Alex Rodriguez is having an improbably good season, so we circled back to some of the skeptical Yankee fans we talked to on opening day to see if their opinions of the guy had changed.
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Dennis Hinnaoui
“I’m surprised he’s doing as good as he is—I’m shocked and I’m happy, too. I think it’s just he hit rock bottom at some point. You can see he’s at peace with himself, so I think maybe he’s just appreciative of where he’s at. He’s just relaxed and enjoying it instead of trying to put up numbers, just letting whatever happens happen.”
Anthony Durante
“You have two different types of fans in New York: You have the bandwagon fans that go wherever the noise is—so you always have fans that are going to cheer for A-Rod when he hits a home run—and then you have the real fans, who are just never really gonna like him. We always want to see the Yankees win, but I personally would prefer it not to be with A-Rod winning the game. He hits a home run or drives in a winning run: great, good job, thank you—you almost earned your millions. He better do something right while he’s here.”
Tina Lewis
“My opinion hasn’t changed. I gotta tell you, though, he’s doing exactly what I said he should be doing: being quiet and playing baseball. I’m not gonna boo him, but I’m not gonna sit there and cheer for him per se, because he is A-Rod. When he hit his 3,000th, I stood up with the rest and clapped. I don’t care how many steroids you do, it’s still very hard to get 3,000 hits, and for that, I had to give it to him. I’m not a phony so I’m not going to say I support him—I’m supporting the team. But I do have a heart, I do kind of feel bad for him when he goes to other stadiums—it’s horrible.”
“Bald” Vinny Milano
“It’s redeeming in a way—you feel like he’s paying you back for all the support you’ve given him. It makes me feel very proud as a fan. I think he doesn’t care anymore, that’s the best part. He doesn’t have anything to prove: He just has to relax, go out and play ball. He’s treating it like a game and he’s being very productive, which is awesome for us.”
This article was originally published in Sportsnet Magazine.