Early look at Alex Rodriguez: Just what Girardi wanted

TAMPA — If anybody tells you they can accurately predict what type of a year Alex Rodriguez is in for after three days of batting practice against coaches and looking at pitches from live arms, they are full of spit.

Because Rodriguez no longer plays the field and doesn’t surface during defensive drills, his hands and feet can’t be judged. He will be 41 in late July. Each hip has been invaded by a surgeon’s knife. Following four solid months, Rodriguez dropped off in the final eight weeks of last season when the Blue Jays roared by the Yankees to win the AL East.

Yet, when the Yankees’ lineup is posted in the clubhouse on Opening Day against the Astros at Yankee Stadium, the fourth-leading home run hitter in baseball history likely will be in the third spot, between Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira.

That automatically tells you the Yankees are counting on production from the full-time designated hitter. Manager Joe Girardi might not start him in 136 games at DH like a year ago, but Rodriguez’s muscle is vital to a lineup that likely will be asked to cover up the sins of a rotation loaded with questions.

To an eye trained and paid to evaluate every twitch coming from all 69 players walking the grounds of George M. Steinbrenner Field, Rodriguez is ahead of where he was last February, when he returned from a one-year suspension for swimming in the Biogenesis sewer.

“I think he is a little further along at this point than he was last year,’’ Girardi said following Saturday’s workout. “He has a better understanding of what it takes to be a DH and what he needs to do.’’

In last year’s camp, Rodriguez was a regular participant at third base and in the defensive drills and took some ground balls at first base. This year Rodriguez isn’t present on the two diamonds the Yankees use for those same drills. When the infielders are done they move to batting practice. That’s when Rodriguez surfaces from the first base dugout on the main field.

He was spotted wearing a fielder’s glove briefly Thursday, the first day of full-squad workouts. But since then the only thing in Rodriguez’s hand has been a bat.

Girardi said he believes Rodriguez, who was 39 last spring, was affected by being asked to do more than hit. As it turned out, that work was in vain because of the 151 games Rodriguez appeared in, 136 were starts as the DH.

“We were trying to run him out to the field and there were things that we were doing last year and I think he got sore a little bit at times like any normal infielder would,’’ Girardi said. “But he doesn’t have to deal with it this year.

What Rodriguez does have to deal with is expectations after being gone for the entire 2014 season and returning to hit .250 with 33 homers, 86 RBIs and an OPS of .842 in 2015 that very few saw coming.

But that’s for April. February still has life and March awaits. Nobody knows what the six-month season will bring from Rodriguez, but the guy who gets paid to analyze believes the DH looks fine physically and ahead of where he was a year ago.

How Yankees' Alex Rodriguez already opened Joe Girardi's eyes

Just fours days into position player workouts and Yankees manager Joe Girardi already likes what he sees from Alex Rodriguez.

And, actually, Girardi said he believes Rodriguez looks better than he did this time last year. 

"He's probably a little bit further along this point than he was last year," Girardi told reporters Saturday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. "But I think he has a better understanding of what it took and what it takes and what he needs to be able to do."

Last season, nobody in the organization would admit to having expectations for A-Rod.

Rodriguez hadn't played in a year, thanks to an unprecedented performance-enhancing drug suspension.

He was also not far from turning 40 years old and he has two surgically repaired hips.

But it all worked out, and then some. As the Yankees' full-time designated hitter for the first time in his career, Rodriguez helped carry the lineup through the first half and through July. But he got exhausted in August and played poorly in September, leading to a rough end. Still, Rodriguez clobbered 33 homers, drove in 86 runs and hit .250 — way better statistics than many projected.

Now, Girardi said, he looks even better. One of the reasons, the manager said, is because Rodriguez knows what he has to do to stay fresh in his new role as DH.

"We were trying and running him out to the field last year," Girardi said, "and there were things that we were doing — I think he got a little bit sore at times. Just like any normal infielder would. But he doesn't have to deal with that this year."

