Rodriguez in the spotlight already
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Feb 07, 2007 
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Alex Rodriguez signed books yesterday and talked about some (old) topics headed into the season.
Unfortunately, these topics will permeate the season. There is nothing A-Rod can do to change how people think until October and that’s eight months away. A long eight months as far as he will be concerned.
I wasn’t there, but my understanding is that the PR people from his publisher tried to rush reporters away from him after three minutes. A bit of a scrum broke out and one overzealous police officer got involved. It took a bit before order was restored and the interview continued.
All this is a book store of all places.
No, it’s not Alex’s fault. But these type of things don’t help. For whatever reason, it’s never easy with him.
UPDATE, 1:30 p.m.: Perhaps I should have made this more clear in the initial post, but the reporters WERE INVITED there by A-Rod’s people. And, please, no newspaper reporter tossed him a ball.
And when any celebrity hires people to work for him – public relations people, security people, etc. – then they are responsible for their actions. That is a given.
Arod needs to just tell everyone to shut the hell up and he will talk to them at the end of the season. Why do the NY media seem intent on trying to run him out of town? I really think he is going to have a big year…win or lose. Hopefully, win.
I have to ask…was the PR person trying to rush reporters away before or after, one of them threw a baseball towards Alex when he wasn’t looking? Who does that kind of thing? It wasn’t intended to hurt him and sounds like the guy just wanted it signed…but clearly there are better ways to go about doing that and I would suspect that a sports reporter would know that. Besides wasn’t he there to sign books for children? Not answer questions about what may or may not happen in Oct/Nov.
To bad much of the sports media doesn’t hold themselves to even half the standards they hold Alex to.
A-Rod has a humungous contract, has been referred to as “the greatest player today”, and, some say, may go down as “the best player ever”. He also plays for the NY Yankees. Additionally, this is not the 1960s Yankees where reporters turned their faces as Mantle, Martin, and Ford caroused and canoodled with the cream of the cavorting crop (too much alliteration?). These are the days when non-stories become BIG stories and off-hand quotes become front page news.
A-Rod has received what he asked for: he got lots of money, and plays for the Yankees; he also received everything that comes with it. It is no wonder that even a little book signing turns into a kerfuffle.
If that’s true about the baseball thing, then I hope that overzealous policeman tazed a few reporters.
It was Jim BamBauch of Newsday who was pushout by Police.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/spo.....kees/blog/
Thats not a fair quote “But these type of things don’t help. For whatever reason, it’s never easy with him” .. what could have he really done? Ppl shud not forget that it was the publisher’s people that were doing this.. and he asked the reporters to not go away and spoke with them for a fair amount of time..
i guess there is a real fear among reporters.. that they are going to run out of non-winning superstars..
Peter dont stoop to their level.. the reason this blog is good n popular is because ppl trust u are consistent and impartial.. sadly when it comes to ARod.. u dont seem to be
A-Rod is a huge asset to the team. People treat him like a bum and he is really one of the best things going on the NYY. Its a shame that things like this happen to him.
Is it safe to assume that the timing of the ESPN article (same day as his book signing) was no accident? The news of his ability to opt out came out weeks ago, why else would it be brought up again now other than to turn a book signing for CHILDREN into a media circus? Was there even anything new in the article that wasn’t said before?
I agree 100% that being a celebrity, you forfeit some or most of your privacy (not that I agree it should be that way, but I get that it’s just how it goes) and open yourself up for extra scrutiny, but couldn’t this have waited until Spring Training? How many little kids were pushed out of the way during this little scrum?
In Peter’s defense, it didn’t sound to me as though he was impartial, rather just commenting on A-Rod’s bad luck (for lack of a better term) and the fact that the guy can’t buy a break, even when he’s trying to do something good for kids. He comes across as a social misfit even when he himself didn’t actually do anything but sign some books for kids and talk to reporters about topics unrelated to why he was there.
and I do acknowledge that we fans want it both ways, media defense would be, “you want quotes, you want news, but then you want us to leave them alone…” I for one, could have waited and as much as I look at the papers’ websites each morning looking for news, there’s only so much I need to read about the same thing with the same answers. The Rocket is a perfect example, “no decision yet,” “no decision yet,” “no decision yet…”
Don’t say “he deserves this” or “he gets what he asked for”. He’s just trying to live his life and play the game like everyone else. Yes he chose to play in New York; so what, it’s a city with a baseball team. He took the biggest contract: who wouldn’t?
I don’t know that Pete was trying to bash A-Rod with what he wrote. I think he was more making an observation that things often become a circus when it concerns A-Rod. Not that its always his fault, but that that’s the way it is.
As for me, I was hating A-Rod last season, but this season is a clean slate and I hope he can perform up to his talent. Whats more, I don’t really care if his offensive numbers are the same as last year (since they were pretty good even in an off year) so long as he cuts those errors down a lot. If he wins any award next season, I’m hoping its a gold glove.
How ridiculous would it be if he won a comeback player of the year award? I could imagine the article about that. “Coming back from a tumultuous 2006 season where he only batted .290, with 35 homeruns, and 121 RBI’s, A-Rod has returned to form batting .330 with 55 homeruns, and 150 RBI’s. 30 of those homeruns were in clutch situations beating out David Ortiz who only had 20 homeruns in the season after losing his protection in the batting order when Nancy Drew and Mommy Ramirez came down with hypowussinitis early in the season. Because of these phenomenal acheivement, he has earned the Comeback Player of the Year Award.”
actually, the timing of the ESPN article was incidental. ESPN is doing a Hot Stove Heater type rundown of topics leading up to the reporting day for pitchers and catchers at Srping Training. They started with articles about the league’s best stadiums, and for example, today they will have one of their writers publish an article on the best overall lineup in the league.
It just happened to be that yesterday’s topic was “rumor,” and ARod’s opting out seems to be the biggest rumor heading into the 2007 season.
Scott, I don’t think it’s a matter of deserving this or that, but it is to be expected that you forfeit some aspects of “normal life” when you become any kind of celebrity. Most kids still grow up wanting to be famous, but the definition of famous is added attention and a lot of negatives come with the territory. Like I said, I don’t think they deserve it or that it’s right, just that it’s to be expected.
As far as the NY thing, same logic, know what you’re getting into. Anyone who doesn’t know that the spotlight is brighter and microscope bigger in NY must live in a cave somewhere.
Again, big difference between deserving something and accepting the negatives that come with a situation ahead of time and still entering into that situation.
Thanks TurnTwo, didn’t realize it was part of a series like that… Still think the timing of the “Rumor” day could have been intentional, but maybe not.
I guess it doesn’t really matter, I’m sure the reporters at the book signing didn’t need to be reminded, they would have asked him the same questions anyway.
ESPN has to find SOME way to keep its readership interested after the Super Bowl. I find it no coincidence at all that this A-Rod business comes up not 2 days after the Super Bowl ended. The sad part is that people keep reading.
If they want something to do, they should just cover hockey or something. That’s a sport that doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Hey Pete, don’t you think you are a little biased with that comment? Are you telling me no other players’ agents or body guards or PR people ever get into it a little with reporters? Things are *always* so difficult with A-Rod in relation to everyone else? Come on, lay off the guy at least until the season starts.
I wasnt reading that as ARod is difficult, but that people craze over this guy to get a quote and the situation around Arod becomes difficult.
Any chance Arod works out an extension that forfeits the opt out clause in his contract. He could opt out and get more than the 72mil he is guaranteed though maybe not the same annually. The only problem with an extension is that Bor-ass will want to make a splash and get another long, huge deal. Boras said a player of his stature has not been defined in the new market yet (that doesn’t sound promising.) Any insight on this?? I think locking him up for another 7-8 years would be good. Even if they are all not in NY.
Thus far my favorite A-Rod quote is this:
“It’s been a while since we’ve won here in New York (2000). I think we’re very anxious to get this world championship back in the city where it belongs.”
Let’s do it in 2007.
A Rod just needs to get off to a good start. Playing well takes care of all ills.
