A-Rod the runaway favorite for AL MVP

A-Rod the runaway favorite for AL MVP

Heavy-hitting third baseman leads field of worthy candidates

By Tom Singer / MLB.com

In awards country, there are hotly contested campaigns. Then, there is the American League MVP race, where Alex Rodriguez is running virtually unopposed.

Made even more impressive by perspective, the New York third baseman has tendered one of the most devastating and dominating offensive seasons in recent memory. With the background of a 2006 season, in which he took both an emotional and physical beating, Rodriguez's focused rebirth is an admirable example of the power of a competitive spirit.

Never really letting up from his mythical start -- 14 homers in his first 18 games -- Rodriguez is lapping the league. At the moment, he has 33 percent more homers than the runner-up -- Carlos Pena -- and 79 percent more than the next on the list -- reigning MVP Justin Morneau.

Overall, it has been a top-heavy season for flag bearers in the AL. While no one has done it on quite as grand a scale, Rodriguez does have company on the pedestal from two other players who have been as conspicuous on their contending teams.

Magglio Ordonez, who is trying to compensate for not being the home run king by securing Detroit's first batting title in 46 years, is striving to carry the Tigers across the finish line on his back.

Once again, Vladimir Guerrero has had the big stick in the Angels' banjo-bat rack. He reminds you of the movies' "My Bodyguard," an intimidator who always shows up to quell peril and restore order.

There are other worthy candidates, some of whose merits are perhaps distorted by the prism of provincialism. There is little doubt that there is value everywhere. But when it comes to Most Valuable in 2007, there is no doubt.

THE FAVORITES

Alex Rodriguez, Yankees: A-Rod set an early tone with a walk-off grand slam in the season's fourth game, and has never looked back. Always a number-cruncher, he has buried a reputation for doing most of his damage when it counts the least by batting .325 with 16 homers and 83 RBIs with men in scoring position, and .344 in the seventh inning or later. Along the way, A-Rod has set a multitude of significant home run records, from being the youngest to reach 500 to a new high for third basemen. But this award isn't about personal highs but about team value, and no one has meant more than Rodriguez -- who is 29 homers and 46 RBIs ahead of his closest teammates.

Magglio Ordonez, Tigers: Ordonez has emphatically reclaimed his status as one of the truly under-appreciated monsters of the game, after two seasons of battling a knee injury and a third making gradual strides back. With 132 RBIs, Ordonez is within range of becoming the first Detroit player to drive in 140 runs since Hank Greenberg in 1940. He has produced 15 percent of his team's runs (RBIs plus runs minus homers) -- the same, it's worth noting, as has Rodriguez.

Vladimir Guerrero, Angels: Guerrero has an overwhelming presence in a lineup of otherwise little-ball people, but some will argue he has been less "valuable" to this edition compared to recent Angels teams -- Garret Anderson's revival and Chone Figgins' four-month fire have also helped fuel the West Division runaway. Still, Guerrero remains the most-feared man in that lineup, which affects how opponents approach everyone else. And his ability to carry a team for long stretches remains gospel. He is a few homers shy of his ninth 30-100 season.

THE CONTENDERS

Mike Lowell, Red Sox: Lowell has been Boston's steadiest hand all season, though somewhat lost in the considerable third-base shadow of A-Rod and the Nation shadows of Manny Ramirez and "Big Papi" David Ortiz. However, by leading the team in hitting and in RBIs most of the season, this "throw-in" in the Josh Beckett deal has established himself as one of the biggest steals in recent history.

Victor Martinez, Indians: With a chance for the hard-charging Indians to wind up with the league's best record, it seems reasonable for one of them to merit MVP consideration, and no one is more worthy than this versatile and dangerous player. The 28-year-old catcher is two homers shy of leading Cleveland in the Triple Crown categories, while seeing considerable action at first base in addition to behind the plate.

THE FIELD

Pena, Devil Rays; Curtis Granderson, Tigers; C.C. Sabathia, Indians.

