Playoff Pulse: Vladdy Is the New A-Rod

In the Playoff Pulse series, our MLB editor takes on a hot October topic.

Nowhere do the lights shine brighter in the Big Apple. And nowhere is it easier to be an anonymous superstar on an annual contender than in Orange County. That's the only way to explain the difference between the postseason reputations of Alex Rodriguez and Vladimir Guerrero.

A-Rod is known in all corners as a playoff choker, a high-paid superstar who comes up small when his team needs him most. Guerrero is known as a free-swinging, big-smiling freak of a hitter. A-Rod is blamed for everything that goes wrong in the Bronx and booed for it. Guerrero is hailed as the center of the Angels' offense and cheered for it.

But Vlad the Impaler played the 17th postseason game of his career Wednesday night, and the evidence is starting to pile up -- he's been every bit the choker that Rodriguez has been.

Both Rodriguez and Guerrero arrived after their team's most recent championship.

Rodriguez is hitting .148 in the playoffs since Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS, the start of New York's collapse against Boston. Guerrero entered Wednesday night's game with a career .183 average in the postseason. He finally seemed to break through at the plate in Game 1, collecting two hits.


But then Vladdy got greedy. He tried for the extra base and ran the Angels right out of their last good chance to rally and get over the hump against the Red Sox in October. (Mullet has all the details). He finally got good results at the plate, then undid all of his hard work on the basepaths.

We don't know Guerrero like we do A-Rod. He plays out of the limelight -- off an Orange County freeway exit and in the long shadow of the Dodgers -- and he doesn't speak much English. We don't know if he needs a sports pyschologist because he's grinding his bat into sawdust during every at-bat in October. We don't know if his swing-at-everything-from-the-eyes-to-the-ankles approach is no good against the higher level of hurler in the playoffs, or if this is all a 17-game statistical fluke.

But we can be certain of this. If Guerrero doesn't fix what ails him at the plate and on the basepaths in October, the Angels are headed for another early exit from the postseason.

Yesterday's Hero: No one pitched better than Cole Hamels yesterday. Honorable mention to Jason Bay, Jon Lester, James Loney and Derek Lowe.

Yesterday's Goat: Guerrero would seem like the obvious choice, but I'll take Ryan Dempster (seven walks, really?). Dishonorable mention to Mike Cameron, Bill Hall and Rickie Weeks.

Quick Hits: Is everyone concerned about Brad Lidge yet? I've seen him three times over the last few weeks and he's looked shaky in each outing. ... The White Sox will have to get to the ALCS for a chance to get Carlos Quentin back in the lineup. ... Troy Percival's absence from the Rays' ALDS roster could be a blessing in disguise. ... All eyes on CC Sabathia Tuesday. He has some playoff demons to exorcise. ... Chad Billingsley has been a better pitcher than Carlos Zambrano for the better part of three months. So, yeah, the Cubs are in trouble. ... Josh Beckett will throw another side session Friday, the last hurdle he needs to clear to start Game 3.