Allow me to ascribe my own feelings to the whole country

In all the recrimination of last night, I'd forgotten this other A-Rod moment of shame:

He was 2 for 17 when the Boston Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Yankees in an unforgettable A.L.C.S. last year. He was remembered for that untimely slump and for slapping a ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove at first base.

Rodriguez hasn't just been the deciding failure in two consecutive post-season series, he actually played a critical role in turning the country away from the Yankees and gave the nation's fans something to dislike about a team made up of successful but still mostly very likable guys. People didn't need much of an excuse to foot for the underdogs (which, in the Torre era, will always be "Everyone but the Yanks"), and A-Slap gave it to them. By the time Giambi was emberassing the club, it wasn't even that surprising, because these were the A-Rod Yanks.