The game ended with Alex Rodriguez as a spectator again, and this time he didn’t exactly greet the demotion with a smile that lit up the room.
This time, he didn’t sound as supportive as he did the night before, when Raul Ibanez turned Game 3 into his career highlight reel and put the Yankees on the brink of a first-round victory. This time, Rodriguez pursed his lips and made his feelings pretty clear: He might have gone 1-for-4 with two more strikeouts, but he wasn’t the only guy who looked clueless against Baltimore pitching.
And he also made this clear: He didn’t expect to get lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 13th inning of the Yankees’ 2-1 defeat, which ended when Eric Chavez lined out to the game’s hero, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado.
“No, no — obviously I’ve gotten a look at this guy for a couple of days now,” Rodriguez said of closer Jim Johnson, “and I hoped it was a little bit different today, but it wasn’t.”
It wasn’t.
Joe Girardi had let the world know what time it was Wednesday night when he lifted A-Rod in the ninth and turned Ibanez into the darling of the Bronx, so this call wasn’t exactly surprising.
Repoz
Posted: October 12, 2012 at 05:51 AM |
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It's interesting to me that Granderson (9 Ks in 15 ABs) is having a worse series than ARod, yet no one seems to be talking about that.
After four games of Kamitoze attacks it's getting hard to distinguish one stiff from another, given that Jeter, Martin and Ibanez are the only Yankees who've contributed much more than a loud foul and a few 3-2 counts to the offense. But I've heard plenty of comments about Granderson's own brand of helplessness.
Based on no more than anyone else here knows, I truly don't think that A-Rod is a jerk. I think he's the clueless very socially awkward person that no one likes. Not the kind of nerd that people find adorable, the kind that people don't really want to have anything to do with on a personal level. However, he happened to be blessed with more baseball talent than nearly anyone on the planet.
I mean, maybe I'm wrong, but that's always how he struck me.
My impression is more that he's kind of a bland narcissist. That said, the Yankees aren't treating him fairly but if they want to crap the last 117 million they owe him down the toilet, I won't cry about it.
I mean, I'd offer some middling prospect(s) and to take on the bonus clauses for milestones if all I have to pay yearly is 3-4 million. I think the Yanks would be crazy to do it. But, maybe they're crazy.
Scathing comments.
That was my take too. Frankly, the difference in reaction can probably be chalked up to the differing emotions between "Hey we won!" and "Crud we lost."
I don't feel too bad for him but I think Rodriguez is treated as unfairly as any player in baseball. I've never seen him involved in a play where I thought he was loafing, he tried to accept less money to go to Boston then switched positions despite being the reigning Gold Glover at his position after a trade. He's far from perfect and I can certainly understand why Ranger fans wouldn't be enamored of him but it is just laughable the way the sharks circle this guy.
This is from an article at WEEI in Boston yesterday about AJ Burnett. I think you can change "AJ Burnett" to "Alex Rodriguez" and it rings true;
Yeah, it's really telling that he's cooled down from his torrid .250/.325/.360 September, which includes .247/.333/.294 in his last 21 games.
EDIT: Cano and Swisher have "spit the bit," if you want to get into that sort of talk. They're both healthy, capable hitters. Alex Rodriguez just isn't a great hitter anymore and, on top of that, he's old and banged up.
Especially in 2009.
Fluke outlier.
Princess Purple Lips used to beat you up? I'm so glad you got out of that relationship.
AROD is the ballplayer of all time I would least like to hang out with, somewhere below Lenny Dykstra, Steve Garvey, Pete Rose, Curt Schilling, Chad Curtis, and the zombie-reanimated corpse of Chick Gandil. But even I never saw him for a single moment here in Texas fail to bust his gut on the field.
I think my vote would probably be for Ugueth Urbina.
Doesn't appear that way:
Career vs. RHB: .663 OPS
Career vs. LHB: .626 OPS
Dick Williams, then?
I think my vote would probably be for Ugueth Urbina.
Chad Curtis or any other sanctimonious bornagain proselytizer.
As it so happens, I have hung out with ARod, at a $500 pp charity poker event. He was very friendly. Had some interesting things to say, believe it or not.
He wasn't at my table, though. Cal Ripken was. Someone asked Ripken to autograph a $5 bill since that's the only piece of paper he had. Ripken looked up and said, "Is it legal for me to sign this? Any attorneys here?" I assured him that he wouldn't be arrested for it. As long as he had paid his taxes.
Not Pierzynski?
That's good.
Ugueth Urbina.