Rodriguez's batting practice sessions have drawn the most attention out of anybody's in camp. Not just for fans, either. Coaches and front office members have lined the team's batting cage to watch the 40-year-old's swing.

"He's ready to go," Girardi said. "He looks healthy. He's strong."

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez Looking to Build on “Cinderella-Type Season”

New York Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez has wasted no time preparing for the 2016 season, having already resumed baseball-related activities in the hopes of building on what he called termed "Cinderella-type season" in 2015.

The 40-year-old Rodriguez, who was suspended for the entire 2014 season, came back and wasn't even a lock to make the team out of Spring Training. However, he managed to secure himself a job with the bat and went on to hit .250 with 33 homeruns and 86 RBI. And while he fell short of Comeback Player of the Year, he proved he still had plenty of gas left in the tank.

Heading into 2016, A-Rod will not only look to raise his batting average, but drive in more runs. Ideally, hitting in either the No. 3 or No. 4 spot, he'd drive in 100+ runs and provide a few more opportunities for those hitting behind him.

Just as it was a year ago, the Yankees will move forward with a key piece they didn't initially expect to have.

Alex Rodriguez hopes to build off 'Cinderella-type season' in 2016

No one was more surprised with Alex Rodriguez's comeback season last year than the man himself.

At 40 years old, A-Rod belted 33 homers, drove in 86 runs and played more than 150 games for the first time since 2007.
"I think that's probably the biggest surprise the whole year for everyone. I certainly didn't think in spring training that I would come close to playing 150 times, and I'm grateful for that," Rodriguez said after the Yankees' loss in the 2015 Wild Card playoff.
"I never thought I would be able to come back and play baseball and have so much fun."
Part of that success can be attributed to his new role as the Yankees' everyday designated hitter, a move that Rodriguez has embraced as he looks forward to his 22nd MLB season.
Alex set the bar quite high for himself, but he voiced his desire to build off his impressive 2015 campaign while speaking at a holiday concert hosted by the Steinbrenner family in Tampa Bay last Tuesday.
''A Cinderella-type season,'' Rodriguez said, referring to last year. ''In so many ways a dream season. I'm just so fortunate to be back, and be welcomed by, obviously, the Steinbrenners, all my teammates, the fans of New York. I'm look forward to building on that."
Rodriguez was a .278 hitter over the first half of last season, finishing the year with a .250 clip. His power numbers remained consistent, as he blasted a team-leading 15 homers after the All-Star break. His slugging percentage of .486 was the highest it's been in five years, and Rodriguez earned a nomination for MLB's Comeback Player of the Year award for the American League.
The Yankees welcomed their latest acquisition, Starlin Castro, to the team on Tuesday, and perhaps Rodriguez will be able to share his knowledge of the game with the young second baseman, just as Alfonso Soriano did when he was a Cub.
"I challenge you one day when you're old like me, when you are successful and you're making an impact, to come back on days like this and pay it forward," Rodriguez said to 1,500 grade school students at Tuesday's holiday concert.
Though A-Rod was referring to educational skills like reading and writing with his quote, the same words could also translate to what he'll be doing in the clubhouse next season with the newest batch of young Yankees.

Yankees' Alex Rodriguez glad dark days are over and done with

From the first day of spring training, Alex Rodriguez said over and over that he simply wanted to make the team, then do his part to help the Yankees get back to the postseason.

Thursday, A-Rod and his teammates were bathing each other in champagne after clinching an American League wild card berth with a win over the Red Sox.

“With all the stuff I went through in 2014, I talk about how dark those days were,” A-Rod said, referring to his one-year drug suspension. “To come back this year and be part of such a special team, such a special group of guys, we truly are a family and we’ve built a great brotherhood in here.”

FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. "LIKE" US HERE

A-Rod was part of the 2009 World Series team, so he knows the challenge that stands ahead of the Yankees. That challenge will include an extra game this season as the Yankees will play a one-game, wild-card playoff Tuesday night, but unlike 20 other teams in the majors, the Yankees have a chance to play beyond this weekend.