A-Rod's 52nd helps Wang win 18th

A-Rod's 52nd helps Wang win 18th

Home run in fifth straight game contributes to sweep of Royals

By Conor Nicholl / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- Often overshadowed by his own teammates and several other high-profile starting pitchers, Chien-Ming Wang sometimes hasn't received due credit for his results. But Yankees manager Joe Torre said he considers Wang "one of the big guys," someone who is a true ace.

"But there is always somebody else that is going to get more attention than him," Torre said.

That may still be true after Sunday's performance, but Wang's results are necessitating as much publicity and discussion regarding the Cy Young Award as several of the American League's elite pitchers, including Johan Santana, Josh Beckett and C.C. Sabathia. Wang tossed seven innings of three-run ball on Sunday and earned the win in the Yankees' 6-3 victory over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.

"I think he is [one of the best]," catcher Jorge Posada said. "I think he has proven a lot. He gets better and better every time he goes out there. He is showing it and not saying anything about it.

"He is very low-key and very quiet about it, and I think that is why people are not giving him the credit that he deserves. I think he deserves all the credit in the world."

The win lengthened New York's lead to four games ahead of the Detroit and five ahead of Seattle in the AL Wild Card race. The Yankees have won five straight games, their longest streak since Aug. 3-7.

On Sunday, Wang's batterymate and his third baseman provided the help. Posada broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run double in the fifth inning.

Alex Rodriguez continued his assault on the record books with his 52nd homer of the season, his fourth of the series and his seventh in the Yankees' past five games.

Rodriguez has homered in five consecutive games, tying a career high. The long ball also gave him a Major League-leading 140 RBIs this season, marking just the fifth time a Yankees player has driven in 140 runs since 1939.

"What Alex has done in the short period of time is pretty amazing," Torre said.

The offense supplied plenty of support for Wang, who earned his 18th win this season and kept a tie for the Major League lead with Boston's Beckett, who also won his 18th on Sunday.

Wang also ranks second in the AL in winning percentage (.750) and lowered his ERA to 3.69, just outside of the top 10. New York is 8-1 in Wang's last nine starts.

"He is our horse," Posada said. "He is our No. 1. You try to get him some runs. ... He has been very, very key for us."

Wang, who missed time at the beginning of the season with a strained right hamstring, has the chance to become the first 20-game winner in the Major Leagues in the last two seasons. In 2006, Wang led the Majors with 19 wins and finished second in the voting for the AL Cy Young Award.

"He certainly hasn't done anything wrong," Torre said of Wang's Cy Young chances. "And any time you pitch with the urgency to win -- Beckett is doing the same thing, obviously -- it is pretty impressive. This kid -- how quickly he has turned into someone you count on, on a regular basis -- I think is very impressive."

Before the game, Posada approached Wang and told him to shorten his stride slightly. Kauffman Stadium's mound is flatter than most, and Posada wanted to make certain that Wang still kept his sinker down.

Wang was efficient, tossing just 25 pitches through three innings. He had some trouble in the fourth, when he permitted a three-run double to Alex Gordon on a sinker that was supposed to be away but was left in the middle of the plate.

But Wang quickly settled down and tossed scoreless innings in the fifth, sixth and seventh. He tied a season high with four walks but coaxed 11 ground-ball outs.

"I just forgot about it and slowed down," Wang said of Gordon's game-tying double.

Afterward, Torre said that Wang was a "little Jekyll and Hyde," but it's a testament to Wang that he didn't have his best stuff and was still able to produce a quality start.

"He can get away with stuff," Posada said. "He can get away with not having a sinker. He can get away with not having a changeup or a split-finger. He has been that effective."

Wang went at least six innings for the 18th time in his last 19 starts and the 25th time in 27 starts this season. While the injury short-circuited any chance the right-hander would have of leading the AL in innings pitched, few starters have consistently worked deeper into games. Wang has averaged more than 6 2/3 innings per outing, one of the top marks in the AL.

"He has been able to throw his slider for a strike and been able to expand the zone with his fastball," Posada said.