My mom knew him when he was in Philly as she volunteers for the ALS walk, and had never had anything bad to say about him.
He had a farm or something in Venezuela. Down there, he poured gasoline on and then attempted to machete some of the people working on his farm.
ARod has a higher career playoff OPS (.852) than Derek Jeter (.844).
Yes, and while we're into nostalgia, let's bring back Lou Gehrig, whose 1932 postseason is about as relevant today as A-Rod's 2009.
I hope you advised him of the "at gunpoint" corollary. Seriously, though, cool story.
I think the contract isolated A-Rod from his teammates to such an extent that it's hard for him. I don't know why it should, but it appeared to. I think A-Rod would be interesting to hang out with. Worst would be someone that I root for, like Lincecum, because he wouldn't be how I'd want him to be.
***
I think A-Rod would be a good target for the Phillies, if the Yankees were to pick up everything but around 10 million a year. It would solve a lot of problems for them.
This is the kind of over the top ######## that ARod has to put up with.
http://deadspin.com/5394232/a+rod-news-from-the-you-cant-make-this-stuff-up-department
Dead on. The "A-Rod is a choker" criticisms made a lot more sense when they were directed towards postseasons following MVP-quality years by A-Rod. 2012 A-Rod is ravaged by injury/age and it's crazy to expect him to be a dominant force. He spent the last month of the regular season looking like a guy who lacks the physical capacity to excel at hitting MLB pitching; why would that change in the postseason?
Discuss.
Also, players I would like to hang out with: Pedro Martinez and Carlos Delgado. They both seem pretty smart and funny.
Players I would not like to hang out with: Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling. I don't think I need to explain.
I don't think I would like to hang out with most players. Becoming a baseball player probably isn't that interesting for the most people.
Yeah, they've been looking for a veteran who is almost guaranteed to spend time on the DL. Can't have enough of 'em. :) Heck, pick up Josh Hamilton and see if J. D. Drew wants a comeback. That one day when everyone is in the lineup would be awesome.
I've been mulling over the ARod scenario and it's the 5 years left that I can't see working one bit. I'm even ready to propose an offer to the Cubs to take Soriano at a smallish % of what he is owed but can't decide if I'd offer practice balls or sunflower seeds in return. If the Phils get Upton and say some kind of semi-plausible 3B alternative, Soriano could almost make sense for LF. Trouble is, there doesn't appear to be a semi-plausible 3B out there.
How about A-Rod (and cash) for Carl Crawford? Crawford's signed for 5 years already, the Dodgers need a 3Bmen and right now they have nowhere to play Yasel Puig.
When ARod was under contract in Seattle this stuff never came up. The contract is what is causing it all.
Guys like Schilling, who love the game and love talking about the game, would be great fun even of I just ended up sitting there while he held forth. John Smoltz, whose politics I find repellent, clearly would be a great guy to talk baseball with. Pete Rose, who is obviously personally repellent, equally obviously is fascinating to talk to. I am sure Jeter and Arod would have some interesting stuff to say. The issue with The Rod is that he just seems like he'd be so difficult to talk to, private, guarded, and deeply weird.
I mean if I'm out at a bar or something and the guy next to me happens to be Brad Pitt and we're all in a good and talkative mood that is one thing but I'm not setting up some sort of man-date with celebrity X just so I can hang out and shoot the breeze with them.
And I'm amazed no one has mentioned the truly worst ballplayer to hang out with: Chris Truby. He'll swallow your soul!
But then throw in getting sideways with The Captain because of a comment the media picked up, having a agent who makes a big announcement about you in the middle of a postseason game, and cavorting with Madonna while you're married, and you're going to be subjected to electron microscopy.
Yeah, he hasn't said the exactly right thing some times.
I met Maddux in a professional capacity, and my experience didn't support that POV. Maybe he'd be more engaging in a friendly setting, but I have no interest in finding out.
Brooks Robinson, OTOH, was one of the nicest fellas I've ever met, and an absolute treat to talk baseball with.
Or, say, Curtis Granderson, who's getting a total pass even though he's been terrible.
You'd rather hang out with Guillermo Mota? Come on.
I mean how many MLBers have committed assault with intent to kill with a machete?
He's getting savaged on the RLYW chats, if it makes you feel any better.
He should be traded this offseason. What an awful deal that was.
Well, at the very least, hopefully this season showed the powers that be that they don't need to save $ in the budget to re-sign him.
Sure, but it is still one of the great posts of all time. Most of us wish we could spawn a meme (sounds kind of dirty when you say it like that).
