Rodriguez earning his pinstripes

Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run yesterday, an accomplishment only a handful of players have achieved. He did it in New York, on his home field at Yankee Stadium. Yet, the hoopla around the homer was fairly restrained, particularly considering this is the age of the media hyping everything, whether events warrant it or not.

I suspect that even though Rodriguez finally won a World Series last year and came through for the Yanks in the clutch in the playoffs, he probably still isn't considered a "real Yankee" by some fans. Add in the controversy surrounding his steroid use before joining the Yankees, and this milestone home run was bound to lose a bit of its luster, even in the Big Apple where sports stars are front-page news.

I enjoy watching A-Rod play. For a fairly big guy, he's graceful both at the plate and in the field. He's not a cartoon character like sluggers Barry Bonds or Sammy Sosa were. In addition to hitting the ball over the fence, Rodriguez hits for average, catches the ball and has a good arm. He can even steal a base. This all makes him a candidate to be considered one of the all-time greats, more in line with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle than the less-complete Bonds or Sosa.

However, A-Rod may never be an absolute fan favorite in the Bronx. First, he is not a home-grown Yankee like Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera or Jorge Posada. He hit most of his home runs while playing for Texas and Seattle. I won't deduct too many popularity points for that because Reggie Jackson, Greg Nettles, Catfish Hunter, Babe Ruth and other beloved stars also played elsewhere before coming to New York. But let's face it, players who came up through the farm system do have an edge in Yankee lore.

Rodriguez never got the personality thing right. He doesn't seem genuine. He seems more suited for Los Angeles. New Yorkers tend to like authenticity. His new strategy of only talking minimally to the media hasn't endeared him to the public but at least he hasn't shot himself in the foot lately. Look, Mantle was a creep. I met him and I wasn't impressed. Everyone knows the stories of Mantle's drinking problems. Thurman Munson was gruff and crude, according to my father who had encounters with him off the field. But those guys were also gritty, and New Yorkers appreciate guys who will get dirty, brawl on the field and shout at the opposing bench. No one did those things better than Lou Piniella and Billy Martin -- two of my favorite Yankees.

Alex stays clean and pretty. Other than a throw-down against the Red Sox a few years ago, A-Rod just plays ball. And that's fine, too. As long as he keeps hitting home runs and turning double plays, he'll move up in Yankee status. It's just going to take some more time.

I suspect Rodriquez will end up with a monument at Yankee Stadium. His number 13 may be retired. A generation who never saw Martin manage, Mantle with knee braces blasting towering homers or Ron Guidry blowing away batters might think more of A-Rod than fans my age do. That's OK. Every generation tends to think their stars shine the brightest. I will add, however, that being a true Yankee fan also means knowing at least something about the many fantastic players who roamed the outfield and ran the bases long before ESPN, free agency and color television. Being a true Yankee fan means passing down that knowledge of guys like Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford to the next generation. Take note of Jeter, Rodriguez and Rivera because one day you'll be telling your kids and grandchildren about them.

Tearing down old memories in the Bronx

You won't see the old Yankee Stadium imploding. Using dynamite to bring down large structures is not permitted in New York City. So the stadium, which holds many good memories for me, is being ripped apart piece by piece. Slowly. Painfully. It will be completely gone by June. Yes, I do see the potential metaphors...

Across the street lies the new Yankee Stadium, which debuted last year when the Yankees won the championship. I haven't been to the new stadium. Frankly, I didn't want to see the remnants of the abandoned old House that Ruth Built -- didn't want to see anymore reminders of what no longer exists. But I hear the new stadium is spectacular, so I hope to eventually make the trek up I-95 to the homeland to see it. It won't be the same, but few things remain constant in life. Baseball stadiums are no exception. Watch video.

Yankees look bad in 6-1 loss

The World Series is off to a brutal start for the New York Yankees. The lack of timely hitting and poor relief pitching, which nearly did them in during the ACLS, worsened during tonight's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Even Alex Rodriguez reverted to his unproductive post-season ways, striking out three times. The Yankees better wake up and realize that the defending champion Phillies aren't going to give games away with sloppy play like the L.A. Angels did in the prior series.