Wang received the necessary run support when Rodriguez hit his 52nd homer of the season -- and fourth this series -- off Zack Greinke in the first inning, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. A-Rod is the Majors' leader in runs scored (132), RBIs and homers.

"It's a magical season," Rodriguez said. "I am enjoying it. The reason I am getting pitched to is those guys behind me."

Four innings later, one of those guys behind him -- Posada -- broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run double off John Bale down the right-field line.

"We got some guys on base, and you want to try and stay in the middle of the field," Posada said. "You have a left-hander in there, and I got a great pitch to hit."

And that was all Wang needed for another quiet win.

A-Rod smacks two homers in Yanks' win

A-Rod smacks two homers in Yanks' win

Taters highlight Bombers' eight-run seventh inning

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez insisted that he could play, even as his sprained and bruised right ankle had him limping through the Yankee Stadium clubhouse corridors.

And as manager Joe Torre searched into the All-Star's intense stare, looking for hints of uncertainty floating about the trainer's room, he listened. Good thing.

Rodriguez jumped out of an MRI tube and onto a pair of pitches in the Yankees' eight-run seventh inning on Wednesday, as his Major League-leading 47th and 48th blasts of the season comfortably helped the Yankees to a 10-2 victory over the Mariners.

"There's not much time left," Rodriguez said. "I guarantee you that if it was April or May, I probably would have taken a day, no question. Every game is so important."

Habitually one of the earliest reportees to the stadium for games, Rodriguez arrived on Wednesday ready to go through rigorous regimen paces, despite having injured his right ankle in a headfirst slide on Tuesday.

The Yankees, as cautious as would be expected with the probable American League MVP, had different plans. Instead of running sprints in the outfield and taking dozens of cuts in the underground batting cages, Rodriguez found himself grumbling his way to a Manhattan hospital, where tests revealed injuries that left him at an estimated 60 percent.

"You've got to be smart about it," Rodriguez said. "Going to the hospital at 5:15 [p.m.] is something that you're not very excited about. You want to play, you know your body, and you certainly don't want to get into an MRI machine."

While Rodriguez was in transit, Torre ripped up his original lineup card, on which he had optimistically filled in Rodriguez as New York's third baseman and cleanup hitter.

Another version briefly filtered through Torre's mind, showcasing Jorge Posada as the designated hitter and Wilson Betemit at third base, but Rodriguez wouldn't have it -- going through an abbreviated pregame workout at the stadium, he charged past reporters and into the trainers' room, where Torre asked him to prove that a third revision was necessary.

"I know you want to play, but are you going to be able to apply yourself and not be tentative?" Torre recalled asking Rodriguez.

"He wanted to look me in the eyes and make sure I wasn't lying to him," Rodriguez said.

The truth came through in the seventh, as Rodriguez -- the DH, batting fourth -- erased a one-run deficit by turning on a full-count Jarrod Washburn fastball, instantly spoiling six innings of work in which the Seattle left-hander had limited the Yankees to little but Jose Molina's solo homer.

After an error, the Mariners turned Washburn's game over to their September-swelled bullpen, and from there the Yankees took control, sending 12 men to the plate in the inning. After Rodriguez's homer, George Sherrill offered two walks before pinch-hitter Posada looked at a 3-1 Sean Green pitch to force home the go-ahead run. Johnny Damon bounced into a RBI fielder's choice, and Melky Cabrera singled through the right side with Damon in motion. Derek Jeter's two-run double off the wall in right-center preceded Rodriguez's second homer of the inning, a blast to left field that earned him a curtain call from the crowd of 52,538.

"I can't relate to it. It's unbelievable," said Jeter, who stood at home plate applauding Rodriguez's memorable feat. "I haven't seen anything like it in all my years playing. It's not that easy."

The home runs gave Rodriguez 512 for his career, moving him past Mel Ott and tying Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews for 17th place on the all-time list.

Even though Rodriguez said this is no time to ponder his place in history, Torre didn't hesitate to marvel once more.

