As I walked out of the recently hopeful, but then deflated Yankee Stadium yesterday, I found myself hearing some of the most ludicrous statements about Alex Rodriguez. There was an older gentlemen, probably in his mid-50's telling the masses emptying out the Stadium that Rodriguez was nothing, but a "choker", and a "bum." I normally don't respond to strangers who make erroneous remarks in public, but I had to blurt out something.

"Yea, that bum basically won us the 2009 World Series", I shouted in response of the man's rambling down the street corner. He didn't bother to turn around, but the people around me surely heard. I'm more appreciative towards Alex Rodriguez than most Yankees fans. Aside from you here, I know many of you support Rodriguez the same way I do. I look at Alex Rodriguez as a star player. Maybe not at this point in his career, but throughout his past he's earned the title. What some fans believe of star players is that they can't do no wrong. Actually they believe star players are players that do no wrong. If they don't come through in a clutch situation such as the one in the game yesterday, you get an older gentlemen mumbling outside Babe Ruth Plaza.

We all know Rodriguez's best days are behind him, but it's sad to see that the Yankee fans don't truly appreciate all he's done for the franchise. All he's done in his time in New York is hit 298 home runs, win two MVP's, and have one of the most memorable post-seasons in history in 2009 to help the Yankees claim their 27th World Series title in their storied history.

I get it, he's not Derek Jeter. He wasn't brought up through the Yankees farm system, and he's never going to be more liked than Jeter. That's always going to be the case, but Rodriguez deserves better than what the average Yankee fan who attends games gives him.

Look at the comparison between Jeter and Rodriguez through this part in the season.

Rodriguez -

.270 AVG/.355 OBP/.443 SLG/.354 wOBA/1.7 WAR

Jeter -

.309 AVG/.355 OBP/.411 SLG/.338 wOBA/1.1 WAR

You can see for yourself that the numbers are pretty similar, yet one player is clutch, and the other is a bum. I guess batting average forever.