Full disclosure: SU has always been an A-Rod fan.  Sure, he is flawed as a human being and made some bad decisions in his career but I have always viewed him as a knucklehead who made bad choices with PEDs, lying, etc.

If you recall when A-Rod was with the Texas Rangers, he would always start the season poorly and then catch fire once they were far, far out of the playoff hunt.  He was very good in July through September.  Hit well in the meaningless games.  SU believes that Giancarlo Stanton is a similar type of player.  He was a big-time hitter in Miami when no one was watching and no one cared.  Now that the spotlight is on him in New York, he is coming up small.  He is over-matched at the plate by any hard thrower.  SU is not saying that he’s not trying or not competitive.  He is such a big swinger that it almost seems physically impossible for him to put the bat on the ball against the big time pitchers.

He should have a shot tonight against Kuechel who doesn’t throw hard.  But Boone needs to drop him further down in the line up – and further down than 5th.  He is striking out at an historic rate.  SU says check your ego at the door.  These are the Yankees and the line up is not made based on annual salary.  Plus putting him down to 6th or 7th would take the pressure off and allow him to put up Dave Kingman numbers for the season.  He does not seem to have the spine for New York – much like A-Rod didn’t in 2004 when he joined the Yankees and certainly in October except for 2009.

SU is ready to be proven wrong.