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1) Younger
2) Cheaper
3) He's pre-Madonna
About the height, I don't think it's much of an advantage in baseball. Because of his (lack of) height, it is that much harder to throw strikes to Pedroia, and he gets better pitches to hit because of it.
However, warts, age, she-males, chokes and all, Rodriguez is still Rodriguez, and I would take him in terms of on-field production over a five-year window if the money and length of contract were not big issues.
A-Rod? We're talking about A-Rod here. Seriously. Say what you will about the guy, but he seems to be really into baseball.
If were were talking about John Halama, then yes, I understand.
It seems that for some people, you can be ultra-talented or you can "love" the game, but you can't be both.
Of all the things you could say about A-Rod...this strikes me as one of the dumbest.
18 comments and not a one on the use of the phrase "what could be great achievements"?
Hey, he was right.
It's almost all guesswork, and writers don't even seem to be attempting to make good guesses. Yet they continue to be allowed by their editors, papers, and readers, to perform this sort of personal and career hatchet job with no repercussions.
No, I'd think this sort of thing would get him a promotion at the Herald.
Maybe he had a kid or something and didn't want to be on the road half of every summer. Who knows?
There was an article recently about how Pedroia shows up 6 hours before every game, watches video, takes extra practice, etc., and where he was openly critical about unnamed teammates who do things like go sightseeing on the road. It reminded me of the part in Moneyball when Lenny Dykstra caught Billy Beane reading, and told him he shouldn't do that because it would ruin his eyes. Pedroia doesn't want anything to distract him from his primary purpose or being the best ballplayer he can. He's almost obsessive. I'm sure there are lots of other ballplayers we don't know much about who have the same attitudes, of course.
Exactly. I think you can say that it's much easier to determine who doesn't "love the game", but even that's dicey. A guy who shows up late every day, nurses injuries well past when he should, etc., that guy you can probably make the argument for not loving the game. Those are demonstrable actions. But in the universe of guys who show up on time, do what's asked of them, and all the rest (so, 99% of players), any differences you're making are personality-based. That guy doesn't smile? He doesn't love the game. That guy doesn't show up 4 hours before he's supposed to? He doesn't love the game.
The problem there is that guy just may not smile a whole lot. That other guy may love the game just as much as everyone else, but he also loves playing piano, and he values being a well-balanced person.
Another thing is this: What is "the game"? Is it baseball, the sport? Is it MLB and the context of his job? The next writer that accurately explains his term when he uses "the game" in an article like this will be the first. Guy A may love baseball way more than Guy B, but due to the way he's been treated or other factors, Guy B may love playing *in MLB* more than Guy A. Which guy loves "the game" more?
That's nothing, ARod once put down other players for taking time to care for their children!
I'm not saying this in earnest, but I think it holds the same "legitimacy" that Pedroia (if he believes what he's saying here) and the writer's arguments do:
Perhaps the only thing going on in Dustin's life is baseball. Maybe he's too stupid or simple to enjoy other things.
</aside>
Seriously, though. How is having an interest in other things besides baseball, and using non-work time to pursue those interests, somehow pejorative to your love of baseball? If I were one of Pedroia's teammates, I would be seriously pissed at that comment.
I work for the state of Texas through the University of Texas. I spend much more time at work than 99% of my colleagues who clock 40 and leave. Yet I would never dream of saying that I "love" my job more than them because of it.
But this doesn't show that he "loves the game," it simply shows he is focused and determined to be the best. I don't know anything about A-rod's preparation (though I would hazard a guess is is pretty intense considering his physical conditioning) but maybe it has to do with Pedroia's only being in the league for three years and A-Rod having been there for 14...I mean, don't people think Pedroia's enthusiasm is gonna fade a bit? If he is still showing up 6 hours early for games 11 years from now I will be quite surprised. It's just like entering a new job...most people start out working hard and want to do a great job then the longer they are there the less effort they put in. Maybe Pedroia is one of those guys that never let up- I'm just saying it is WAY too early to tell.
But of course when A-Rod says he's working out early in the morning when others are sleeping or taking their children to school, that makes him a jerk. When Pedroia says it, it makes him a gamer. FWIW I love Dustin Pedroia, but A-Rod he ain't. Yet.
It would make him A-Rod.
How is that a problem? I don't think you can get much scrappier than that.
You don't get to be as good as A-Rod has been on talent. He has a dogged determiniation and a drive to play this game. I love watching Pedroia hit, but if there is any fool that was putting together a team picked Pedrioa before A-Rod (not including contract values), he doesn't deserve to be writing about baseball, and certainly shouldn't be running any baseball teams.
I wonder how often A-Rod wishes he could go back and force the Union's hands to trade him to the Red Sox?
Hey, let's not go bananas here and say Ty Cobb was more racist than Pedroia. Are you correcting for league and era?
Including, now, Will Leitch.
Players who don't love baseball sleep with Madonna.
Players who love baseball sleep with Jessica Biel.
Players who play baseball sleep with Alyssa Milano.
Sorry Rob, but if I had to pick between a 2B or SS that hits like an average thirdbaseman and has intangibles coming out their ass or the best freakin' player in the game (non-Pujols division,) I'd have to go with the better player everytime. I really don't care about intangibiles, I care about their ability to produce runs and no player in the AL does that better than A-Rod.
Neither does your mom.
Case in point, Ordway couldn't name a single player on the Hornets not named "Chris Paul" and used this as proof that no one knew anything about the Hornets last spring. Another example, neither Dale or Holley could tell you a single catcher in the Sox minor league system when a caller brought up Varitek's contract situation.
I'm not expecting a comprehensive knowledge of all of these things from everyone on the station, but my 13 year old nephew has a greater awareness on what goes on in the sports world west of the Berkshires than any of these personalities. WEEI is a source of entertainment, not a credible newssource. Tony Maz and Rob Bradford, who both come across as extremely condescending when they are called out on the radio, aren't going to make WEEI a site of interest for people who actually follow sports at the level of the BTF community.
As for Bradford's article, it's stupid. The premise that certain players are inherently "winners" (i.e. Jeter or Pedroia) or that others simply aren't (ARod) doesn't even deserve a rebuttle.
Cocky player who plays for the Yankees = overrated jerk.
Cocky player who plays for the Red Sox = scrappy winner who plays for the love of the game.
Considering their track records & talent level, I think A-Rod has more of a right to be cocky than The David Eckstein 9000.
I think Bradford is Ringoslbying Bradford, based on the name at the end of zaniac's post.
Signed,
The guy who Ringolsbied Ringoslby.
Great to see you posting here and thanks for the answer.
He may get more attention because he plays for the Red Sox, but people always love the little guy who can succeed despite a perceived lack of natural ability by hustling, etc. Think Kirby Puckett or Lenny Dykstra.
Yes, ARod has more of a right to be cocky. On the other hand, Pedroia has proved more people wrong. No one ever said anything about ARod as a young player except that he would be a superstar. With Pedroia, there were a lot of people questioning what the Red Sox were thinking by drafting him in the second round. Pedroia has more of a right to have a chip on his shoulder. He manifests it in more of a playful manner than a mean-spirited one.
Now - as for the Eckstein comparison - yes, they're both short middle infielders who hustle. The comparison basically ends there. Pedroia at 23 last year put up a season much better than Eckstein ever did in his career. Eckstein didn't even make it to the majors until he was 26.
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