And every Yankee fan should be hoping thats the case since hes one of the keys to the yr
and whether ARod wants the burden of another, huge blockbuster contract might not matter. Even if Arod wanted to be a nice guy and sign for like $5 million a year, not only would Boras not let him do that, but the Players Association wouldnt, either.
ARod, not only in the best interest of himself and his family, but in the eyes of many players also headed towards free agency this year, needs to make as much money as he can to help reset the market (as Boras has mentioned).
Players will always look out for and consider the best interests other players in this brotherhood known as MLB.
Scott
Earlier, when I said he “got what he asked for”, I don’t mean to begrudge what he has. But the fact is that he DOES get what he deserves. He makes lots of money – and more power to him. He plays for a storied franchise in all of sports in the biggest market in the country. He wanted to be traded here, he wants to play and succeed here. He knew exactly what he was doing. So, logic dictates: he got what he asked for.
Does he “deserve” to be booed or scrutinized? Well, I suppose that’s debatable but if he didn’t know how his failures would be construed by this media, then he was foolish.
For the record, I will always support an individual’s right to work for whatever money someone is willing to pay. A baseball player IS worth his salary if an owner feels the money will come back as increased profit. But, like any high-paying job, there are pressures that come with it and each individual should be prepared to face them.
One thing is for sure, the free-agent baseball market is insane. Just when teams were shying away from big, A-Rod type contracts because they saw the shackles they put on a team like his did Texas, this year teams like the Cubs turn around and revert to old mistakes. That could end up being very bad for us in this situation, whether it be giving him a huge contract or losing him to one.
I know what you mean, Peter. But part of the problem here is A-Rod’s image in general. If something goes wrong it’s easy to blame A-Rod for it. If the same thing had happened at a Jeter signing, I think we would be reading very different articles about it.
The sad irony is that A-Rod seems to know he has an image problem and works hard to fix it, but his efforts come across as self-conscious and artificial, and just make things worse.
The problem isn’t just waiting until October to silence his critics. Clutch hits during the regular season will help, too. I have to admit I’m now one of his critics. I defended him until about the middle of last season. Then I gave up. I’m tired of seeing his weak swing and popouts when the Yanks most need a hit. For the life of me, I can’t figure out when he gets his 120 RBI, and I watch every game.
And he doesn’t help himself with the lamo interviews he gives. Remember that phony excuse about an injury last season? What injury? Why even mention it if your’re not going to disclose what, exactly, is injured.
Win, lose or draw A-Rod is leaving.
Think of it this way: imagine if this whole blog thread was about you. And this was just one of a thousand blog threads about you and whether you’re good enough or care enough or tough enough at your job. And every day on the radio people bashed you for getting a tan, or writing a children’s book, or hitting a home run yesterday but not today.
Would you stick around in those circumstances when you could a) opt out, b) potentially make more money and c) play in a city with a lot less media attention?
Remember, A-Rod is not a Yankee fan, he’s a professional baseball player – big difference.
Designated Blogger,
I’m with you. That’s exactly how I felt about his numbers last year. Though he did have some clutch hits, it was a common thing. I remember the homerun against the Mets that won that game, and I was very happy for him, but he just couldn’t replicate it. I think the most frustrating thing about him last season was all the errors. This season will be different. Hopefully the chip will be off his shoulder and he’ll be able to perform well.
Turn Two wrote: “and whether ARod wants the burden of another, huge blockbuster contract might not matter. Even if Arod wanted to be a nice guy and sign for like $5 million a year, not only would Boras not let him do that, but the Players Association wouldnt, either.”
Valid points, but he is in absolutely no obligation to excercise the out clause. He controls the option to make this a non-issue until 2009.
Part of the problem with his clutch hitting is that his game winning hits aren’t always walk-offs. While’s he’s certainly frustrated us many times with the game on the line, he’s also won a lot of games that people don’t realize because the big hit or key hit was in the early or middle innings, obviously a lot less dramatic. Somewhere last week I read something from last year that talked about how he was actually 2nd only to Pujols in the league at that point (I think it was around August when it was written) in game winning RBI. Granted, a big hit in the 4th or 5th inning may carry less pressure than in the 9th, but it makes it no less valuable and Jeter and lots of other guys have gone down looking to end the game plenty of times too.
robthehoople
Avid alliteration as that asks acknowledgement of anothers ability to amuse and arouse all, specially bout ARod who I hope has a critic crashing season just playing his wonderful game.
Most members of the Media couldn’t perform their jobs under that kind of scrutiny and daily bashing but they have the Power of the Press and don’t always use it wisely because bashing people sells. The exception to that is when they bash a guy so low that he is now the underdog and just one reporter springs to his defense and everyone else jumps on the already rolling bandwagon because now it costs nothing to follow.
Alex Rodriguez may end up being one of the best baseball players EVER. And any Yankee fan who doesn’t see that and any Yankee fan who boos him, is a halfwit. Plain and simple.
I hate the “he deserves the scrutiny” because of his contract. He doesn’t deserve to be booed mercilessly ONE SEASON AFTER HE WINS THE LEAGUE MVP AWARD. Oh that’s right he only had 35 HRs and he wasn’t clutch. Clutch, schmutch.
And people wonder why other fans hate Yankee fans so much.
Oh and another thing. There are 25 guys on a team. It’s not A Rod’s responsibilty to bring NY a championship. He can help but he cannot, contrary to what the media say, do it alone.
Stacy,
Yankee fans are hard on their players, but that’s what makes playing in New York so intriguing. Yankee fans have high expectations of their team and of their players. Not everyone can make it in New York. If the fans didn’t spare Bernie from getting booed his rookie year do you really think they would spare A-Rod now? But Bernie’s story has a surprise ending. He ends up winning over the fans, performs amazingly in both regular season and post season play, takes home 4 championship rings, and becomes one of the most loved Yankees in history. A-Rod can definately win over the fans he just needs to perform the way he is capable.
And I will also say this. There were many times during A-Rod’s rough stretches last season where the fans actually stood up and cheered him to see if they could get a clutch hit out of him. I would be watching at home and waiting for the boo’s to pour in, but instead they start cheering him. More often than not, he didn’t get the hit they wanted.
Stacey,
Great players don’t always win you championships (see NY Yankees 2001-2006). It takes gamers, scrappy players, winners, clutch hitters. NY is a tough town and it’s all about winning the WS. If a player doesn’t produce he gets booed. Period. I can boo ARod if I choose, and I’m not a dimwit. I want results, that’s all. Don’t diminish the need for clutch playing (“clutch schmutch”). If I remember correctly, ARod’s fielding and hitting mysteriously picked up after the big series against Boston, after they built a 10-game lead. I want clutch, Stacey.
Booing your own players is stupid. And it doesn’t solve anything.
Like I said Alex Rodriguez is not the only player on the team. It is not his sole responsiblity to win the World Series. It is a TEAM effort. Is it A Rod’s fault the rest of the greatest lineup ever assembled did nothing against Detroit? Apparently so. I guess it’s A Rod’s fault Matsui and Sheffield left a combined 31 men on base during the 2005 ALDS. It’s also A Rod’s fault Mo gave up a game winning home run to David Ortiz during the 2004 ALCS and its his fault that the team went into a coma for games 4-7. I suppose it’s A Rod’s fault the Yankees signed Randy Johnson, Carl Pavano and Jaret Wright and that they didn’t exactly wow everyone.
How quickly Yankee “fans” forget 1983-1995? Or the CBS years in the late 60s and early 70s when they couldn’t even make the playoffs after winning all of those championships in the 40s and 50s.
What the Yankees did from 1996-2000 was magical. And in this era of free agency and inflated contracts it may never be duplicated. See the WS winners of the past 6 years. No repeats.
That being said you cannot expect the Yankees to win the World Series every year. They could win 118 games in 2007 and then have a bad 3 days in the ALDS and lose. Nothing is guaranteed and THAT is not A Rod’s fault. So really stop booing him.
Oh and Fernando, it’s Stacey with an “e”. Thanks.
A Rod shouldn’t have to win a ring to get the respect of Yankee fans. The fact that he is one of the best players ever should be enough. Giambi and Moose don’t have rings. Maybe I’ll start booing Moose when he has a bad game. Or boo Giambi when he has 2 walks instead of 3.
