Davidoff: No reason not to expect more good things from A-Rod

TAMPA, Fla.

He'll never be Mr. Warm and Fuzzy. Nor is he likely to join the Fox broadcast booth upon retirement. People can stretch and alter themselves only so much.

But Alex Rodriguez lived up to his words last season, and he insists he'll make 2010 an encore.

"I had a good year in '07, and I followed a road map," A-Rod said Thursday at the same Steinbrenner Field locale where he held his "steroids news conference" last February. "I got a little bit away from that in '08, and I got back to it last year.

" . . . It's my responsibility to continue that and do exactly what I did in '09."

It may not sound like such a big deal, and from a baseball analysis standpoint, the issue of A-Rod's personality undoubtedly is overblown.

Yet if we're going to scrutinize the remarkable 2009 season of the Yankees' third baseman - from February revelation to November celebration - and wonder if he can repeat it, we would be negligent to not discuss his mental approach to work.

"I feel like he's well-grounded right now," Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long said. "I feel like his personal life is in a good spot. I feel like he's got the trust of his teammates. His actions on and off the field have been super.

"He's got to keep it that way. All it takes is one bad decision, and it'll go the other way. We're all like that. We're all in that boat."

True, although A-Rod's boat looks more like the Titanic. It stands out among the crowd.

After all, when we remember the Yankees' 2009 world championship season, we'll remember A-Rod most, right? The fears that the Sports Illustrated story detailing his illegal performance-enhancing drug use would sink the team. Then the fears that A-Rod's serious hip injury would sink the team. Then his impressive rebound, culminating with his fabulous postseason performance.

"Looking forward, I expect to be in the postseason every year," A-Rod said. "And there might be a postseason or two where I don't hit four or five or six home runs, and I know the way it goes. I'm going to get crushed, and that's just part of it.

"But the one thing that no one can take away, what happened in 2009 with our team, and we came together as a family."

Translated, that means: "You can't call me a postseason choker anymore!"

Now the concern: Will A-Rod's ego swell back up to its pre-confession level? Although he helped the Yankees tremendously from 2004 through 2008, he did alienate teammates and superiors with his high-maintenance ways, which included having his own clubhouse attendant and staying in a different hotel from the rest of the team on the road.

I believe what A-Rod believes: His postseason turnaround could be partly attributed to luck and other external factors, but also to his simple relaxation. He no longer felt the weight of the world in every at-bat because he trusted his teammates.

He made the gossip pages this winter for dumping Kate Hudson and dating Cameron Diaz. Yet he also kept in regular contact with Long, hosting the coach twice at his Miami house for check-in visits.

"We'll address issues as they come up," Long said, "but the biggest thing is he's healthy. I think his frame of mind is really, really good."

With another quiet, successful season, A-Rod will fully win the benefit of the doubt on his own team. The first steps are encouraging.