“You’re in the dance, anything can happen,” Rodriguez said. “I think any team that gets in is capable of winning a championship.”

WARREN COMMISSIONED

Adam Warren’s season has seen him go from the starting rotation to the bullpen and back to the rotation, but he was back in the bullpen Thursday night in preparation for next week’s playoffs.

That turned out to be a huge boost for the Yankees, who watched Warren pitch three scoreless innings after taking over for CC Sabathia to start the sixth, getting the ball to Dellin Betances in the ninth.

“Every good club that I’ve been on has seemed to have a guy like Adam Warren that is able to do so many different things for you as a pitcher,” Joe Girardi said, comparing Warren to Ramiro Mendoza from Joe Torre’s late-1990s teams. “His value has been as big as any pitcher that we have in that room.

Look at what he did tonight; he was a big reason we won that game because he was able to give us three innings on a night that I didn’t want to use (Andrew) Miller and I wasn’t going to use (Justin) Wilson.”

WIN IS 10 GRAND
Lost in the euphoria of the playoff clincher was the fact that Thursday’s win was the 10,000th in franchise history, making the Yankees the first AL team to accomplish that feat.

“There are a lot of great things that happen in Yankees history,” Girardi said. “You think about 10,000 wins, the championships, the perfect game during the World Series, the perfect games during the season and what’s been accomplished here, but 10,000 wins is the mark of a consistent franchise. It’s meant a lot to the city of New York for a long time and I’m just proud to be a part of it.”

BE A HIRO
Masahiro Tanaka came through Wednesday’s start without any problems, reporting no issues with his bad right hamstring.

Tanaka allowed four runs on five hits and one walk over five innings Wednesday night, struggling with his splitter against the Red Sox. He’s still lined up to start the AL wild card game on Tuesday night.

“I saw him today and he said he felt good,” Girardi said. “He said his leg felt good. I felt he was a little bit rusty yesterday, but he’ll be able to throw a normal bullpen here in a few days.”

Alex Rodriguez, suspended all of 2014, reflects on Yankees' playoff return

NEW YORK — Dark days, he's called them throughout the year, and he did again Thursday night.

But first, Yankees' designated hitter Alex Rodriguez, the slugger who was suspended for all of the 2014 season for his link to performance-enhancing drugs, soaked in and drank up champagne Thursday night inside the Yankees clubhouse in celebration of his team's first playoff clinching since 2012.

A-Rod couldn't stop lauding his teammates after the 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox and expressing his gratitude for the crazy season—his 21st in baseball—he's had.

"You know, I always believed," he said of this team Thursday night. "It's something about wearing this uniform that gives me a certain amount of confidence. I know this year was different. This is probably the first year since I've been here in '04 that we were underdogs. The year we won 100 games, we were just playing to our expectations. But this year, the last month, the team has come together. We've played for each other and not for personal statistics and that's been part of our DNA all year."

Speaking of personal stats, Rodriguez has contributed his fair share. Rodriguez has 33 home runs this season, the most he's had in a year since 2008 when he clocked 35. His 86 RBI are second on the team.

"I think it benefits me to sit in the middle of many great left-handed hitters," Rodriguez said. "A lot of people asked me if we were going to celebrate today and my answer was: Darn right we're going to celebrate."

A-Rod continues to write an improbable script this season. He passed Willie Mays for fourth all-time in baseball history in home runs. He notched 3,000 hits (with a home run, of course). He passed 2,000 RBI. He turned 40 years old July 27 just days after hitting three home runs in a game. 

Has he appreciated it differently than other seasons?

"Oh, man, is that an understatement," Rodriguez said. "With all the stuff I went through in 2014. I talk about how dark those days were. To come back this year and be part of such a special team, such a special group of guys...we truly are a family and we've built a great brotherhood in here."

---

PLUS: WATCH: John Ryan Murphy sums up playoff celebration perfectly

---

The Yankees will play the one-game Wild Card next Tuesday, October 6. If they win just one game in Baltimore this weekend—they play three against the Orioles—they will have home-field advantage in the game. They can also do so if the Houston Astros, currently second in the Wild Card, lose one more game.