"His whole career is something special -- the numbers he's put up at his age, and how he takes care of himself," Torre said. "Sometimes how important this game is to him gets in the way, because he needs to do so much. This year he's been a gamer."

The big inning left 21-year-old Joba Chamberlain in line to earn his first Major League victory, having pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of starter Phil Hughes. Chamberlain said that he didn't realize how the official scoring worked until Mariano Rivera congratulated him after the game; crediting Rodriguez with helping him get win No. 1 would be no problem.

"The man's incredible," Chamberlain said. "He's one of the best in the game, and he still works every day to become better. That's a tribute to him and his workout. He understands that it takes hard work. You can't get at the top and stay there. You have to work even harder."

Raul Ibanez reached Hughes for a two-run homer in the fourth, but otherwise the right-hander appeared in command, tying a career high with six strikeouts, and scattering five hits and walking two in a 97-pitch effort.

"Especially coming off three not very good starts, it's definitely one that I can work off of," Hughes said. "And it also feels good to know that I didn't just go out there and [not] know what I did differently. I know where I need to be right now, and that's a good feeling."

The outburst helped the Yankees bookend their nine-game homestand with high notes. A sweep of the Red Sox was followed by the doldrums of dropping two of three to the Devil Rays, a luxury the Yankees can ill afford. But picking up two wins against the AL Wild Card-contending Mariners provides a springboard to an important trip to Kansas City, Toronto and Boston.

"We have a lot of work to do here," Rodriguez said. "We've talked about how, from July on, every game for us is a postseason game. We just need to take small bites."

Minor injury scares for A-Rod, Wang

Minor injury scares for A-Rod, Wang

Slugger may sit out Wednesday; righty's stiffness 'not an issue'

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- The Yankees would prefer not to imagine what their roster would look like if they simultaneously lost the services of both their winningest pitcher and most prolific slugger.

And yet, in the span of one inning, they nearly found out.

Alex Rodriguez twisted his right ankle sliding headfirst into third base in the Yankees' seven-run seventh inning on Tuesday, en route to a 12-3 victory over the Mariners. A half-inning later, Chien-Ming Wang took the mound for the eighth inning but was pulled with lower-back stiffness.

Now for the exhale. Though he complained that his ankle -- rolled over by Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre -- was "a little sore," Rodriguez underwent X-rays that came back negative, taken on the premises of Yankee Stadium following the game.

Rodriguez left open the possibility that he may need to rest on Wednesday, as the Yankees wrap up their Wild Card-tinged series with the Mariners.

"A little scary," said Rodriguez, who hit his Major League-leading 46th homer in the victory. "But we'll see how it feels in the morning."

"I knew it was going to take me a long time to get to third base, and I didn't want bad news when I got there," manager Joe Torre said. "Then, when I saw him get up on his knees, it made me feel better. But that was scary, the way he went down. There's so many things that can happen."

The Yankees explained Wang's stiffness by pointing to the lengthy seventh inning, in which New York sent 12 men to the plate against three Seattle pitchers.

With a low pitch count and the Yankees having staked Wang to a large lead, the right-hander opened the eighth inning, throwing two pitches to pinch-hitter Jeremy Reed. Both offerings set off red flags in the mind of catcher Jorge Posada, who trotted to the mound and checked on Wang after Reed chopped to second base.

"He asked me if I was OK," Wang said. "I said, 'I'm OK.' I could not get loose."

That, Posada said, was enough to wave to the Yankees' bench for a coaching visit. Enough was enough.

"I was not going to let him pitch," Posada said. "It just didn't look good -- the two pitches he threw, something about it didn't look right. I just wanted to make sure he was OK. He told me he felt tight, and I told the dugout to come out.

"You don't want him to get hurt. He's too valuable. I just wanted to make sure he was OK."

Wang said he received only normal ice treatment on the back and that he was feeling better after the game. Since he will not pitch on seven days' rest with a long layoff upcoming due to two off-days in the schedule, the Yankees had little concern the issue would follow him.

Pitching coach Ron Guidry and Torre both blamed the stiffness on the lengthy preceding inning, since Wang opened the eighth at just 84 pitches.

