Darryl Strawberry has felt it necessary to chime in on the whole A-Rod media frenzy and explains that all Alex needs is love:
When he rejoined the club in July 1996, Strawberry said, "The guys embraced me. That's what a guy like A-Rod needs. A-Rod's a great guy, man. He's a sensitive guy. You guys have to remember, like I always said, he's only played in Seattle and Texas. It's not New York. You don't get booed in Texas. You don't get booed in Seattle when you play there. He comes here, and the pressure is on."
To all the doubters who want to ship A-Rod out of New York, Strawberry had this to say:
Furthermore, Strawberry opined: "A lot of people talk about A-Rod coming over and it's not working out. He won the MVP [in 2005], didn't he? What do you mean it's not working out? He hit 35 and drove in 100 this year, right? What do you mean it's not working out? You're not going to find players who put up those numbers every year.
For someone who has disgraced himself in both sets of New York pinstripes, I don't know if these words of wisdom are to be taken seriously. Strawberry's ego and insecurities led him to self destruction, while A-Rod's ego and insecurities are leading him to choke and be a douche in the media. I do find the often fragile psyches of megamillionaire ball players interesting. They create some interesting tensions, but I think A-Rod is the only one who can help himself. No amount of hugs and warm friendlies from Jeter or anyone else can put the 'best player in the game' back together again.