Steinbrenner disappointed with A-Rod.

Speaking at a press conference to announce Yankee Stadium's new long-term deal to host college football's Pinstripe Bowl, Hal Steinbrenner was asked about Brain Cashman's comments to ESPN's Buster Onley that A-Rod "probably...couldn't live up to" the large 10-year, $275 million contract he signed in 2007.

Though Steinbrenner hasn't herd any of Cashman's comments, he still has his own things to say in front of reporters.

"That may be true. It's a big contract," Steinbrenner said. "That's a philosophical argument, I guess. It's a big contract. We all hope he's going to act like a Yankee and do the best he can to live up to it. How about that?"

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner

Well, over the past few season A-Rod has done anything but act like a Yankee. His injuries have kept him off the field, his on field performance has been well below expectations, and his off the field activities has him linked to a south Miami Biogenesis clinic.

There's no doubt that Rodriguez's numbers have steadily declined over the years since signing his long tenured deal with the Yankees. Averaging 17 home runs and 60 RBIs while batting .275 over the past two season isn't exactly what the Yankees have wanted.

"There have no doubt been times that we've been disappointed in him and we've conveyed that to him," Steinbrenner said. "He understands that. Look, everybody is human. Everybody makes mistakes. If you've got a guy over the course of 10 years, there are going to be times any of us makes mistakes in that period of time."

A-Rods brightest (though they weren't very bright) moment's with the Yankees have come in small packages. His MVP season in 2007 began his 10-year stay off right. His 2009 play-off performance finally broke his postseason curse. But Yankees fans will only know him as the guy you can no longer trust in the big moments.

As he continues his rehabbing in Tampa, A-Rod is expected to return sometime after the all-star break, if at all, on a date we don't know when to expect. When he does, the Yankees will be banking on a lot in hopes he can return to the above average 3rd baseman he was before the injury.

"We'll see. We'll find out when he comes back." Steinbrenner said. "I know he's been working hard to come back. He knows what it means to be a Yankee. He knows what we expect of him and he knows what his teammates expect of him."

Over the years I've come to expect less from A-Rod. After every injury I expect even less. But now after two hip surgeries just years apart, I don't expect A-Rod will, or should, play as the Yankees everyday 3rd baseman, and I certainly don't expect him to be anywhere near the homerun threat he once was.

Hips are a difficult injury to come back from. It's especially difficult to comeback for a hitter who's had surgery on both hips in a span of a couple years. I didn't expect much from A-Rod before. Why can should I expect anything different now?

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