"Sitting down for 45 minutes, that's it," Guidry said. "Most of the time, it's five minutes, 10 minutes. When you sit down for 40 or 45 minutes, your back gets tight, especially late in the game."

"You could see when he threw the first couple of pitches, he didn't bend his back," Torre said. "It was just stiffness. It's not an issue. I think it was just a long inning."

Asked if Wang perhaps should have admitted that his back was stiff before opening the eighth inning, the catcher shuffled the question off to the 27-year-old right-hander. With 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the books on the way to win No. 17, Wang could do little wrong.

"You don't want him to get hurt," Posada said. "He's too valuable. I just wanted to make sure he was OK."

Kennedy, A-Rod lift Yanks by Rays

Kennedy, A-Rod lift Yanks by Rays

Slugger homers, drives in four to help righty win in debut

By Anthony DiComo / MLB.com

NEW YORK -- Somewhere between the curious, the unusual and the downright bizarre, Ian Kennedy found his niche.

The newest Yankee -- though at 22 years and counting, not quite the youngest -- was the only Yankee who seemed immune to the three-ring circus masquerading as a baseball field on Saturday afternoon. He ignored the errors. He brushed off the delays. And while the Yankees and Devil Rays were both unraveling around him, Kennedy remained calm.

He was unfazed, yet amazed, and that was a combination deserving of one Major League win -- a 9-6 decision over the Rays -- and perhaps a chance at many more.

"It felt like it was an out-of-body experience," Kennedy said. "My adrenaline was pumping so much."

And for good reason. Kennedy retired the first four Major League hitters he faced in rapid succession, before two singles -- one of which was made possible only after Alex Rodriguez dropped a lazy foul pop fly -- and a double scored two runs. He stood at 63 pitches through three innings, seemingly destined to greet the Major Leagues as an anonymous rookie with an unremarkable debut.

Yet seven more pitches in the fourth produced three outs, and another 11 got him through the fifth. By the time B.J. Upton homered with one out in the sixth, Kennedy had tugged the game back under his control, and he steamrolled the final five Devil Rays he faced on a total of eight pitches.

Seven innings had come and gone by that point, and Kennedy had allowed just one earned run. He struck out six, walked two and earned not only the win, but countless high-fives and a giant bear hug from pitching coach Ron Guidry.

"I think we're all surrogate parents," said manager Joe Torre. "You want him to do well and you're just hoping that everything goes well."

It did for Kennedy, but not quite as well for everyone else. Aside from the errors -- the Yankees made two, the Devil Rays three -- Kennedy's debut was marred by a confusing episode early in the game, first Akinori Iwamura's bat, and then A-Rod's, was confiscated by umpires.

For several minutes of a game that easily surpassed three hours, chaos reigned. Most of the players had little idea what was happening, while Kennedy stood bewildered on the mound in the midst of a rally that was threatening to become his undoing.

Then, as oddly as it began, the commotion ceased. And one pitch later, Kennedy struck out Iwamura to end the threat.

Turns out Torre's decision to talk with umpires on the field may have had a healthy effect.

"I had no idea what was going on," Kennedy said of Torre's argument on the field. "I'm glad he did. I was throwing way too many pitches that inning."

The Yankees' offense teed off early on a carousel of Rays pitchers, with A-Rod's four RBIs making a quick memory of his early error. With 10 hits in all, the Yankees scored enough so that when Jose Vizcaino later allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning -- forcing Torre to use Mariano Rivera for the final four outs -- that damage couldn't spoil the rookie's afternoon.

And for Kennedy, Saturday marked more than a win. Saturday was an audition, and Torre was quick to note that his young rookie passed. After snatching up Mike Mussina's slot in the rotation, Kennedy will almost certainly pitch a second time, and from there, the possibilities only increase.

But with Kennedy in that spot, seemingly nothing had changed. The rookie's audition was a success because he played the part of Mussina perfectly -- right down to his trademark hunched back while pitching out of the stretch.

