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New York Yankees 2015 Key To Success Is Alex Rodriguez Drama

By Jesse Burke

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Let’s be honest, when it came to last season’s headlines and top stories, someone who always got mentioned was New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.  The funny thing is, Rodriguez missed the entire 2014 season due to suspension. Even though he wasn’t on the field, A-Rod was almost always brought up in a form of conversation or debate. This year he has paid his dues and is allowed to return to the game.

Love them or hate them, the Yankees are always on the radar.  Their name alone and the team’s past success has them living up to yearly expectations originated from the fans, analysts and skeptics.

With the return of Rodriguez, the Yankees will be on a media short leash so to speak.  A man that had so many people talk about him while he was away from the game, imagine the spotlight now that he is back.  I can imagine for A-Rod the allegations and accusations of him can get tiring and repetitive. What the Yankee supporters did not think though is all of this drama can be a blessing in disguise.

As mentioned before the Yankees are expected to win, and often. Their two year absence from the playoffs has not been an easy pill to swallow, especially for the people in the organization and fans who are used to watching the Bronx Bombers go deep into October, not just bomb before the post season starts.

The Yankees have a lot of questions to be answered coming into this season.  Some of the areas that will be examined besides the Rodriguez circus are:

  1. How will the Yankees play in their first season in 20 years without Derek Jeter, their captain?
  2. Can Didi Gregorius fill the enormous shoes left before him?
  3. Will C.C Sabathia stay healthy and return to his previous dominance?
  4. Can Michael Pineda pitch an entire season without getting caught cheating, or not cheating at all?
  5. Will Masahiro Tanaka be healthy all season and be that Cy Young caliber ace the Yankees had thought of him to be when originally signing him?
  6. Can the Yankees quiet the Boston Red Sox hype?
  7. Will the Yankees make it back to the playoffs, and how far will they make it?
  8. Can the Yankees go back to being the feared empire?

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Those are only some of the concerns the Yankees face this year, as it comes with the territory.  All of those mentioned are priorities. With the endless analysis of Rodriguez coming back to baseball, these concerns that do need to be addressed will be shadowed by critiques aimed at arguably the most polarizing figure in the MLB, every time he steps to the plate.

This takes the pressure and focus off the Yankees as a whole and more so puts the pressure and target on Rodriguez’s back; the scapegoat role that he has been accustomed to. If the Yankees can fix each issue one by one, the rest will fall into place.

Even though it can be tiresome, Rodriguez is prepared for the scrutiny and hate he will receive; at least he is in the building to defend himself, hopefully quieting the doubters with the volume of his bat.

Next: What will the Yankees' record be in 2015?

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