-Rod again shows why he’s hard to embrace
Yankees third baseman’s grandiose statements never ring true with fans
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17015315/
Mike Celizic proves why he is, bar none, the worst writer in sports.Mike celizic is a idiot and worthless sob . i cant believe he still has a job. he knows nothing about what he writes about. is almost universally wrong with his predictions, and yet, still gets first page coverage on msnbcsports.com EVERY DAY.
I don’t know how Mike Celzic has a job.
Stacey,
In your heart of hearts, would you rather see Giambi coming up to bat in the ninth, two outs, and the game tied, or A-Rod?
Or if a game came down to whether Mussina would pitch well, or if A-Rod would hit well, who would you put your money on?
A-Rod is not a bad player by any means, but its because he’s so good that we want him to perform well when it matters. I’ll tell you one thing, the post season was ugly this year, but Posada and Jeter both had .500 batting averages in the series, Abreu batted .333 with 4 RBI’s and Damon knocked in another 3 runs. A-Rod goes 1 for 14. Yes it is a team effort, but there were members of the team performing. There were other players who also didn’t perform, but look at who they were, Matsui, Sheffield, and Giambi were coming off well-known injuries, and Cano is a baby. Randy Johnson pitched terribly, and now he’s not with the Yankees. As long as he keeps batting like that in the post season, beleive me he’s going to get booed.
Why can’t we just put Reggie Jackson’s brain in A-Rod’s body? I think that would solve everything.
Seriously. Way to take a point that almost every pro athlete worth a damn will tell you, take it far too literally, and twist it into a bad thing, way to act as if athletes should just be “happy to be here” and not reach for greatness. Great job Mike, you Moron.
I just found this from Mike Celzic’s 1st grade teacher, titled “Mikey’s ambitions” – “When I grow up, I want to be mediocre and just have fun chasing butterflies and looking at the pretty flowers”
MelHall27, I think you’re onto something there. Call Cash.
I dont think Yankees fans have forgotten anything. If aything, they remember exactly what it was like to be a fan of the team during those down periods, and dont ever want to see that again.
and the culture of the NY Yankees organization itself has bred the attitude that the fans share now; to go into a season with the expectation of winning a World Series title. Thats what makes being a fan of the NY Yankees so great, and why wee should appreciate an owner like Steinbrenner, who puts in money out of his own pocket to drive that enthusiasm. Its refreshing to know, unlike other storied organizations that have tanked in recent years, like Pittsburgh, that we can come in every year with the belief that on November 1st, I’ll be celebrating down the Canyon of Heroes with thousands of others about #27, and counting.
People dont just criticize ARod because he fails to get a hit or boots a ball for another error; everyone in the game makes mistakes. it’s tied to the unreal expectations placed on him because of the money he makes, and the image he projects, which some people read as phony or insincere.
i, personally, will not blanket root for every player on the team because they are a yankee, or because they are a great player. i recognize the type of player he is, and recognize that when his career is over, how he will go down as one of the best that ever played the game. but that does not excuse his from criticism that anyone else would get if they failed in the same situation or in the manner that he does it. i wouldnt even have an issue with him if he looked like he had a clue when he K’d out with the bases loaded, or had a big fly out with a RBI on 3rd; but he looks clueless and clumsy the majority of times when he does it.
i wont blame ARod for not winning a championship, because i recognize when you get into short series it’s all about what pitching you throw on that mound. but i am also not going to give him a free pass just because he is one player on a TEAM. he’s being paid to produce, and 4-41, or whatever he’s been in the last 13 or so playoff games, just doesnt cut it.
Whose postseason stats are these?
1996 ALDS NYY TEX .267
ALCS NYY BAL .182
WS NYY ATL .091
1997 ALDS NYY CLE .222
1998 ALDS NYY TEX .273
ALCS NYY CLE .105
WS NYY SDP .385
1999 ALDS NYY TEX .182
ALCS NYY BOS .263
WS NYY ATL .267
2000 ALDS NYY OAK .421
ALCS NYY SEA .320
WS NYY NYM .364
2001 ALDS NYY OAK .111
ALCS NYY SEA .250
WS NYY ARI .190
Who took a while before he became “clutch” in the postseason?
Stats are fun, Stacey, but numbers don’t tell the whole story.
Let’s face it, if ARod was a clutch player, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. And clutch doesn’t always show up in the batting average. You can get an RBI with a groundout or a sac fly. Even a bases loaded walk.
I like Mel’s idea of Reggie’s brain in ARod’s body. Let’s do it. Or maybe Ted Williams’ brain. We can thaw it out and plop it in.
A few general comments: This blog should not be used to bash other columnists regardless of what you or I may think about them. We have a high level of Yankees discussion here and it’s going to stay that way. Insults are not welcome.
Also, the writers were invited there by A-Rod. So obviously there were going to be questions. The PR people have to know better than to cut it off after three minutes then have cops get physical with reporters.
I don’t personally think Alex is a bad guy. But he gets bad media advice. He should have met with reporters in a back room someplace then done the signing. Everybody would have been better off.
I said it last fall and it remains true: The Yankee should have figured out a way to trade him. He is not a good fit in New York. And unless he’s the MVP of the Series, winning won’t change it. If the Yankees win this season, it will be seen as Jeter, Mo, Posada and Torre having one last celebration, not A-Rod’s validation.
Wait so the picture caption from yesterday was lying about the ball being thrown at him?
Some fan may have tossed him a ball but I can assure you that a newspaper reporter did not. That is unprofessional behavior and would get your credential revoked.
“…one last celebration…” – Who said they wouldn’t have another celebration after ’07? I don’t disagree with your point though, he not only needs to win, he needs to have played a major role and a WS MVP wouldn’t hurt.
However, if they win one with him and he has just a decent series, there is no need to point blame since we won, thus he’s at the very least off the hot seat until the next season. Let’s face facts, even a good season with a WS Title doesn’t mean he’s vindicated for life, still has to go out and perform well the next year, and the year after that, and the year after that, etc, just as they all do. As everyone loves Jeter, if his performance wasn’t so consistent, he wouldn’t get the respect and admiration he does. If he went down-hill after his 2000 WS MVP, he’d still be remembered for those magical years, but would we cheer him today if he was batting .200 every year since? or would he even still be on the team……?
I really wish A-Rod would just do what Manny Ramirez does and not talk to the media at all, it seems like everytime he does some big drama comes out of it that ends up affecting the whole team. How about for 2007 Alex you talk to reporters once during Spring Training and then just play the game?
All you Yankee “fans” who boo ARod, better wise up. If he plays up to his potential, the Yankees are going to be very successful. It’s in our best interests to cheer and support him every step of the way.
So stop booing and get behind him. In case you didn’t know, he wears an interlocking NY on his chest, he’s one of our own.
Wow, Pete you really don’t like him.
By all reports it was the Harper-Collins rep. Therefore, Alex didn’t “hire” them. If anything, they “hired” him to write a book and promote it (in the form of an advance and royalties to his charity).
And sorry to say, but some of your colleagues shouldn’t use the professional label just because someone is foolish enough to pay them. That’s not against Baumbach but baseball writers are a pretty shoddy group of journalists if you ask me. That the steroids controversy went unquestioned for years, then to become a moral firestorm, only to fade again (except at HOF time) to me speaks volumes about the status of your profession.
You’re great. But criticism of the field is warranted. A baseball blog is the perfect place for it, even if you don’t like it.
It would be sad if you started censoring honest and thoughtful criticism.
In your heart of hearts, would you rather see Giambi coming up to bat in the ninth, two outs, and the game tied, or A-Rod?
Or if a game came down to whether Mussina would pitch well, or if A-Rod would hit well, who would you put your money on?
–
on both cases i take ARod.. i think the infatuation with 9th ining HRs have grown so much since some unnaturally built player started hoisting them into Fenway’s wastelands..
people often retain and believe what they wanna.. u are not gonna change their opinion.. i do believe i saw ARod slamming Grand ones last year and game winning HRs.. ofcourse it gets lost in the hustle shown by some home-grown player be it Cano/Jeter/Posada..
the most ridiculous complaint abt ARod.. “he watches what he speaks” … hello? dont we all do it… i guess ppl wanna hear ” i hate Jeter.. i think he is over-rated.. i think he benefitted from playing in a great yankee team..” wait.. he said part of it and still got roasted..
