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1. bunyon Posted: July 21, 2006 at 11:52 AM (#2106328)Still, shades of Chuck Knoblauch.
Two gutpunch losses in a row for the Yanks and they've given back most of the gains since the ASB. At least Boston is going on the road, the the WC is now quite reachable.
What about Brosius and Boone? Those guys were good in the clubhouse. This article is proof that everyone hates A-Rod in the clubhouse.
Where, exactly, is the captain?
I don't know everything there is to know about leadership. I doubt I know 10% of what there is to know about leadership. But I do know when a co-worker is struggling the person considered the group leader needs to intervene. In this case a public show of support would be appropriate. But last I checked said captain was shrugging his shoulders when asked about the home crowd booing said co-worker pretty much telling his peer to "suck it up".
Maybe tough love is needed. I certainly have no idea on the clubhouse dynamic.
But if it's not tough love then at BEST it's disinterest. Which I find highly curious.
So, folks closer to the situation explain to me why the designated captain of the squad sits idly by while the poor b*stard who plays 15 feet away from him is drowning in a sea of criticism???
Honest, I do not understand. Enlighten me.
In this case a public show of support would be appropriate.
Yeah. The captain has always been jealous of Arod's ability.
You know who Arod should call, Mike Schmidt. He understands.
ahh, little grasshopper, the actions of The Face of Baseball are beyond the ken of us mere mortals
It certainly wasn't ripping. ARod may have a damaged shoulder. He's had some real throwing problems.
But, no, that was an easy throw. Posada should have stepped in front of the plate with all that time, but the throw itself was the correct play, and it was a BAD throw. Yes, I was watching the game.
When and what did Jeter say on behalf of the lad? Because the only bit I heard was earlier in the season when folks asked Jeter about the booing which I mentioned in the prior post.
Again, I don't recall anything definitive. If he did then I stand corrected.
Did you?
It was a difficult throw that should never have been made, and that POSADA called for. He had to throw over or around the runner.
It only looks like the runner was in the way because the throw unnecessarily crossed the line on its way to the back corner of the right-handed batter's box. From the right edge of the third base cut-out to Posada's position out in front of the plate was completely unobstructed.
And, really, the throw wasn't even that bad. They still would've gotten the out if Posada hadn't been more worried about keeping the plate blocked than making the catch. Hill hadn't even reached the cut-out, so there was no reason to try keeping a foot anchored in front of the plate at the expense of reaching another two inches for the ball.
Moose did lose the next two hitter after having them up 0-2. ARod didn't have anything to do with that.
Arrr, who's that a-rap tap tapping across my bridge?
Plant and throw...
This is depressing - from A-rod to A-boot. Man I just want to see him hit a bomb a game the rest of the way and tell everyone to shove it. He should throw the next ball into the upper deck just because. Or maybe peg the runner like dodge-ball (as soon as ball hits runner, A-rod must argue that the runner is out because he got hit before he reached the base)
A-Rod = the "new" Dave Winfield
The Gods of Baseball abhor gluttony.
The Yankees -- coming off a 103 win/loss in the ALCS season -- signed Winfield in December 1980, amid much rejoicing and continued smugness from Yankee fans. From other circles, there was moaning, groaning, wailing and gnashing of teeth: "The rich get richer!" "Who can beat the Yankees now?" "They've bought another pennant! They'll win forever!"
In 1981, they went on to lose a heartbreaker of a post-season series to a historic rival, then spent the next 13 seasons away from post-season play.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Yankees -- coming off a 101 win/loss in the WS season -- traded for A-Rod February 2004, amid much rejoicing and continued smugness from Yankee fans. From other circles, there was moaning, groaning, wailing and gnashing of teeth: "The rich get richer!" "Who can beat the Yankees now?" "They've bought another pennant! They'll win forever!"
In 2004, they went on to lose a heartbreaker of a post-season series to a historic rival...
The Gods of Baseball abhor gluttony.
As I recall, the Yankees needed a third baseman at the time since the one they were going to go with blew out his knee during a basketball game. So I guess they should've stood pat and just sucked it up.
But then again, gluttony is only limited by one's allegiance to a team. Yankees getting A-Rod is gluttony, Met fans crying for Dontrelle Willis with their team holding a double digit lead in the division must be construed as astute baseball observations by a fan base well known throughout the galaxy for their magnanimity and undying devotion to God, country and Mom's apple pie.
