(Image Source: The Star-Ledger)

Is A-Rod an A-Fraud? After another weak playoff performance, the superstar is feeling the heat.

Rodriguez made the wrong kind of history Thursday night, becoming the first player in MLB history to strike out for his team’s final out in consecutive seasons. So what’s next?

“He’s certainly going to get a lot of criticism, and he was aware of that when he met with reporters. He said, ‘This one is going to hurt for a long time,’ talking about this loss, and he walked through some of the situations he had and said ‘I just didn’t get the job done.’ Certainly in the days ahead there’s going to be a lot of talk about how he struggled, the numbers that he put up in the postseason, and Alex is going to have to live with that the entire winter.” (ESPN)

He didnt strike out just once but three times.  Adding to that, New Yorkers aren’t a quiet bunch and they weren’t holding back after the loss.

REPORTER: “What went wrong?”
FAN: “A-Rod. Bench him, and put Chavez in. A-Rod went wrong.”
(NY1)

“A-Rod left the game to a chorus of boos, as the Tigers fans celebrated. Look, it’s not all his fault, but he did actually accept responsibility for the game post-game in the locker room after the loss.”
“A-Rod’s responsible. They’ll have a nice off-season, these guys are very well compensated.”
“But they have to step it up, don’t you think? We have high standards here in New York.”
(WNYW)

But can he step it up? The 36-year old isn’t getting any younger, and after an injury-plagued season, The Wall Street Journal thinks A-Rod’s days of domination are numbered.

“He's always been able to fall back on the respect—even fear—he would inspire in opponents. Say what you will about Rodriguez, but he has always been an intimidating presence in the Yankee lineup. Now that, too, is gone, or slipping away fast.”

But ESPN’s Bobby Valentine thinks A-Rod can still be a force in the Big Apple.

"How much can the Yankees count on A-Rod moving forward?"
VALENTINE: "I think they can count on him, he has to get healthy, just as he said. There’s something going on there. He knows it, they know it, and he’s got to get better. If he’s healthy, I think he’s still one of the great players in the game.”

A-Rod has six years and $143 million left on the largest contract in the history of baseball, and the Pinstripes hope next year, he’ll earn a little more of it.

Transcript by Newsy.