Former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez unveiled his theory about leads during a Sunday Night Baseball broadcast that left many feeling confused.
Former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez‘s transition into his post-baseball life has been nothing short of masterful. It has included being a panelist on Fox Sports, spots on Shark Tank, and an analyst on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.
For the most part, A-Rod has demonstrated a deep knowledge and passion for the game he spent 22-years playing at the highest level in. However, on Sunday he dropped a head-scratching analysis of a game between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies.
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After a lead-off double from Phillies outfielder Adam Haseley in the bottom of the seventh inning, Jay Bruce came in to pinch-hit for Zach Eflin. Cue Rodriguez’s first bit of bad analysis: A-Rod proposes Bruce lay down a bunt to move Hasely to third in order to maximize the odds of increasing Philly’s lead to 3-1.
Why you might ask, would the Phillies opt to have Bruce bunt?
We’ll according to Alex Rodriguez, “You always want even leads, versus odd leads… Why? The solo home run doesn’t tie it and the grand slam does not beat you.”
I’m not quite sure how an odd lead is less attractive than an even lead. At the end of the day, isn’t it just a lead?
Sure, you can make a case for having a bigger lead over a smaller lead. For example, I’d rather be leading a game 3-1 instead of 2-1, but that has nothing to do with whether the lead is odd or even.
We all have moments of mental lapses and perhaps we can write this off as one of the many mental lapses of A-Rod’s professional career. You have to wonder, what the hell the former New York Yankees third baseman was thinking with this one.