MLB News and Records



New York Yankees: Alex Rodriguez No Longer Capable of Hitting Cleanup

It's not a secret that the New York Yankees have struggled to score in the clutch—or at all, really—so far this season.

Derek Jeter, Raul Ibanez and Curtis Granderson have carried the offensive load thus far, which is unacceptable considering the fact that Jeter and Ibanez were considered complementary pieces at best entering spring training.

Robinson Cano is finally starting to heat up, so he gets a pass.

Brett Gardner has been injured, so he will also get a pass.

Not much was really expected of Russell Martin, while Nick Swisher has produced pretty much at his career numbers—pass and pass.

Mark Teixeira has been battling a bad cough since April and is a notoriously slow starter, so we'll lay off bashing him as well.

So, who does that leave?

Alex Rodriguez.

Rodriguez has been the cleanup hitter for nearly every game in 2012, and just hasn't provided the production that one would expect from a No. 4 hitter.

So far through 39 games, A-Rod owns a .278/.377/.410 line with just five home runs and 15 RBI.

With Granderson and Ibanez being the team's big run producers up to this point—23 and 27 RBI, respectively—it's time to make a change in the middle of the lineup.

My ideal lineup would look like this (ideal meaning when everybody is healthy):

1. Brett Gardner

2. Derek Jeter

3. Robinson Cano

4. Curtis Granderson

5. Mark Teixeira

6. Alex Rodriguez

7. Raul Ibanez

8. Nick Swisher

9. Russell Martin

Now, I'm obviously not a major league manager. But, to me, that lineup looks deep.

In the No. 6 spot, Rodriguez will have ample opportunities to drive in runs with the high OBP guys ahead of him, and he'll have much less pressure on him to be the team's big run producer.

Because, well, let's face it—he's no longer the guy that you can count on to be an automatic bet for 100 RBI.

Rodriguez can still be a valuable asset to the Yankees, but just in a much less important role.

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Stephen Strasburg Hits HR and Pitches Well in 9-3 Nationals Victory over Orioles

Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals found some offense in Sunday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, scoring nine runs and ending Baltimore's five-game winning streak.

Strasburg pitched well aside from a shaky first two innings, earning the victory after going five innings and allowing just one earned run (three total runs). He struck out eight and walked one, while allowing just four hits.

His WHIP now stands at 1.02 and his ERA at 2.21.

The Nationals were able to get to the formerly undefeated Wei-Yin Chen, scoring six runs against the left-handed starter before he was pulled after 4.1 innings.

He is now 4-1 with a very respectable 3.35 ERA this season.

Danny Espinosa, leading off for the first time this season, had a successful 2-for-5 day, and one hit was a home run off of Dana Eveland.

Bryce Harper tripled in two runs in the third inning off of Chen, while Jesus Flores homered on his only hit of the ballgame, a fourth-inning shot off of Chen.

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Baseball Etiquette: 5 Rules for Being a Gentleman on the Field

Baseball is not a contact sport, that is, unless you want it to be. However, to keep it classy out there on the field, it's necessary to make as little violent physical contact as possible. Here are some rules that most baseball players follow on a day-to-day basis, yet there are still some rogue men who need reminding about how to be gentlemen while partaking in America's pastime.

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