Another Bronx tale

In the movie, A Bronx Tale, Sonny (the local mobster) tells an impressionable young boy who he calls "C" that he shouldn't care about Mickey Mantle because Mickey Mantle doesn't care about him. The boy, an avid Yankees fan, takes the advice to heart and soon realizes the mobsters can do more for him than any baseball idol.

I root for the Yankees and am glad they are going to the World Series. I even met Mantle back in his playing days. But at age 52, and in one of life's real binds at the moment, it's hard for me to generate the kind of enthusiasm that I once had for sports and professional athletes. I am happy that Alex Rodriguez has broken his post-season slump, but in reality, A-Rod isn't going to solve my problems. The Yankees aren't going to make me feel better about the dismal job market or the future of our economy.

At best, for most fans of a certain age, sports is a distraction from life's problems for a few hours. Similar to a movie or concert. Grateful the Yankees can take my mind off of a couple hardships, but very well aware that those issues aren't going to go away when the game is over.

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Odds and ends

My two picks to make it to the Super Bowl - the New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens - are each 3-0 and won by large margins on Sunday ... After losing to the hapless Detroit Lions, I can only conclude that the Washington Redskins have far too many low-character players who are only interested in getting paid ... The New York Yankees clinching the AL East against the rival Boston Red Sox this weekend was sweet, but certainly not the ultimate goal for a team that has won 26 world championships ... My daughter and her husband were in Florida this weekend, attending an event at Disney World and sparking my memories of when she (pictured above) was a tad bit younger and living in the Sunshine State ... It appears that next week's episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm will start the ball rolling on the Seinfeld reunion ... Best German beer and brats in the area: Doner Bistro in Leesburg, Va.

Talent and potential aren't always enough

Well, the "Favorite New York Yankee since 1960" poll is winding down. It appears Derek Jeter will edge out Mickey Mantle for the top spot. I met Mantle a couple times towards the end of his playing days, so I was sort of rooting for him, but Jeter is a great player in his own right and probably a lot nicer than the Mick. Mantle was not a big fan of having his picture taken with brats like me, although I do have some standing with him inside the tunnel near the dugout.

I liked roaming around Yankee Stadium in the 1960s, having my picture taken with guys like Joe Pepitone. Yes, that's me with Pepitone, circa 1965. Pepitone was one of the first players to use hair products for men. He was also the first major leaguer to blow dry his hair. He had a ton of potential to be a Yankee great, but vanity and some legal problems hampered his career. Now he's just a punch line on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Sometimes talent and potential aren't enough.

Yankee fans cheering again

My daughter is at the Yankee game in Baltimore tonight. Loyalty to the pinstripes runs deep on her father's side of the family. Last I checked, The Bronx Bombers were losing. But it's been a good year for the Yankees. Some of us New York fans were beginning to feel that the magic might have left with former manager Joe Torre. Now many fans are rooting for a Yankee showdown against Torre's L.A. Dodgers in the World Series, not to show up Joe (who is still beloved in his native New York), but to add some buzz to the "fall classic." Anything between New York and Los Angeles is good for sports. Living near D.C. for a decade and a half, I get a bit tired of all this Redskin-Cowboy rivalry talk.

My daughter grew up in Maryland, went to college at the University of Maryland, and generally, like her husband, is a supporter of all teams in Baltimore or College Park. Geez, her cat is named Lewis -- after Ray Lewis of the Ravens. The city has two wonderful venues to watch professional football and baseball. Charm City is dangerous as Hell, but I like going to games there and eating anything made with blue crabs. However, when it comes to the Yankees, well, Baltimore and the Orioles have to take a back seat with my daughter. I am glad I helped raise her right.

I like this year's edition of the Yankees. I like the personality of the team. Reminds me a bit of the championship teams of several years ago. Not sure the pitching is quite as good, but there is reason to believe that the Yankees will win the division and do well in the postseason. There is a vibe, a togetherness about this team that I haven't sensed since Bernie Williams retired. The players are having more fun and acting less corporate. Playing looser.

There is an informal poll on the right side of this blog that allows you to vote for your favorite Yankee player from the last five decades. There are nine players to choose from. I would have liked to have included Mickey Rivers, Goose Gossage, Sweet Lou and Catfish Hunter, as well as others, but there is only so much room down the rail of this Web page. Fans of all teams (with the exception of the Red Sox) are encouraged to vote.