Mussina may yet regain his form, but for now, this new version of the old pitcher will work just fine.

"It comes back to his poise," Torre said. "He just seemed very prepared to pitch this game."

Now, Kennedy has earned the opportunity to be even better. He can take tips from Roger Clemens, he can schmooze with Andy Pettitte. He can even take some pointers from Joba Chamberlain, a Minor League buddy who's been there, done that.

"I try not to be in awe of those guys," Kennedy said. "I knew that as soon as I started looking up to those guys, I didn't want to be shell-shocked at all. I just wanted to act like I belong."

If it was indeed an act, then he fooled just about everyone. On Saturday, he did belong here, and he may just belong here for a long time. One glance at his freckled face and crooked smile summons visions of a boy who isn't meant to succeed in a game won by men. And then another look at his almost eerie composure proves that first glances don't amount to much.

So in one sense, it was all an act. An awfully tough act to follow.

"I got the chills [once the win was secured]," Kennedy said with the win finally secure. "Everybody came up and shook my hands, all the coaches. It came out great, and that's all I was hoping for."

Notes: A-Rod's body 'alive' again

Notes: A-Rod's body 'alive' again

Third baseman's health restored weeks after Toronto plunking

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The milestones are coming fast and furious for Alex Rodriguez these days. Though his 40th home run on Tuesday didn't lead the Yankees to victory, it did place him in some select company.

Rodriguez's sixth-inning home run off Angels reliever Chris Bootcheck made the power-hitting infielder just the fifth player in Major League history to hit 40 home runs in eight seasons.

The other players to do so? Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds and Harmon Killebrew (each eight times) and Babe Ruth (11 times).

"I'm proud," Rodriguez said. "It's pretty awesome, pretty humbling. I'm very humbled by the whole experience."

The line-drive home run into the left-field bullpen at Angel Stadium was Rodriguez's first since Aug. 11 and came with good timing -- homer No. 40 allowed Rodriguez to still call the Major League lead his own on a night when Milwaukee's Prince Fielder clubbed No. 39.

The drought, Rodriguez said, could date back to a painful hit-by-pitch that took place on Aug. 7, when he was hit in the right calf by Toronto's Josh Towers.

Acknowledging that he perhaps should have taken a day or two off after the incident -- for which Roger Clemens retaliated and earned a five-game suspension -- Rodriguez said that his discomfort is finally dissipating.

"My body felt alive last night for the first time in about a week," Rodriguez said. "I've been nursing this calf a little bit and nurturing it. I haven't felt like I've had my legs under me for about a week."

Yankees manager Joe Torre said that he had planned to give Rodriguez a day off on Wednesday for the series finale against the Angels, which would effectively give A-Rod two off-days with the Yankees' dark calendar date Thursday.

But Rodriguez isn't going without a fight. He went 3-for-5 with three RBIs in the Yankees' extra-inning loss on Monday and -- even though Rodriguez's numbers against Wednesday's starter, John Lackey, are not stellar (8-for-41, .195) -- Torre seemed open to the idea that Rodriguez could force his way into the lineup with another good game on Tuesday.

"He's trying to talk me out of it," Torre said. "We'll see. He's auditioning."

Nothing doing: Rodriguez said there has been no progress made with the lucky fan who caught his 500th home run ball.

Walter Kowalczyk, 29, grabbed A-Rod's home run on Aug. 4 vs. Kansas City; the Yankees have made it known that they are willing to deal with the Rutgers University student to retrieve the milestone baseball.

"Toughest negotiations of my career," Rodriguez said.

Crash course: Wilson Betemit may be a relative novice first baseman, but he handled an eighth-inning play like a pro on Monday, stabbing a Maicer Izturis shot and gunning down Gary Matthews Jr. at the plate.

"That's infielding," Torre said. "The thing I like more than anything about yesterday was that he caught the ball and it looked like he was in no rush to throw it. The rhythm of the game, he seems comfortable with."

The 25-year-old Betemit may have found at least a partial home. The Yankees haven't been shy about trying him at a multitude of positions since his July 31 acquisition from the Dodgers, including first base, a position he never played before the trade but was drilling at again early Tuesday.