Jim: Unless you’re in this business, you have no idea about the integrity of the New York baseball writers. This has nothing to do with steroids. This has to do with BEING INVITED to an event and then getting treated shabbily.
Sam Borden, Mark Feinsand and I just wrote a book on Chien-Ming Wang that is coming out in March in Taiwan. We have two agents and others working with us. If we’re asked to conduct interviews with journalists from Taiwan, you can bet I wouldn’t allow somebody from my publisher to order them away or treat them poorly.
I have no idea what you do for a living but I suspect if somebody asked a cop to shove you out of the way, you wouldn’t much like it.
I also didn’t censor anything or anybody. I asked posters not to insult some columnist from another website. That seems reasonable enough.
Do you think Alex is sitting by his pool thinking all I wanted to do was write a book and raise some money for charity…..that’s all!
No need to defend yourself Pete from guys just trying to get a rise from you.
Let them act like they’re 11. It shows in there shabby character.
Everyone that reads you and comes here knows what the real deal is.
Like I said in an earlier thread, many Yankee fans booed Jeter when he started the 2004 season ice cold. Bill Simmons wrote he was shocked at such treatment, noting that Jeter had earned a “lifetime pass” from fans. Simmons was right – many Yankee fans will boo any high-profile player who isn’t playing well, even a player who is above critcism by any rational standard.
It’s easy to villify A-Rod because as Yankee fans we’re all used to putting him under a microscope whenever he comes up to bat in late-and-close situations, and any player is going to make an out in those situations more often that not. So when A-Rod does the likeliest thing and makes an out, we say “he sucks.” But if another player does the same thing, we are disappointed, but more likely to give the player the benefit of the doubt. I’ve done the same thing because it’s so tempting – A-Rod is easy to root against because of his phony personality.
A-Rod had a 113 R, 121 RBI season. If he scored and drove in all those runs, or even most of those runs, in meaningless situations, we would have the stats to prove it. But he didn’t, so we don’t. We just have highly unreliable evidence like our subjective memories of watching particular games where A-Rod may or may not have come up in a late game situation, memories influenced by the countless character assassination pieces run in the tabloids.
The New York Times is reporting that “a paparazzi member” tossed “A-Rod a ball to sign.” I know you, Peter, dismissed the idea that a member of the media would throw anything at A-Rod, but as you also said, you weren’t there. As far as I’m concerned, it’s inconclusive. Actually, I like to think it was Bowser throwing a Bob-omb.
Chris: A “paparazzi” is some freelance photographer, not an accredited baseball writer from one of the papers.
How come Ny Media and Yankees Fans doesn’t blame Jeter, It’s always arod? Jeter’s the captain. I Thought Jeter makes players around him better except Arod. I questioned Jeter’s leadership Since Arod arrived in Ny and put on the pinstripes;Jeter defense and range dramatically improve. As a Yankees I had feeling Jeter’s wanted to show Arod that He’s better than him and playing on high level.
Peter,
I agree with you in every respect about A-Rod’s PR. Although I’m curious about the actions of the cop at the signing. Why were police even there? Does A-Rod or his people have the sort of clout necessary to command a police presence or tell a cop to act as private security?
As for trading him … we have the best-hitting third baseman in baseball and we pay about two-thirds of his salary. That’s a sweet deal. Plus, as a journalist, you know he makes news no matter what he does, and that sells sports sections.
Even if the pressure makes him play worse, he still puts up fantastic numbers, and there’s no sign that the pressure has a negative impact on his teammates.
Finally, we would be giving up a great third baseman, but what could we get for him in return, and who would take over at third?
Well said, Jeremy. The guy adds value to the team and is certainly responsible for plenty of our wins. As I’ve said before, he’ll return to form and he will get his post-season hits. Let’s just hope it’s for us not BOSTON, who I’m sure would love to be the club to convince him to exercise that opt-out clause.
Regardless of whether you like ARod, hate him or are somewhere in between, I completely agree with Stacey, to boo the guy is not only stupid, but is certainly not productive and, I might add, totally devoid of class. Being a fan is like family; keep the critcism in-house. Write about your feelings here, don’t demonstrate them with boos at the ballpark. The only exception for booing that I believe can be countenanced is for a player that’s not working hard or hustling. It might be a wake up call for a player that’s sleeping, but what is it doing for a guy that’s already trying as hard as he can. From a practical standpoint, it’s just not going to get you the results you want. You want to get rid of ARod or hope that he walks at the end of 2007? Great(personally, I believe we’d regret it), your privelege, talk about it on this blog and/or others, but while he’s here, we should support him or any other Yankee when we’re at the ballpark.
We dont blame Jeter because he’s been through the battles and he’s succeeded on the biggest of stages. We dont question his drive or his mentality to deal with pressure.
Now noone has ever really honestly answered the question, but we can refer back to the criticism by ARod on Jeter in that fateful Esquire magazine article to answer why Jeter wont come to bat for ARod. We dont know what actually goes on behind the scenes between the two of them, but one could reasonably guess Jeter still holds a grudge about that.
and again, to say he hasnt received warm cheers from the fans in the stadium is not true. there were times last year, like its been said here earlier, where he was given a standing ovation from the fans walking up to the plate, and still never got out of the funk he was in.
i still personally think it is ridiculous to say that because a player is on the yankees, we should blindly root for the uniform and forget about the individual who is wearing it, and representing the team. i refuse to blindly root for ARod just because he is a yankee and i want to support my team.
these players are paid to produce, and i dont mean just put up numbers. i could care less if he has the best stats in the AL and wins the AL MVP with 55HRs and 140 RBIs. What i expect from him is solid, gold-glove like defense at 3B and to come through for the team with a couple base hits to win ball games. if he doesnt do that, we as fans have every right to let him know that we are displeased with his performance.
and besides, if i cheer or boo, is that really going to help ARod look less foolish in staring at a 3rd strike fastball down the pipe because he was guessing a curveball? not one bit.
Sorry Pete I judge on results. And the baseball writers as whole have lost a ton of my respect over the last decade. You’ve got the beat guys and the blowhards, but very few in between. That’s the integrity I judge. And there’s not alot there – sad but true. It’s going to cut closer to home but more reports have wasted print on Jeter’s social life, A-Rod’s psychology, and Pavano’s injuries than on Lidle’s family after the crash or on blood testing for HGH. I understand what sells papers, but in the journalism profession, the ethics of sports writers is pretty low on the standards scale.
As for all this A-Rod, you’re telling me he’s supposed to take charge at a PR event? You’re kidding, right? The PR people set it up, sent the invitation, and controlled it. His job was to show up and smile and SELL BOOKS. It was a book store after all, not a press conference. If the reporters were treated unfairly they should complain to those responsible – Harper-Collins and the NYPD. A-Rod shouldn’t be on that list, and the only reason it’s a story is because it is him. Anyone else and it’s “a cop getting agressive”. Das it.
And I didn’t say you did censor people – I just said it would be sad if it happened. To me this is a baseball blog, and the work of baseball writers should be very fair game, including even your own if we think you could do better. That’s not to say the discussion needs to degenerate into name-calling. It’s just that we should feel free to offer honest and respectful opinions when they involve baseball and the NY Yankees.
Chris NY – if A-Rod thinks NY is tough, Boston will be no tea party.
At least in NYC, you have every major sport league x2 (Yanks/Mets/Giants/Jets/Knicks/Nets/Rangers/Devils/Islanders) to deflect some of the glare.
When you play for the BoSox that’s the only show in town these days besides for the Pats.
I think a certain someone will be leaving SF after next season, leaving a hole in the line up and a vacuum in McCovey Cove, if A-Rod wants to get as far away as possible from the AL East.
