Gary Sheffield had seven hits (and none for extra bases) in 33 at-bats in the 2005 and 2006 postseasons. Randy Johnson, in the same couple of playoff series, got bombed for 20 hits and 10 earned runs in 13 innings. Good thing unnamed clubhouse sources didn't say that duo "tried too hard" or acted "phony" or "wanted everyone to like them." We would've really thought they stunk.

We do hear those things about A-Rod, of course. It must be some breach of clubhouse credo to "try too hard." Or at least more severe than "'roiding up" or "not hitting one's own weight" or "balking at team orders to hit the minors," as did Jason Giambi, whom teammates universally supported in 2004-05.

Whatever the Yankees' beef with A-Rod, whatever he does that prevents teammates from backing him with conviction, I ain't making time to worry about it. If they have something concrete against the guy — whose on-field play is defined by hustle, durability, smarts and impossible demands — then nut up and spit it out. If not, I'm gonna view their distancing from Alex as nothing more than sissy-fighting among the super-rich.

Or maybe they're going easy on A-Rod. Maybe he's a two-faced prick who deserves worse and someday will get it. But Yankees fans aren't privy to these clubhouse politics. We can only go by what we see on the field, where Rodriguez has performed at a much higher level than given credit for. His stats per 162 games bury every Yankee since Mickey Mantle. Real fans don't boo guys like that. They bring the heat to the opposition, 50,000 strong every night. Real fans don't bring it to their own All-Star Game starters, play into the media's manipulative hands and send messages to future free agents that New York may not be worth the trouble.