Alex Rodriguez became the talk of Twitter during his wild-card broadcast on ESPN – and not for a good reason.
Following Tuesday’s elimination game — which ended in a 6-2 Yankees loss to the Red Sox — critics picked apart Rodriguez and his baseball analysis.
Many noted his comments about Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole, who was pulled from the wild-card game after just six outs in the third. Rodriguez predicted that Cole will win the Cy Young Award next year — saying a player’s sophomore year is easier in New York.
Though, that’s not possible since this year is Cole’s sophomore year with the Yankees.
There were other moments on the broadcast that left fans confused — including A-Rod’s take on first baseman Anthony Rizzo, whom the Yankees acquired in July.
Rodriguez said he “loves the pickup” of Rizzo because he’s, well, “a baseball player.”
Another quote that raised eyebrows was when Rodriguez explained how to “beat a bully offense.”
He explained, “You hit them right between the eyes. And that’s exactly what the Red Sox are doing. They’re coming at them. They’re not running from them. If you run from the Yankees, they will get you. You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Rodriguez landed at ESPN after he got rave reviews as a studio analyst for Fox, where he won an Emmy in 2017. However, fans have been far more critical of him in the ESPN booth on Sunday nights and in the postseason.
The former Yankee signed a one-year extension with ESPN to remain in the booth for “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcasts throughout 2021. It’s unclear if the network plans on bringing him back in 2022.