If the media/public criticism of A-Rod negatively affects him or other players, Jeter can and should put any grudges aside and speak up on A-Rod’s behalf, for the good of the team. Otherwise Jeter’s title of captain is meaningless.
I really don’t care whether A-Rod and Jeter are buddies. But if Jeter can use his honored status on the team for A-Rod’s benefit, he should.
This FJM piece pretty much says it all.
http://www.firejoemorgan.com/s.....+to+boo%22
Jeremy, we would like to think that we would put aside any personal grudges for the good of the team, but unless you actually know what went down between them, we are in no position to tell Jeter what he should or shouldnt do in handling Arod as a teammate.
and then again, do we really know Jeter hasnt done that in the clubhouse already? we have no way to know or not, so lets assume as grown men and professional athletes, they know how to handle their business professionally.
I agree with TurnTwo, we don’t know that they haven’t already, they certainly seem amicable in the dugout from what little we can see on TV. As far as coming to A-Rod’s rescue in the media, what exactly is he supposed to say, “stop picking on A-Rod, he’s sensitive?” Jeter most likely knows there’s nothing he can say that will truly help the situation, and that it really isn’t his place to tell the media or the fans what to say or think. He has said that much already, it’s not his place to tell fans who or when to boo or cheer. Just as he didn’t complain when he was being booed. In fact, he took the same approach as A-Rod (without the mysterious injury mention), “I’d boo me too” Jeter said……..
Jim: You couldn’t be more wrong. Baseballl reporters (not columnists, reporters) hold their subjects to far more accountability — or didn’t you notice the Scooter Libby trial going on in Washington right now? We’re pretty tough on our subjects when compared to most. And there are far less ethical violations in terms of speaking engagements for money, etc.
I can only speak to baseball writers but our ethics are there for all to see. Our votes on awards and the Hall of Fame are all public record. Disagree with them or not, we’re accountable for them. Yes, we dropped the ball on performance enhancing drugs. But everybody did including MLB,. MLBPA and the Feds.
Jeter also doesn’t talk about his personal life to us, never has. Don’t compare the gossip pages to baseball stories.
Several New York papers staffed Cory Lidle’s funeral and did stories on his family. Would you have us continue to ask them questions now? They asked for their privacy after the funeral.
I can say only this: What sport do you know more about the teams and the players in than baseball? The answer is none. In baseball, even the 25th man is scrutinized. In football, nobody knows who that is.
I realize I’m biased here but baseball writers put in a lot of time to keep people informed. I’m not asking for you to applaud that, only not to rip us just because we’re not cheerleaders for your team.
I can agree with that Pete, but on the same note your hosting a blog whose main audience is Yankee fans. Mike Celizic happened to criticize a Yankee player and based it on nothing more than a quote saying that he wanted to win a world series championship. People ripped Mike apart, becuase we not only disagreed with him, but were dissapointed that an article like that could pass as credible reporting. I’m not saying that he’s a bad reporter, because that article is the only one I’ve read from him, but I certainly feel that he should be criticized for it.
I’ve said it before, but it does bear repeating. ARod is a hard-working ballplayer. He hasn’t always had success as we, the fans, would like it — or, rather, WHEN we would like it. But he does not “dog it.” And no one “deserves” bad treatment by any one else for any reason. Yes, if ARod doesn’t do the job in a particular game or a particular at-bat, he should be booed, and I believe even he has said so himself. But off the field, I have never heard of, heard, nor seen ARod be anything but a gentleman. Therefore, that’s how he “deserves” to be treated.
I sometimes wish he would take a vow of silence, because his interviews can be painful to listen to — I agree with the poster above who wrote that he tries so hard to say the right things that the wrong thing inevitably comes out. However, I’m afraid that even if he did vow to talk less, even that would be construed badly. He’s a story and the spin of his story will always depend on how well not only he does, but how well he does in relation to the Yankees’ record, and specifically whether or not the Yankees not only get to the World Series, but win it. I think this is an unfair burden.
I also think it is patently ridiculous for anyone to say that the season is worthless unless it results in a World Championship. Including everyone’s favorite, Derek Jeter. It is hard work and not all that easy to win a division in a 162-game season. Only the Yankees and the Braves have done it with any real consistency. You can’t get to the playoffs unless you win in the regular season. Is it better to win the World Series? Of course it is, but it is wrong to devalue the success attained not only during the regular season as a whole, but of each individual game. You win a championship one game at a time. So each win is as important as any other, and each run driven in or scored or prevented is as important as any other. Some game are more exciting, or mark a turning point (in hindsight) or may set a record, but no one game is more important than any other game.
I want ARod to have a great year, I want the Yankees to have a great year, and I’m hoping that there will be better things for the media to focus on than ARod’s image.
TurnTwo,
You’re right that I have no idea how Jeter acts privately, but like the FJM article says, Jeter came to Giambi’s defense publicly, by making a statement to the media, because he thought it would help the team.
If he thinks it would be helpful to the team, he should make similar statements on A-Rod’s behalf. If he thinks it’s a waste of time, then he shouldn’t.
Privately, they may hate each other, but I really don’t care about that. I’m just saying that if A-Rod plays worse because he gets roasted in the media, maybe Jeter can say a sentence or two to improve A-Rod’s image. And that’s only because Jeter’s the captain.
Chris NY, I’m sure there’s something Jeter could say to A-Rod’s credit, just like he did for Giambi. If he had always remained neutral regarding the fans’ perceptions of players, that would be one thing, but Jeter weighed in on Giambi (presumably for the good of the team) and it’s not fair for him to pretend like he didn’t.
Pete,
I can’t say I have much trouble with baseball reporters. They see the games and write about what happened.
But if you’re willing to draw the line at columnists, then we’re on the same page.
Still (and here’s where it cuts closer to home), you yourself have said that you can do things on the blog that you can’t do in print. That’s true. And you’ve written many more times about Jeter’s love life, A-Rod’s psychology, and Pavano’s injuries than about more substantial things. You have a forum here that shouldn’t be as influenced by sales.
And yes, I read here about the tragedy of Lidle’s plane crash, but I have yet to read one story about the real tragedy – how his wife and kids are holding up. Indeed, have any of the writer’s who got a week’s salary from the inital stories, followed up in any way? I have yet to see them.
As for the PED’s, yup lots of people missed the story. But as the only objective folks that are in the locker room everyday (the feds certainly aren’t nor is Selig), the reporters had and still have a greater responsibility. Instead, we read those stories once a year – at HOF voting time. Doesn’t it bother you one bit that the cheating is still going on?
Me, I think it would be a shame if you were a cheeleader for the NY Yankees. That said, you’re burying a guy because PR people and one cop don’t have manners. That’s beyond silly, especially when there are so many other things you could be devoting time towards.
You brought up the Taiwan example, so let’s rephrase it. If the folks running that show and one of the cops, asked a reporter to leave, you’re telling me it would be your fault?
Sorry, just my two cents…
i dont think jeter is pretending he didnt back giambi, but you are presuming that if he did come out and say something in the media about arod, it would lead to positive results. but thats just your opinion. i personally think it would make things worse.
again, im sure as a grown man and a professional ballplayer, and captain of one of the most storied franchises in sports histry, DJ has weighed his options, and decided to do whatever he’s felt it was in his and the team’s best interest, because since he’s been here, thats all that he has done and we have no reason to believe he wouldnt.
and fernando, if you disagree with Mike Celzic , or whatever his name is, and want to personally criticize his article then bring it to his website or his blog, or email him, or post it on your own blog or whatever. dont bring that here.
I sometimes think the things that make DJ a great player make him a less-than-great captain.
If his drive to always be the best and win gets in the way of his clubhouse relationships (e.g. still holding a grudge against A-Rod), then we’re not going to have a great season. He’s got to know what buttons to push with each player, and “follow my lead” isn’t going to work with everybody, especially with A-Rod. The key is to make each player comfortable and perform to their best – even if he has to lie a little – not to crush the people he doesn’t like.
DJ reminds me of Michael Corleone – in the end he “wins,” but he detroys his family in the process. So, will he reach out to A-Rod this year, or send him out in a fishing boat like Fredo?