True enough, but that doesn't mean they had to go the shiniest, most expensive toy on the shelf. There were 27 other thirdbasemen not named Rolen that they could have acquired.
And regarding your Dontrelle argument: as you would no doubt be the first to point out, the Mets haven't won anything yet...
Hey, is that a firecracker?
Babe Ruth is the original God of Baseball, and he loved gluttony.
PS: Count the ringzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I'm glad you see the difference. Saves us having to explain it to you. (But I will point out that the Mets haven't been in the post-season since 2000, and haven't won a World Series in 20 years. We might justifiably be a bit hungrier to win, without it being called gluttony, than Yankee fans circa 2004, coming off a decade of sparkling success.)
But more to the point . . . which Mets' fans around here do you hear clamoring for Willis??? Almost all of us are opposed to a Willis trade, at least any of the ones that you hear bandied about, that would essentially trade every good prospect the Mets have for Willis.
EXACTLY!
That's col', man.
Or they could have, you know, gotten a third baseman.
I'm happy to have Alex Rodriguez playing for my favorite team. He's one of the most talented players in baseball. I agree with mcgriffy. The state of sports coverage nowadays is ridiculous. With all the good stories to cover, why must the media focus on garbage like Rodriguez not being able to "handle pressure."
Peter Abraham said it best regarding Steve Phillips, who said the Yankees should trade Rodriguez.
If Posada makes the catch and Giambi doesn't make the catch, do you think Mussina would have said anything about Jeter?
BURNINATION!!!!!
What they needed was a real shortstop. They already had a second baseman (playing shortstop) and a third baseman (playing second). So they very astutely picked up the best shortstop in the game.
Then made him play third base.
1: Jeter does not actually have any real leadership role- "Captain" is a meaningless title (BTW I think its highly unlikely that any player in THAT clubhouse has, or could have a significant meaningful teamwide leadership role)
2: Jeter and ARod used to be chummy- ARod dissed Jeter in an interview, that was it, ARod was dead to him- Jeter's a grudge holder- he may be quiet about it- but it's there (kind of like how Joe DiMaggio has been protrayed in some recent hack job bios actually)
he gets to go out for the coin-toss
Plus Moose's start did nothing to improve my fantasy league team ERA.
No, Assistant Traveling Secretary.
He's from Stanford. What do you expect?
"Was it particularly difficult for you to handle the fact that your throw blew the game?"
They actually asked him if he intended to leave after the 2006 season because of the fan's criticisms.
Then they went to Mussina who did sort of throw ARod under the bus. He's a lousy teammate for sure.
ARod seems a little too calm for me. There's no way I would have let Mussina's comments to the press stand without a serious and likely heated discussion. There's just no excuse for burying a teammate when he misplays... to the outside world, he's the greatest player at the position... and you handle the differences in the privacy of the clubhouse.
If you're supposed to handle differences in the privacy of the dugout, why do you expect Little Lord Fauntleroy to be publicly upset by Mussina's comments?
plus, they were clutch! i mean, they sucked, but they were clutch.
It is becoming clear that it will be impossible for you to ever satisfy the New York fans. Therefore, I suggest that you stop trying to please them, and become every bit the villain they so desperately want you to be. A few recommendations:
1) Begin referring to yourself in the third person, as "the Rod."
2) When asked after the game about your feelings on a loss (or a win), simply repeat this mantra: "The Rod don't care long as the Rod gets paid."
3) If this response fails to satisfy reporters after a tough loss, enumerate in detail all the points in the game where your teammates and manager failed to perform. Explain that "the Rod can't do it all hisself, people."
4) Buy ten World Series rings from former players or front office personnel who are now down and out and in need of cash. Hell, buy twenty. After completing each transaction, point out to the seller that you just bough the crowning achievement of his life for as much money as you make in the time it takes you to take a dump in the morning. Wave your ring-covered fingers around the clubhouse, yelling, "Count the ringzzzzz!!"
5) Speaking of jewelry, spend more money than most people make in their lives on a huge, diamond-encrusted piece of bling reading "CHOKER LIFE."
6) Take every opportunity to show up the opposing team. When you hit a home run, don't trot around the bases. Walk. The important thing is that at no time should both your feet ever be off the ground. As you walk, perhaps take out an antique pipe and smoke it with a thoughtful look on your face. Or take out a block of wood and a knife and begin whittling.