I like hanging out with most anyone if they have something they are interested in and are not complete morons (I am not fond of stupid people, I am biased that way). I met a bunch of sports types back when I was a bartender at a resort in Illinois. Hockey players are in fact the best. Jim McMahon was obnoxious but pretty cool.
Well, at the very least, hopefully this season showed the powers that be that they don't need to save $ in the budget to re-sign him.
Concur. It seems like a no-brainer now. Extend Cano, make a qualifying offer to Swisher/re-sign him if the deal is shortish, and let Granderson walk after 2013.
Yeah, what a disaster. A centerfielder that can hit 40 homeruns - get rid of the bum.
Maybe for nostalgia's sake we can reprise Andy's 3-year-long jihad against A-Jax, particularly its feverish zenith wherein it was averred that he didn't possess a single major league caliber skill.
Have you seen him bat recently? He's whiffing at a ~50% rate.
The forty+ HR only got him to a 116 OPS+, and he's a bad CF now, and will make $15M next season.
He's not a disaster, but he did have a .319 obp this season, plays mediocre defense, will be 32 before next season begins, and will be seeking a 9-figure deal that is far too long. For once, the Yankees should let someone else overpay for his services.
That said, I do hope that once his playing days are over Granderson comes back to NY and runs for Mayor.
I can't believe I forgot about RA. He's a pretty interesting guy.
Hank Scorpio? Is that you?
The Yanks could decline his option, but they won't, because he's a very good baseball player.
It wasn't awful. Not at all. Granderson has hit 40 plus homeruns his past two seasons and finished fourth in the MVP voting last year.
And before we put Austin Jackson in the HOF, let's remember he fell off a cliff after a hot start in his rookie year, was awful last year and after his great first half this year started playing more like what he actually is - slightly above average hitter who is a great defender. He's likely not going to replicate this season again.
Kennedy had a great, but completely unexpected 2011 and fell back into what you would expect him to be in the NL this year. He'd be chewed up and spit out in the AL.
You got me there. Who's this "A-Jax" without a single ML caliber skill, and what jihad are you talking about?
EDIT: Okay, I guess you mean Austin Jackson, who's had his breakthrough year in 2012 after posting an 88 OPS+ last year. My knock against him was his srikeout rate combined with a lack of power, both of which he's improved in since then. Glad I was wrong.
You've been on the warpath against the guy for 3 years.(*) There was a thread, I'm thinking last spring, representing the zenith of which I speak. I seem to remember saying something like, "He's a gold glove caliber defender" by way of addressing the (rather comical) claim that he offered essentially nothing to a major league team.
(*) In the sense of singling out a certain player for continuous criticism -- eomething I don't recall you doing for any other current player.
Totally agree. Whenever I've crossed paths (sometimes literally) with a celbrity my wife always wants to say something and I always want to just let them be. I don't need to be added to the list of people that disturb them on a daily basis. I saw Hank Aaron in a Milwaukee restaruant 3 weeks ago. That really tested my resolve on this issue. As he was being shown to his table he passed me at the bar and I smiled and nodded at him. That was good enough.
He's been a 5+ WAR player every year of his career.
I represented Lance Johnson in a divorce proceeding when he was coming off of an All Star season with the ChiSox and had just signed with the Mets. He was nice enough, but always detached. While working for him, I met a couple of other Mets players, but the only person who stood out was Bernard Gilkey's wife, just about the nicest person around.
I spent two years working as co-counsel on a case with a lawyer by the name of Alan Koch. It was only after two years of small talk about everything from fishing in Mobile Bay to Auburn football that he mentioned that he had played for the Tigers and Senators in the 60s before quiting baseball to go to law school. Once I got him started, he had some funny stories about playing with Don Zimmer and others from that generation.
Lastly, I had a case where the opposing counsel was Steadman Shealy. He introduced himself as, "you may remember me, I'm Steadman Shealy. I was Bear Bryant's quarterback when we won the national championship in '79." That was his introduction no matter where you were or who you were with - everything had become secondary to that brief time as a twenty year old on top of the world.
Please tell me he does that intro in Troy McClure voice.
That's what I've always thought. If I had a time machine, I wouldn't waste it on stupid #### like this but let's say you could go back and convince Alex to resign with Seattle. Then he's the good guy right? Barry Larkin, Ozzie Smith, hometown hero type? At least until the steroid thing hits. Those would have been some good years for him.
One wonders if Pujols will end up in the same boat.
Rodriguez vs. Hammel in his career, including this postseason: 8 hits, 24 at bats, four homers, .333/.448/.833
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