What Stacey said.
btw, The way that SOME Yankee fans have treated A-Rod bares the lie about New York having the most knowledgeable fans. In reality, too many fans are stupid and petty. What they are really doing is revealing their own psychological insecurities.
MelHall, i undersatnd what you are saying, but Jeter doesnt necessarily have to push all the right buttons with everyone… in the end, thats what Torre is in the dugout and clubhouse to do, and is what he reportedly does almost better than any other manager in the game.
Captains are leaders on the field, managers are really leaders in the clubhouse.
and again, how do we really know he hasnt already reached out to ARod and Arod told him that he could handle the media himself… we dont know!
Not for nothing, but although Jeter hit .500 in the playoff series against the Tigers, 5 of his hits came in the first game. After that game, he was as ordinary as everyone else on the team. And it was the pitching in the final game that really let the team down. Yes, Jeter has done many, many things over the years to earn the respect he has, but game one of last year’s ALDS was a good game for the Yankees; the rest of the games stunk and in the rest of the games, NO ONE did all that well. ARod’s performance was a major disappointment, but so were most of the rest of them.
Peter, why do you and the rest of your media buddies hate A-Rod so much? I’ve never figured that out.. he talks to you guys everyday, answers all your stupid questions about the same things game after game. He can pretty much read how happy you guys are when he fails on the field, because you get to hammer him in the papers. It is honestly getting pathetic how many media people can’t look past their hate for A-Rod and cover the guy like everyone else is covered.
Jeter’s lack of public support for A-Rod, after he did publicly support Giambi and Knoblach in the past, has shown him to have some real character issues.
Just typed up a longer response, but TurnTwo said what I was going to say. Jeter’s job as captain is to lead on the field and lead by example, he does that. He’s not the team shrink.
Rich, are they character issues or different circumstances? Does it show that there might be some personal issues at hand, possibly, but character issues? Seems a bit harsh.
TurnTwo,
I don’t presume that comments from Jeter would be constructive. I think that Jeter knows better than I do about that. I just hope that Jeter does what he does for the right reasons, and not because he dislikes A-Rod.
That said, I am far more concerned with Jeter’s play than his statements to the press. And his play is never anything to complain about.
Turn Two,
The article was brought up here and a link posted here, so I responded to it here. This is a community of ideas and opinions, and that’s what feeds these threads. It just so happened that someones opinion about an article started dialogue about it. So who are you to try and censor that?
Besides, my point was apart of a greater discussion about the criticism sports writers get, so it fits completely with what was being discussed.
Chris,
Why was it so difficult for Jeter to say: “A-Rod is a member of this team and as such, everyone supports him”?
Yet when A-Rod was under attack Jeter said nothing.
I think it’s because he can’t forgive A-Rod for his comments in Esquire Magazine several years ago. To me, that’s a character issue.
In reality, he should be grateful to A-Rod, because the contract he got from Texas made Jeter another $50 million.
and Jeter did recently comment publicly defending A-Rod. That just throws a monkey wrench into this whole thing. Did he say it because he’s been bashed for not saying it? did he have his reasons for saying it now and not before? like it’s been said several times here, we don’t know what really goes on or why they say what they say when the say it…….. in the end, like Jeremy said, their play is all that really matters.
No it doesn’t Chris, because it was made over a year too late. Too much damage had already been done. He could have nipped it in the bud, or at least attempted to do so.
Rich, I’m pretty sure Jeter did say exactly that, “we all support each other.” He didn’t say, “I love A-Rod, leave him alone.” But he did say more than once during the season, if I remember correctly, that they all support each other and every man on that team supports each other. But because he didn’t isolate it to him and A-Rod, people took it as if he didn’t come through.
I’m not saying Jeter should or shouldn’t have said anything sooner, I really don’t think any of us can say for sure if it would have helped. But I strongly disagree with people that have blamed the season’s “failures” on Jeter because he didn’t make a stupid comment in the press. There were actually sports writers saying that after the season and I think there was a headline “Blame Jeter” in the Post or somewhere. To think that Jeter has the power with a few words to all of a sudden make A-Rod make those throws or not strike out is RIDICULOUS and ignorant. Could he have helped with the media circus, maybe some of the booing? Maybe, but guess what, when Guiliani and others did say, hey, support A-rod, we need him, fans did cheer for him. That’s when the “Let’s-go-a-rod” chants started when he walked up to the plate. So what would have been different if Jeter said those same things? The fans would have given him a couple more of those chants before boo-ing him again when the chants didn’t work?
This thing is going to hit over 200 comments before the day is over…. Peter, what’s the record for this blog?
Chris: something like 250+ when Torre’s future was in doubt in October.
Rich: good call on Jeter.. i wont call it character issues.. but i would certainly knock him down a couple of rungs from divinity.. in some Yankee forums.. to question Jeter’s leadership or his skills is equal to stupidity.. being naive about the game or insulting the Yankees…
i found it hard to stomach Jeter’s non-support of ARod in light of his comments supporting a steroid user like Giambi..
i find it hard to call him the *Captain*. I really feel sorry for ARod and am pulling hard for the guy..
Derek Jeter should take full responsibility on that because he chose not to defend A-Rod when it was the right time.
Good Lord last time I checked there were 45 comments. Don’t you people work?!
Fernando, perhaps i was mistaken, i didnt go back to see who posted the link and made the original comment about Celzic. If that was not you, then sorry.
Nathan and Deric, can you tell us that Jeter didnt approach Arod as to what he can do to help support him? like i said before, maybe Jeter did and Arod said thanks, but no thanks, i dont want help i can handle this myself, and then it just spun completely out of control?
i feel bad for arod personally, cause he doesnt deserved to be villified like he’s been; he works hard, and wants to win. he raises money for charity, and seems to be a great father and family man… but i wont feel bad for him professionally; he accepted the contract and the high expectations and consequences for failing to meet those ridiculous expectations that came with his decision to sign on the dotted line. he made the comments about helping to bring derek multiple rings to go with the 4 he had already.
JWF: Are you a witness to how Alex treats the media? You really don’t know what the interaction is like or how Alex compares to other players?
Good example:
In Washington last season, he was really struggling and Torre told us that Mattingly had found a flaw in his swing they were working to correct.
Mattingly explained it all to us, very carefully. When we went to Alex, he said “you guys wouldn’t understand” and blew us off. Never mind that we fully understood it, having had it explained by the manager and the hitting coach.
Which is fine, that is his choice. But there are many such examples over the course of the season. He also has a habit of courting favor with columnists and distancing himself from the beat guys. The WBC stuff was handled poorly, that’s another example. He’s Dominican one day, American the next. Then he says, “My life is all about getting crushed, I’m such an underdog.”
Really? You’re an underdog? We’re supposed to believe that?
Again, that is fine. He is under no obligation to do anything as far as I am concerned. But plenty of other players — Jeter, Mussina, Rivera, Posada, etc. — look you in the eye, answer your question and wait until we’re finished. That’s really all we ask. This is just baseball, not world affairs. But Alex has decided to act differently, perhaps on the advice of others. That is his call. But it doesn’t help him.
You know when he was great? After Game 4 in Detroit. Stood there and gave honest answers and answered every damn question. We all walked away saying, “where was that all season?” Of course by then it was too late.
I know this much: writers in Seattle and Texas had problems with Alex, some that remain to this day. He just has this way of giving off this “I have no time for you” vibe that bugs people.
Now, of course we’re supposed to be objective and I think we mostly are. But people are people and you treat people as they treat you.
Seriously, why does he even have to defend A-Rod? I don’t get all this whining. The guy played poorly for long stretches of time, he also played GREAT for long periods of time. Does he deserve to be boo-ed, maybe, maybe not, I never boo-ed him, I don’t think he deserved to be boo-ed, certainly not as badly as he was. But what is there to defend? He didn’t do anything wrong. He’s a human being. If fans need to be reminded that he’s not super-human, that’s their own issue, not Jeter’s, Torre’s, or even A-Rod’s (except that he makes it his). Cheering didn’t work either, so what difference does it make? He’s said a MILLION times, he’s his own worse critic. Do you really think he needs 55,000 fans a night reminding him he struck out? No, he doesn’t, nor does it necessarily make it any worse. If/when he fails at things, he carries that failure with him far too often and for far too long, it’s in his head, not in the stands.
