http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2230322&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
Alex Rodriguez has been booed at home nearly all season for failing to come through at the plate. Now, it's his shoddy defense that's frustrating fans and more importantly hurting the New York Yankees.
What's wrong with A-Rod? One major flaw is his footwork at third base. But the biggest obstacle is probably in his head.
The two-time MVP committed his fifth error in five games Friday night at Toronto and led the American League with 18 going into Saturday. That's an alarming number, especially considering there's still more than two months left in the season.
Not exactly what you'd expect from the most talented all-around player in baseball. In fact, it's been so bad that manager Joe Torre made Rodriguez the designated hitter Saturday against the Blue Jays even with New York trying to snap a three-game skid.
It didn't help his offense any. A-Rod went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, including one with the bases loaded, during New York's 5-4 victory.
"I'm working through it," Rodriguez said recently. "It's not easy, that's for sure."
It's almost strange to hear him say something like that. So many things appear to come so easily to A-Rod on a baseball field.
He can run. He hits with power to all fields. He has quick reflexes and soft hands.
But lately, he can't even make a routine throw to first base.
Or second, for that matter. Or home plate.
Torre has offered a variety of possible explanations, from positioning to the way Rodriguez has been jabbing at the ball with his glove.
"It's just like hitting. You go through little funks," Rodriguez said.
He also appears slow to pick up the ball off the bat sometimes, which can be tricky at third base especially for someone who played shortstop almost all his life.
But A-Rod made a pretty smooth transition to third when he joined the Yankees in 2004. He worked hard that spring to get comfortable and made only 13 errors all season plus some dazzling plays.
He committed 12 errors last year, and his strong defense was a big reason he beat out Boston designated hitter David Ortiz for the AL MVP Award.
Right now, the most obvious fundamental imperfection for Rodriguez lies in his footwork.
He drops down, submarine-style, to make his throws across the diamond something many major league infielders do. It's not how Little League coaches teach you to do it. And it's probably not the way Tom Emanski instructs those AAU kids (you know, the back-to-back-to-back national champions) in that video that's advertised on TV all night.
(Hey, maybe those kids could give A-Rod a few tips).
But it's a style that plenty of big league players have perfected, including Rodriguez.
Usually.
The problem now is that, without proper footwork, his submarine throws are often tailing high and to the right. Like a slice off a right-handed golf swing.
Watch closely and you can see it. A-Rod is opening up his front shoulder too far and planting his left foot wide of the target, instead of directly toward the target.
Overcompensate, and he hooks his throw too far to the left.
Physically at least, it seems that's why so many of his throws are going awry.
"It's definitely mechanics," Rodriguez said. "It really becomes staying on top of the baseball. Pitchers, catchers, everybody does it at some point. You've just got to get your target, get your footwork and stay on top of the baseball."
That's the easy part, though. The hard part for Rodriguez is not letting all the miscues affect him mentally.
It seems they already have.
A-Rod obviously doesn't want to let his teammates down or the New York fans who have been so hard on him since he arrived from Texas, where he won two Gold Gloves at shortstop.
Since he really started to struggle, you can almost see Rodriguez thinking about the throw he needs to make as he fields a grounder. He doesn't look natural.
And once an infielder begins thinking, `I can't throw this ball away,' that's exactly what he'll often do.
Remember Chuck Knoblauch? The Yankees certainly do.
Playing in the Big Apple with a record $252 million contract, Rodriguez is constantly under the microscope. Every failure is magnified, fodder for the back pages of the city tabloids.
And they've been having a field day lately.
A-Rod is now working with Yankees coach Larry Bowa, an All-Star shortstop during his playing days, in an attempt to straighten out his defense.
Always a hard worker, the slugger met with Torre on Friday night and was at the ballpark in Toronto at 11 a.m. Saturday, an hour before the team bus even left the hotel.
Rodriguez, who will turn 31 next Thursday, became the youngest player to reach 450 homers Friday night. And the home run was his 2,000th career hit.
But his fielding has been the hot topic on talk radio in New York. Some have even suggested A-Rod will want out of the city soon.
"That couldn't be further from the truth. That's a ridiculous thought," he said.
The Yankees, who trail first-place Boston in the AL East, have a more pressing concern. Missing three injured All-Stars, they need Rodriguez to rediscover his fielding form quickly so they can stay close in a tight pennant race.
"I don't know what's going on," pitcher Mike Mussina said. "I know he's disappointed in the way he's playing. It's just not him right now. We need him back the way he's supposed to be."
Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
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