"I feel more comfortable," Betemit said. "I never thought I'd play much first base, with those guys like Jason Giambi and [Shelley] Duncan. They can play first. But you can't control the situation. It's the manager's decision who's going to play first, and I'm feeling comfortable now."

Bombers bits: Jorge Posada was given Tuesday off, with Jose Molina catching Mike Mussina. The two worked well together on Aug. 11 at Cleveland. ... Chris Lidle, the son of the late Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle, visited the Yankees' clubhouse before Wednesday's game. ... The Yankees have right-handed prospect Joba Chamberlain available for one inning on Tuesday. If Chamberlain is not used, he would be eligible to pitch two innings on Wednesday under the organization's so-called "Chamberlain Rules."

Coming up: The Yankees and Angels play the third and final game of their series on Wednesday at Angel Stadium, with New York sending left-hander Andy Pettitte (10-7, 3.80 ERA) to the mound. The Angels counter with Lackey (15-7, 3.32 ERA), with first pitch scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET on the YES Network.

A-Rod seeks fourth Aaron Award

A-Rod seeks fourth Aaron Award

Fans can acknowledge slugger's season with online vote

By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com


NEW YORK -- As Alex Rodriguez peels away the calendar months, he has spoken often about pursuing the big prize at the end of 2007, securing the World Series title that has eluded his Yankees tenure.

But Rodriguez's torrid offensive season figures to set him up for prime candidacy in a number of postseason awards and honors, including the Hank Aaron Award, of which A-Rod is already a three-time recipient.

Fans will be able to again vote for Rodriguez -- the Major League leader in home runs, RBIs, runs scored and slugging percentage -- for the Aaron Award, symbolizing the best offensive player in each league, as the season draws to a close.

"I have a tremendous passion to play winning baseball and play baseball the right way," Rodriguez said recently. "To put on this uniform and to do it, you just take it one step at a time. The good Lord will lead my path, and hopefully that's somewhere special."

Since 1999, Major League Baseball has recognized the best offensive performer from each league with the Aaron Award, presented by Sharp. Past recipients include Barry Bonds (three times), Rodriguez (three times), Manny Ramirez (twice), David Ortiz, Andruw Jones, Albert Pujols, Todd Helton, Sammy Sosa and Carlos Delgado.

Last year's winners, selected during balloting in the regular season's final month on MLB.com, were the Yankees' Derek Jeter and Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard.

From the beginning, Rodriguez's season has been special to watch. Coming off a 2006 campaign that he called one of the most difficult experiences of his career, Rodriguez arrived at Spring Training a little leaner and with a rejuvenated outlook, blocking outside distractions and focusing on his own output.

"He just seems to be calm and relaxed," said Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui. "During the games, he's very focused. It just seems like he's more comfortable overall. I'm not surprised. Knowing him and knowing what kind of talent he has, he is certainly capable of doing the things that he's doing."

Those aspects of Rodriguez's game wound up carrying the Yankees through a troubled portion of their first-half schedule, littering the club's home schedule with an outpouring of affectionate curtain calls and highlight-reel moments.

"It takes a while in New York," Rodriguez said. "I've said that all along in Spring Training. For some people, it takes six months, a day, a year. I think it's truly taken me three, four years to kind of understand New York a little bit."

Rodriguez's campaign experienced perhaps its memorable milestone to date on Aug. 4 against the Kansas City Royals, when he reached right-hander Kyle Davies for his 500th career home run.

In a season when Barry Bonds has overtaken Aaron for the all-time home run lead, many point to Rodriguez's age (32) and rapid ascension as a prime reason why he, one day, may surpass both Aaron and Bonds.

"You knock on wood that he stays healthy -- that's the key," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "That's the luck part of this game. The thing, when you're with him on an everyday basis, you understand that this stuff isn't just happening.

"He works hard. People don't see it. Right up until game time, he's getting ready to play the game. This is the most important thing in his life, family aside. This is his life."