They’re professionals. Everyone needs to stop whining and blaming Jeter for not holding his hand. A-Rod isn’t asking for a hand to hold, he’s a man, an athlete and a professional and he takes responsibility for his own performance and his own actions, just as any adult should, period.
This is not your 8 year-old playing pop-warner football, it’s MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.
I will make one simple comment and then leave this topic alone. Being that one of the aspects of my job is public relations and having done a book signing before with a celebrity I think I have some knowledge that would be helpful. Reading the newspapers this morning and seeing the photos in the Post it looks to me that there was fault on many levels.
1. The PR people from the publisher and bookstore had no clue how to handle this event.Like Pete said in an earlier post it would have made the most sense to have a short Q&A with AROD with the invited media and photographers BEFORE the store was open to the general public. Guidelines should have been given out to the invited media so the expectations would have been known before anyone attented the event.
2. AROD once he saw what was going on should have stopped it or gotten up and asked that it be stopped before he continued.
3.Photographers – again there are many photographerrs who have press passes they incclude not only those from daily newspapers, magazines, wire services but also places like Wire Image, Gamma Liason etc who are just photo agencies who do not regularly cover the team they cover events you will see them at movie openings, parties etc. They have no bounds and service their photos to whoever buys them. What should have happened is that there again would have been a time limit on photos they get some solo shots and then a few shots of him actually signing a book to a fan and thats it. They should have been asked to leave after that.
4.The photo I saw in the Post looked like he was surrounded by writers behind him. That should never happen. In this kind of event there shoudl be either velvet rope type set up where the writers are behind it or a seperate place for the questions to take place. This is not the Yankees clubhouuse scrum but a store. The purpose of this event was not an AROD press conference but a book signing.
I also blame those people with AROD who I can only assume are with BOROS (the same people who were the ones to float the opt out idea) STUPID STUPID STUPOD. They should have advanced this way better and once they saw it was not going well gotten AROD away. In the end all the did was take what is a very good thing (ARODs book and the good the book is doing) and made it yet abother blemish PR wise for this great player who has enough problems with the press as it is.
For a guy who is so concerned with his image I am sure he is horribly mortified by what happened yesterday and owes everyone an apology and he should fire anyone that had anything to do with yesterday’s set up
Wow…AROD should have held a back room interview after the signing..WHY?
As far as bad PR advice goes, that takes the cake. He was there to sign a children’s book. He knows he is going to be bombarded by these asinine questions all season, why invite them now 2 weeks before ST?
Whatever. AROD is the best. I am glad he is on the team and hope he retires a Yankee. All these asinine suppositions about his fit and character can please die a swift death.
Canada: What part of he invited the media there don’t you understand? He wanted the writers there.
I have a few thoughts in regards to your latest post Peter, but I cannot phrase my comments without peppering them with vacuous, stupid, inconsistent and just plain daft.
Nothing you said, at least from the way I read them reflect on Alex as a person, its all about how he makes you feel and I’m sure other Beat writers as well.
Point is, those examples say a lot more about you, than they say about Alex.
Peter: What part of my reference to your suggestion of the post signing interview did you not understand?
Oh, and my previous post is in response to your long example to JWF’s post.
Peter,
Yes, people treat you like you treat them, but it goes both ways. If Alex isn’t generally friendly to reporters, do you think it has anything to do with how he’s treated in the press? Even when he says all the right things, he’s criticized for his facial expressions, or tone of voice, or that he’s “too polished.” When he says something honest, he’s criticized. You just said he was a stand-up guy after Game 4 in Detroit, but I didn’t read anything at the time about that. You’re right, I’m not in the clubhouse, but I’ve seen the YES interviews, and seen him answer, with a smile, stupid questions like, “So, Alex, some people will say that the homerun tonight was just another meaningless homerun. What do you say to those people?” If I were him I would have said “Go Cheney yourself.” He gets a medal in my book just for being polite, he doesn’t have to be warm and welcoming to hostile reporters.
Clare: You see the TV questions. I can only speak to the newspaper writers.
Canada: Rip all you want, I can take it. I fully expect fans to back the player over the press. All I can say is the guy obviously has a press problem and that started somewhere. It’s not like we all conspired against him one day.
And it has nothing to do with rings or championships. I can name 15 All-Star players who haven’t won a ring and they get along with the media just fine.
Like I said, it’s his choice. My job doesn’t change because of it and I lose not a moment of sleep. At the end of the day, what a player thinks of me is meaningless. I care only about writing a good story for my readers.
In Peter’s defense, from what I’ve read over the last few weeks since I started reading the blogs on this site, he seems to be pretty objective for the most part. I, as several others have stated earlier in this thread, didn’t take his original post to be anti-A-rod as much as just stating that A-Rod always seems to find awkward results with media related things, going as far as to say it’s “not Alex’s fault.” Perhaps Peter has more personal feelings on the subject than it seemed when I first read that, but those feelings have only come out in this thread, as far as I can tell, because several posts jumped on Peter for attacking A-rod.
You compare AROD to every other HoF in this post, but in another YOU will list all the reasons why he cannot be compared/treated the same for many reasons, most having to do with his supposed character, and of course the other his contract.
It is mind numbing how you fail to see the inconsistencies with which you post about this guy.
Newspaper writers who must parse everything this man says and where his eyes are when he answers a question can go Cheney themselves.
Chris: Thanks. Some people jump to conclusions. I’m just pointing out what happened in most cases.
Canada: I can’t understand what your point is (again). But thanks for checking in. Stay warm up there.
Ah Jeez…
Chris,
First off I do not think the original post had a hidden agenda, as far I am concerned he could have had millions or zero, those are not what I took exception to.
Its not an AROD versus Peter thing. I took exception to 2 things and voiced my thoughts on them.
mmmm Pete I like the blog its one of the best out there but I admit there are just some things I don’t get.
First off why did everyone go as Alex about the hitting right after you had just spoken to Mattingly and Torre? Sounds like he (Alex) didn’t want to talk about it. Is that really that bad of a thing?
One minute the reports in the media are that Alex is always polite when answering questions (and probably answers too many of them) now we are hearing that isn’t the case… which is it?
As for the PR incident, isn’t the PR person that tries to keep the person (in this case Alex) on time? Perhaps that was the reason for the rush to end the meeting. Or perhaps someone just got it wrong….that happens. In either case Alex did ask everyone to stay and indicated that he would finish the interviews and answer questions….which he did so why was there such a negative spin on things?
There are sports figures out there who cheat, do drugs, get accused of rape, steal, throw tantrums in the media, call teammates out in public, rebel against coaching decisions, etc…who seem to get treated better than Alex who’s only major fault is that he wasn’t able to live up to outrageous expectations of fans and the media day in and day out.
PS: I apologize for confusing paparazzi with the writers… I won’t do it again
Pete,
You say you don’t care but then you’ve been all punchy in this post. Obviously you do care. For whatever reason Alex strikes a nerve with you. Whether it’s how he treats the press or how he makes you feel, it should be irrelevant. Unfortunately it’s not, and you’re not alone.
I can’t believe all theses posts about a silly event? Baumbach had a guy grab his arm. And the PR stiff cut off questions. Really, did that derserve this much attention? It’s nuts. And the Post gets “credit” for putting it on the backpage. Keep selling those papers, boys.
Canada, I wasn’t addressing that directly at you, just saying in general I think Peter is pretty objective and today some posts (including but not limited to yours) brought out some more direct comments from him against A-rod. I’m assuming those are the ones you took exception to, and I was merely pointing out that those remarks seemed to be a reaction to earlier posts (before yours) that called Peter out as if he were attacking A-Rod.
I’m also certainly not telling you you can’t take exception to whatever you choose and call out whomever you choose, Peter doesn’t need me to defend him and that’s not what I was doing. I was just giving my 2 cents on the objectivity part…
I agree with Jim, this has gotten way out of hand over such a minor thing. Really goes to show that everything A-Rod does is scrutinized no matter how small. I’ve been at work all day, so I don’t know if it’s just this blog or if it’s getting this much attention on the news and on ESPN or what, but I’m sure it is… I’m sure by now, somewhere the story has morphed into Jeter punching A-Rod because A-Rod wouldn’t sign his book, or share his yo-yo.