7) Cloak yourself in as much body armor (preferably diamond-encrusted) as the rules allow, so that you can shrug off the fastballs that will come hurtling after you after the above incidents, and skip merrily to first base.
8) Make sure to always insult the memories of beloved sports figures from the past. For example, if a reporter asks you what you think about the campaign to retire Roberto Clemente's number, respond, "The Rod ain't heard of this Clemento cat, but so long as fools still get to wear the Rod's number, the Rod don't want to hear no more of this retiring number business, a'ight?" When the reporter counters that Clemente gave his life flying to help earthquake victims, write a check for $1,000,000 to "Earthquake Kids" and give it to the reporter, telling him to cash it the next time there's an earthquake: "Now how come the Rod don't get his number retired now? Just 'cause he ain't dumb enough to sit his ass on no plane?" (Be sure to stop payment on the check.)
9) Only endorse the most controversial and/or distasteful products, like Alex Rodriguez Home Abortion Kits, or Alex Rodriguez Heroin Nougat.
I've thought so for a long time. He should take a page out of The Rock's book - become such a heel that everyone can't help but like you.
But then again, gluttony is only limited by one's allegiance to a team. Yankees getting A-Rod is gluttony, Met fans crying for Dontrelle Willis with their team holding a double digit lead in the division must be construed as astute baseball observations by a fan base well known throughout the galaxy for their magnanimity and undying devotion to God, country and Mom's apple pie.
They're all idiots. Got it?
I'm infinitely more reminded of the Ivana/Donald Christmas gift gag on SNL than I am of O. Henry's original short story.
No one could ever say the Yankees aren't wallowing in their own Versaille-like excess. Their total salary (and that of the Red Sox) vs. any other team, let alone the league average? The Yankees are the most purchased championships and playoff apearances of all time.
I don't think I've ever heard something so stupid.
I believe Krusty the Clown has already cornered that market.
"Krusty-Brand Home Pregnancy Test (Warning: may cause birth defects)"
As some diehard baseball fans may know, Derrick Turnbow of the Brewers is really stinking up the joint. As the Brewers "closer", he has gacked away 9 (maybe 10) games by his lonesome in the last six weeks. His ERA has almost tripled in the time. He can't throw a strike and when he does guys like Johnny Estrada are cranking 400 foot homers off him to win games. He has been out and out dreadful. But throughout this time not just Ned Yost but player after player has spoken out publicly in support of Derrick. "He's going through a tough spell right but he's the guy we want out there." is the standard remark from Carlos Lee to Jeff Cirillo. Frankly, I think the whole team is populated by morons, but you have to admire the loyalty.
Here's Alex, not doing a quarter of bad as Derrick, but taking 135,633 times the grief and his teammates respond..............BY JOINING IN!!!
I understand that at the end of the day I am a hayseed from backwater Wisconsin who doesn't understand big city ways. But yumpin' yiminy, just seems pretty darn callous to me.
Not trying to play "The Baseball Whisperer" but one has to suspect that Alex just might be quite the "arse" to experience such a complete lack of public support. That or the Yankees are a bunch of sociopaths. Because the quickie definition of a sociopath is an absence of empathy.
Just my 3 pence on the topic. Again, thanks in advance for any local insights........
and HW, you're not a hayseed. you're at least a bushel of mature hay. and i'm from backwater upstate ny, so i have no more way of reckonin them big city ways than you do, except that my parents and all of my friends' parents are from the city, but joe, derek, et all may feel that consoling and supporting alex privately is the better option for some reason, or perhaps alex suggested it himself. then again, the yankees themselves defending alex every second of every day would go a long way to partially (perhaps not wholly) shutting up the media and the ######## in the stands. so maybe they just don't like alex. or maybe they are sociopaths.
i was always under the impression that mussina is kind of a dick and rarely interacts with the other guys on the team. i don't follow that stuff as much as i should though.
problem with this is that the media attention seems to bother alex a lot more than it might other guys. besides, it's unlikely the media will spend their time going after only one other guy. diffusing it amongst the players, especially amongst the players who would handle it better, might be a good idea.
giambi certainly seems to have lucked out, hasn't he?
Alex Rodriguez's Salvation Miracles Revival Crusade at Madison Square Garden.
