A friend of mine came up with scenario that some may call a dream the other day. He was venting over what to do about being a Yankee fan. We are both upset with how the first month has gone so far and were coming up with ways to turn this season around, to make it fun again. After realizing we couldn’t recreate Paul O’Neill or Jeff Nelson he came up with this scenario: A-Rod leads the team to victory upon his return.

Now before you click the return arrow or curse my soul for thinking about him in a semi positive way, I should clarify that what I’m about to write is a dream, a deep wanting, a desire even. This is me trying to shine some light on the dull (10-10, as of Tuesday night) 2009 New York Yankee season. I’m not in panic mode I’m just sort of fed up with how the season has gone and I haven’t stumbled across any Yankee fan that is happy with the vibe of our team and season. So here we go, on to A-Rod to the rescue.

If there was ever a stage set for an A-Rod heroic return it’s now. The new stadium has redefined anti-climactic and exemplified bad spending. The team’s new line-up has bounced like a bad check and our starting rotation can’t figure out how to string together some good outings. And except for Swisher the team’s pizzazz is comparable to Derek Jeter’s new Ford commercials.

There isn’t a single person on the planet that wants A-Rod back more than Mark Teixeira, or at least there shouldn’t be. He hasn’t hit well (his April numbers plain suck) and would be getting booed by now if we hadn’t switched stadiums. He is in dire need of some protection in the line-up and should really appreciate the better pitches he’ll see once A-Rod returns. Rodriguez can save Tex from falling into the giant “waste of money” pit the Yankees have been digging for years. A-Rod’s powerful and number pleasing bat will greatly improve Teixeira’s production.

I realize that everyone on God’s green earth thinks A-Rod is as clutch as an empty carton of milk on a Sunday morning, but something in my gut tells me he could have helped during those 4 for17 with runners in scoring position situations that the Yanks found themselves in during the embarrassing sweep last weekend. I’m not saying he would have had the winning hit during extra innings on Friday but I am saying that he probably would have come up with a hit in one of those 13 hitless situations. We need runs and he produces them plain and simple.

He’ll be able to give the pitchers some more run support, something they have desperately needed. CC had a good start the other day against Detroit but found himself down 4-0 after a couple bad pitches. Yet rather than honing in on some comeback confidence they seemed to already be in “get em next time” mode. Despite all the money we spent and all the names we have in our line-up we are a far cry from an offensive threat at the moment. This lack of offence is translating into swaggerless pitching. The only way to fix this problem is for the Bombers to score more runs consistently and not in bunches. A-Rod is a consistent offensive threat…always.

I think it’s the dramatics of a possible A-Rod to the rescue scenario that gets me the most excited. This guy is at the bottom of the totem poll as far as elite athletes go. He couldn’t buy a fan outside of the Bronx and even in the Bronx it would be hard for him to fill the new stadium with A-Rod fans. The press hates him, other players hate him, and many fans hate him. He has perhaps the worst off-season in recent memory and on top of that has started the season on the disabled list. But you know what would fix that? Dooo do do do do, doooo dooooo doooooo. A-ROD TO THE RESCUE.

This guy doesn’t have a way with words so it’ll be hard for him to lead verbally and I personally wouldn’t want him to any way, not with the Cap’n on the team. What Alex needs to do is lead with his play. What he needs to do, as my friend Justin the Jew said, is to strap the team to his back and play them to victory. A-Rod has the potential to silence his critics, end the steroid conversations, and motivate his team. He claims to have hit a cross roads in his life so what’s stopping him from becoming the player we always wanted him to be. What’s stopping him from getting that hit in the bottom of the 9th, diving for the ball no one thought he’d reach, and smacking that home run in the 4th inning when our starter give up 4 quick runs? Nothing.

Things couldn’t get any worse for A-Rod, things can only go up from down here. His personal and professional lives have shattered the magnifying glass that has been following him around during his Yankee career. All he needs to do is play baseball and play it well. I’m not asking him to give pregame speeches and rally the troops nor am I asking him to hit .500 with 98hr’s. All he needs to do is act like a man and play his best; the first of which has been difficult for him his entire career. But something tells me that the past few months have sobered him up a little and that he may have even matured (GASP!); he’s A-new-Rod.

Alex, the stage is set and the time is now. Strap on your spikes and bring this team to the playoffs, don’t help them, don’t give it your best shot, bring them. Pick up the new stadium, each of your 24 teammates, the entire freaking Steinbrenner family and strap them on your back and win. It’s time to come back A-Rod, it’s time to lead.