Here is what amazes me the most about today's 8-6 victory over Cleveland: not that Alex Rodriguez came through in the clutch for a game-winning home run, but that I actually expected it to happen.
ARod has been so hot, and carried this team so well in 2007, that the feeling of cold dread that normally overcomes me when he comes to bat in a big spot was completely absent. Instead of wondering how bad the boos would be this time, I actually felt confident.
Nobody can say that these aren't big games, either. Even though it's only April, more than half the lineup has struggled, and the pitching staff has been beset by injuries. If not for ARod, this early stretch could have been disastrous. Instead of keeping their heads above water (and above .500), the Yankees might have dug themselves a hole too deep.
