A-Rod becomes Bonds After years of postseason failures, Yankees' third baseman is surging Bruce Jenkins∕San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, October 21, 2009 http://tinyurl.com/yznlrq4 Angels manager Mike Scioscia had an interesting comment at the American League Championship Series on Monday after he had Alex Rodriguez intentionally walked with nobody on base. "I just think of Barry Bonds," Scioscia said. "That's the time I can recall doing anything like that." The comparison was apt because A-Rod, whose two-run homer helped the Yankees score a 10-1 win over the Angels on Tuesday night and take a 3-1 lead in the series, is having a Bonds-like resurgence in the postseason. Like Bonds, he must be grateful for the chance. The great Ted Williams never got one. In his only World Series (1946), Williams, who had an elbow injury, went 5-for-25 without a home run and just one RBI. Stan Musial got into four World Series and never matched his legend, hitting a combined .256 with a single homer. Bonds, after three hapless NLCS performances with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit .356 with eight homers during the Giants' run through the 2002 postseason. There's no way to properly summarize Rodriguez's October failures with the Yankees, although you could start with his demotion to the No. 8 spot in the order during the 2006 Division Series. His five-homer turnaround this autumn has been so complete, so Reggie Jackson-like, I'm not sure opposing teams believed it - not for a while. People have thrown him some incomprehensible pitches, notably Brian Fuentes' 0-2 fastball on A-Rod's 11th-inning homer in Game 2 of the ALCS. By Monday, Scioscia knew the deal. A-Rod has become Bonds. But even the Giants' left fielder didn't get that type of respect. Scioscia decreed seven intentional walks to Bonds during the '02 Series, but none with the bases empty. --

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