...sportswriter dials up the stupid.

In one of the worst articles I've ever read...ever, Scott Miller discusses how worthless Alex Rodriguez really is. Disclaimer: I am totally indifferent to A-Rod. He's a great player, but I neither like nor dislike him.

A few tidbits (for the non-native English crowd, that means bits of tid) from the article:

There is no question that A-Rod is one of the game's greatest -- perhaps the greatest -- and that from April through September, he deserves every single cheer he gets.

But the Yankees don't pay players millions upon millions of dollars to win individual awards. And the evidence so far not only is that the Yankees have failed to win a World Series in either of A-Rod's two seasons in pinstripes, but that A-Rod is one of the primary reasons why.

So, if I'm reading this correctly, A-Rod is possibly the greatest player in the game, but is also one of the primary reasons why the Yankees have failed to win the World Series in the last two years.

Where to start? First of all, I'm pretty sure only 2 of 32 teams have won a World Series in the past 2 years, so the odds of the Yankees winning the World Series in any given two years span is, what? 75%? 85%? I suppose it depends on the East Coast Bias...and, um, there's a formula somewhere. The point is that the Yankees are, on occasion, going to miss the World Series. So, you know, at least a quarter of the time there won't be a single Yankee in the World Series. I mean, not one.

Also, it seems questionable to pin the failures of a team on their greatest player. Call me crazy but maybe Bernie Williams is somewhat to blame. Or, perhaps, any pitcher on the Yankees staff not named Rivera.

With 48 home runs, Rodriguez set a new AL record for homers by a third baseman and snapped Joe DiMaggio's 68-year-old Yankees record for home runs by a right-handed hitter (46). He batted .321 with 130 RBI and, just as impressively, has transformed himself into a Gold Glove third baseman in only his second season at the position (one big argument in favor of A-Rod winning rather than Ortiz, a designated hitter).

Still, many of the overriding touchstone moments of A-Rod's career -- so far -- mostly are ones he surely would like to forget.

In Rodriguez's second ALCS in 2000, Roger Clemens -- then of the Yankees -- delivered a close shave up-and-in that buckled A-Rod's knees early in Game 4, and those knees never stopped quivering. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts that afternoon, the Mariners lost a series-turning game in Safeco Field and never recovered.

Um, not to let facts get in the way or anything, but Clemens proceeded to throw a one hitter in that game and the Yankees won 5-0. Rodriguez was one of three people to even get on base. Sometimes, the greatest right handed pitcher of all time is going to throw a good game. It happens. But let's forget about the staggering numbers A-Rod has put up in his Hall of Fame career - he once went 0-3!!!!

He is a great player who sometimes thinks too much, a superstar who remains uncomfortable in his own Gucci shoes.

Okay, come on now. Was this really necessary? Doesn't every player in baseball make enough money to afford Gucci shoes? Even Derek Jeter, captain of team hussle, could afford at least one pair. This is just a petty, petty man expressing his bitterness that he drives a Dodge Stratus while A-Rod can afford a Bentley. Baseball players make lots of money! News at 7!

I honestly don't understand how articles like this make it into the mainsteam media. And I hate to do this. You know, "intrepid blogger catches professional writer in web of stupidity". I never want to be "that guy". But, really, this was just so bad that I couldn't pass it up.

Besides, I didn't have any original ideas of my own.

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