Unclutch indeed.
6) Take every opportunity to show up the opposing team. When you hit a home run, don't trot around the bases. Walk. The important thing is that at no time should both your feet ever be off the ground. As you walk, perhaps take out an antique pipe and smoke it with a thoughtful look on your face. Or take out a block of wood and a knife and begin whittling.
Your jokes are hit or miss, but you hit both of these out of the park. It's time for you to take out a couple of blocks of wood.
I don't, and I don't.
I think, based on what I've seen of Arod's public persona, particularly in that interview, that he's either got an exceptional poker face, or he didn't get very upset over Mussina's comments.
I think it would have been acceptable to say something like "One of the things I like about this team is that we rarely allow one person's error to let any of us meltdown. We're always picking up a teammate after a mistake rather than letting the game get away. I guess we just couldn't get that done tonight."
It would be civil enough that he could plausibly deny throwing Mussina under the bus, but would show a little fire against the guy who clearly buried him.
awesome.
The best part is that it has united sports talk radio. It used to be that if you were a Mets fan, you call up and talk about the Mets and ##### about Yankee fans. If you were a Yankee fan, you talk about the Yankees and ##### about Mets fans. Now, everyone can call up and give their views on A-Rod: he sucks; he's great, I'll take him; Yankee fans are spoiled; he can't handle the pressure; Jeter should do something; David Wright is better; etc.
The Man has brought together an entire city.
And for the rest of you who don't understand what the hell is going on and feel bad for A-Rod, well, who cares already. A-Rod's only chance to be beloved in his hometown - to have a statue of him built outside the stadium - was back in Seattle. He left that behind because, well, $20 million a year wasn't enough and he didn't want to lose those four homers a year. Power to him. However, if you actively seek out the mantle of highest salaried sports star in North American history, and you want to do it on baseball's most hallowed ground, then he should expect to be treated like the mercenary that he is.
I love you J Michael Neal.
Well, $20 million for 4/5 years is different than $25 for 10 years. If you would honestly turn down over $150 million, I'd say you're absolutely crazy.
I think most folks would've responded: "I hear ya man--don't blame you." We like money, shoot everybody likes money. Rodriguez would've spoken our language. It's all the B.S. that irks people. Had he taken this approach and [when he] wanted out he could've simply said "I really enjoyed Texas and am grateful for everything they did and maybe was dazzled by the dollar signs but I really want a ring badly and I think they're a few years away here."
He might've gotten some static from this but I doubt he'd be the target he is now. He's tried to build an image/monument to himself by being "Mr. Perfect" but people don't relate to that in others. If you're trying to come across as flawless folks are going to look hard for flaws. If you come across as human with the blemishes that come along with it people will be more forgiving because we tend to be more tolerant of our own kind of folks.
Best Regards
John
I agree with much of that John, but I also think Arod is marked just for the money.
You cannot be paid that much money and not have certain expectations of performance to go along with it.
Moreover, from the Yankee fans standpoint, ARod not only cost them cash, but they cost them Soriano. There is a big difference in expectation depending on what the player has cost you.
If Arod were 24 and in his second year from the Clippers, the Yankee fans would probably be arguing about how he's "better than David Wright", but he's not. He cost cash, which probably isn't equated by Yankee fans, but did prohibit the Rangers and was seen by Ranger fans. He also cost a useful player.
Point taken but I seem to remember a lot of columns predicting that A-Rod would be the first $20M player and would likely get a 10-year deal. I made a prediction when I was with MLBtalk where I said that (because of Scott Boras) the bidding for A-Rod would begin at 10 years/$200M. Shoot, Boras was priming everybody through the media for that very baseline.
In short, A-Rod's contract wasn't far off what folks were predicting so there's more involved in the vitriol.
Having said that, I hadn't considered the loss of Soriano in the equation of Yankee fans feel about The Rod. I'll amend my point to state that he'd get less grief around the league had he been more candid.
Best Regards
John
He left that behind because, well, $20 million a year wasn't enough and he didn't want to lose those four homers a year. Power to him. However, if you actively seek out the mantle of highest salaried sports star in North American history, and you want to do it on baseball's most hallowed ground, then he should expect to be treated like the mercenary that he is.
Who says no to 80 million more? 80 million? And Texas was coming off a division win. And it was 80 million more!
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