing the wall and tying the game. His shot set up an extra-inning walk-off homer that put the Yankees up 2-0 on the Minnesota Twins in the American League Divisional Series.
The feat was even more impressive considering the post-season history that haunts Rodriguez. He has always been one of the elite players in the game, but a World Series Championship has eluded him.
The Yankees have struggled ever since they signed Rodriguez back in 2004, and many people have placed the blame solely on his shoulders. While it is hard to feel sorry for the richest man in the history of the sport, I've always wanted Alex to succeed as a Yankee.
The magic of baseball was present in the brand new Yankee Stadium that night and that is exactly what I have missed.
I miss the sound of Frank Sinatra at the end of every win and the voice of public address announcer Bob Sheppard calling ‘Derek Jeter' just before he steps into the batter's box.
The drama that comes with each pitch as the game moves closer and closer to the end can leave you with the utmost joy or the worst heartbreak.
Arguably the most dramatic team in baseball, the Yankees can win a game with a home run at any point in time – and that is exciting.
It remains difficult for me to overlook the fact that most of the players I am watching have cheated and have lied about it. There is nothing worse in competition than someone gaining an unfair advantage.
Things become even stickier because Rodriguez is the poster boy for steroids. He admitted to using banned substances before the start of the season and it really bothers me to cheer for a guy that cheated.
With that said, at least he told the truth, for the most part. A guy like former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire is the real embarrassment, as he has lied time and time again even when everyone knows he took steroids.
The truth is that baseball can't make it through another scandal. No matter what people may believe about 'America's Pastime,' another black eye could remove the sport from the American landscape for a very long time.
But I don't want to think about that now. I am once again captivated with the game and look forward to every pitch with great anticipation.
So I'll cheer for A-Rod and the Yanks and would like to say thank you because, for the time being, I have chosen to forget my disgust and simply lose myself in the game I love and the magic of October.
Hopefully the players don't screw it up this time.
E-mail: matt.parrino@ubspectrum.com