A-Rod might get a few at-bats this weekend but he will likely, along with the rest of the starters, be largely rested come Tuesday. He said he's confident his team has a chance to not just win that game but go far in the playoffs.

"You're in the dance, anything can happen," he said. "I think any team that gets in is capable of winning a championship."

Rodriguez spent several minutes complimenting his teammates, especially the younger players ("a lot of credit goes to our scouts and managers in the minor leagues; these kids are special"), but the questions inevitably came back to his perspective on the season that, only six months ago, seemed pretty not likely to end with a t-shirt soaked with celebratory alcohol.

"My whole thing this year has been team, team, team," he said. "I feel extremely grateful for the opportunity I've gotten. My number one goal was to make the team, and they gave me an opportunity and I'm thankful for it."

Thanks in large part to Rodriguez, the Yankees have an opportunity now too.  

Yankees honor Alex Rodriguez for reaching 3,000 career hits

For all the buildup, speculation and drama, A-Rod Day was rather subdued.

There were no white chairs, no plaques and no thunderous ovations. No retired legends graced the field, and only a small contingent of fans arrived early to show their support.

The Yankees nonetheless honored Alex Rodriguez and his 3,000-hit milestone Sunday with a 10-minute pregame ceremony before the series finale against the Blue Jays — one that lacked the typical excitement of a Stadium celebration.

The tribute started with a video documenting some of the most memorable hits of A-Rod’s career, including his 3,000th, which came on an opposite-field home run against the Tigers on June 19. Rodriguez is the 29th player in major league history to amass at least 3,000 hits in a career.

FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. "LIKE" US HERE.

After the video, A-Rod walked to home plate from the dugout with his daughters, Natasha and Ella. Rodriguez’s mother, Lourdes Navarro, brother Joe Dunand and sister Suzy Dunand also joined him on the field.

ANDREW SAVULICH/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner (r.) presents a gift of 3,000-hit diamond rings to Alex Rodriguez.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the Steinbrenners. First class all the way,” said Rodriguez, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored a run with a headfirst slide into home. “It’s rare for me that I get to celebrate a day with my mother and my two daughters, manager, teammates, and obviously the fans of New York.”

With the family on the field, the team played a message from former Yankees and Mariners manager Lou Piniella on the Jumbotron.

“Alex, congratulations on your 3,000th hit,” Piniella said. “It’s a great milestone and a tremendous accomplishment, and Anita and I are so proud. As you know, we consider you part of our family. Continue to do well and help the Yankees win a pennant.”

Later, Chief Operating Officer Lonn Trost presented Rodriguez with a handcrafted vase commemorating the achievement. Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner, meanwhile, gifted A-Rod with a 14-karat 3,000-hit diamond ring with similar ring-top pendants for Natasha and Ella.

Before the game, each player had a commemorative wine bottle waiting at his locker.

TIL TUESDAY

Right-hander Adam Warren is tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday’s game in Tampa as long as he isn’t forced to pitch in relief Monday.

Warren’s last start came on June 25. He threw 47 pitches in 2.2 innings out of the bullpen in Wednesday’s loss to the Orioles.

“I feel like I’ll be able to adjust pretty easily,” Warren said. “Just looking forward to it and excited to get back out there as a starter.”

TULO COULD RETURN

ANDREW SAVULICH/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Alex Rodriguez takes the field with daughters Ella and Natasha.

There is a “chance” Troy Tulowitzki returns to the Blue Jays this season, Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos said Sunday.

The team is “cautiously optimistic” that Tulowitzki, who suffered a small crack in his shoulder blade colliding with center fielder Kevin Pillar in a win over the Yankees on Saturday, could be back in game action in two to three weeks.

However, Anthopoulos expects Tulowitzki to have some marginal discomfort in the shoulder if his shortstop does return in that near future.

“He could be back for October,” Anthopoulos said. “Hopefully we’re playing at that time.”