SI.com think Arod uses his opt-out clause to get an extension and stay with the Yankees.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.c.....index.html
So here is Peter’s account, and here is another from someone who was actually there from Newsday.
http://www.newsday.com/sports/.....kees-print
It clearly says that a rep from Harper Collins did it, not Alex Rodriguez’s representative. I know Peter said that “not Alex’s fault”, yet implicitly blamed him for simply things going wrong. And Alex’s rep in fact apologized and said that he wanted to talk to the media guys.
And Peter has every right to question the people who are not in the NY press who ask question about its integrity. Fair enough, you have to have some inside knowledge to know about the subject.
However, here is the problem. From what I know, Peter is not a medical personality. That has not stopped him from squandered any opportunity to ridicule Carl Pavano for his weird injuries. How about applying the same standard to yourself, Peter, of being an authority on injuries before you question someone on it?
The beef that fans have with writers are not that they lack integrity (well, they do, but I will accept Peter’s request of not citing columnists from other sites, and prove it: the “Fire Joe Morgan” website does a great job of that anyway), but mostly that they lack competence to make erudite observations on the game. Mostly, they come up with ridiculous angles on mental fortitude of players to explain their success or failure. And the biggest issue of that myopic and jaundiced view is the treatment of A-Rod by NY media, or that of J. D. Drew by the LA media, or that of Manny Ramirez by Boston media and fans, of Pat Burrell and Bobby Abreu by Philly media etc.
You have missed the entire point about why fans rip writers at times. It is not because they did not get their fanboyish piece from the media person. It is because they use completely subjective and made up reasons to rip a player when perfectly objective ways of performance analysis are available. I hope you see that point of view rather than falling victim to the “I got ripped because I ripped the fan favorite” line of thinking.
Fan27 (and others):
It’s not that big a deal. For whatever reason,. A-Rod makes people nuts and I count myself in that mix. It’s hard to explain. The guy is not rude but he just has this way of leaving you walking away shaking your head. He seems to really think everybody is against him and he has this huge mountain to climb. Meanwhile he has this unreal talent, plenty of money and a great family. Just play.
One time we asked him about his hitting woes and he mentioned how well he had been fielding and said something like “I’m like Brooks Robinson out there and nobody talks about that.”
You would never hear, say, Tiger Woods get questioned about his driving and respond by saying, “Hey, I putt like Arnold Palmer and nobody talks about that.”
Honestly, I don’t dislike the guy. He’s the hardest worker on the team and he’s one hell of a player. But so many of his issues seem to get in the way of baseball and I personally would rather write the baseball, not the issues.
Jim: Yeah, I am punchy today. Not sure why. I am sensitive when people bash the media because 95 percent of the baseball writers out there really do care about the product and don’t have an agenda. If you read my stories, I try and go right down the middle. On the blog I try and pull the curtain back a little because people seem to like hearing about what goes on.
I probably say things in the comment section I should keep to myself but, I like the back-and-forth.
Ultimately, it’s just baseball and none of this is personal. I’m glad you guys like the blog and I’m trying to provide content as best I can. A friend just said to me, “You could probably post just Alex’s name and 100 people would respond.” She is probably right.
Hey, I’m glad I work in a place where people have passion about sports.
“Honestly, I don’t dislike the guy. He’s the hardest worker on the team and he’s one hell of a player. But so many of his issues seem to get in the way of baseball and I personally would rather write the baseball, not the issues.”
Ever thought that you might be one of those who are creating — or at the very least exaggerating — the issues?
“He seems to really think everybody is against him and he has this huge mountain to climb.”
Wow…with all due respect, Peter, can you really lack this much self-awareness?
Michael Kay???? No….
Nope. Not him.
Wouldn’t mind having his job, though.
No worries, Pete. It’s all good. My family argues pretty good. I know it’s cheesy but I care about the work you do because you peel back that curtain. I’m speaking for myself, but I imagine I’m speaking for others, when I say that we’re going to have disagreements but we still respect and admire you immensely. And that’s a good thing or else life would be really boring.
Chris – Around the Horn and PTI both had a segment about it. Jim Rome had a full-on discussion and they also talked about the contract. So yeah – everything he does will be magnified this year. I just wish the noise would get turned down and placed squarely on the field.
That’s I think the point, Pete. I’m sure the guys you associate with are really good. The beat guys do a great job. They tell good stories and they recap the events well.
But it’s the noise of everyone else (most of the columnists, ESPN, SI) and even the good guys get sucked in (like today). During all that jammering little gets said but lots of commercials and papers get sold. That to me is frustrating and even sad.
P.s. I hope that “friend” is coming over to hang out before you leave for two months!
“Nope. Not him.
Wouldn’t mind having his job, though.”
And you’d probably be better at it
Thanks, Peter. I may not agree with you on all issues, but I do appreciate and respect the fact that you are quite open to accepting criticisms and maintain civility in discussions.
As far as players are concerned, my guess is that things are a lot more personal between the members in the media and the players as compared to that between fans and players. I understand it is hard to be objective when that is the case, but it is annoying when a writer uses a public forum like the media to bash a player (the examples are very obvious, I won’t go into it) for reasons perhaps completely personal. The readers need not be part of it, for most parts they are not concerned about a particular players likability unless they are being social miscreants. Excepting a chosen few, I have not quite seen objectivity among columnists in this matter.
Anyways, stay warm on a cold night.
Who was the last Yankee to be this polarizing? I can’t remember one player on the Yanks in the past 15 years to put such a charge – positive and negative – into the fans. I’m not a pshychiatrist, but there’s something about A-Rod that makes people crazy.
“Who was the last Yankee to be this polarizing? I can’t remember one player on the Yanks in the past 15 years to put such a charge – positive and negative – into the fans. I’m not a pshychiatrist, but there’s something about A-Rod that makes people crazy.
There are 252 million somethings MelHall27
I don’t think that supporting one of the best players to wear a Yankee uniform in the past 15 years is “crazy”.
Why not offer him an extension and make him give up the NTC??? If he can’t hack it in NYC then they trade him but lets not lose him with nothing in return. What would it take to extend him. I would guess A LOT so may not work. Any thoughts on that issue instead of talking about bashing him or not bashing him?
And enough with the contract already. The contract issue should have lost all weight by now. The difference between his contract and the next highest in the league is about $5 million now, it is truly a dead issue.
MK – by crazy, I mean that people lose all sense of reason and middle ground when it comes to A-Rod. People either love him passionately or hate him passionately. I don’t think liking or disliking A-Rod is crazy, I just think he brings out something in fans that other players on the team don’t.
How do we know that A-Rod is actually polarizing? And even if he is, why do we care?
Nick, I doubt Cashman would ever allow a contract with an opt-out clause like this that leaves the team with nothing. Maybe a player option with corresponding team options at the end of contracts, but I can’t see him agreeing to be left with nothing like this opt-out clause would do in any contract he was a part of. He obviously accepted this one, which was already done by Texas, as worth the risk, but I doubt he’d agree to one up front.
As far as the NTC, there’s the 5 & 10 (5 years with the same team, 10 years in the league) rule that gives an automatic NTC. I’m not sure if it’s one or the other or only both, but either way I doubt A-Rod would sign anything at this point in his career that wouldn’t include an NTC.. He’s earned the right to determine where he plays in my opinion. If I’m the best player in the game, I certainly would not agree to a contract that would let me be traded against my will to the Royals or some other last place team.
As a Yankee, the money A-Rod is getting right now holds no value in an argument whatsoever. The Yankees are paying only a portion of his contract which is less than Jeters and he is worth what the Yankees are paying. I don’t know about a contract extension… if the Yanks start paying him more than Jeter and he continues to faulter, critics will hit him even harder.
the yankees would not offer a 6-7-8 year deal at $20 million per, which is what ARod could get in the opening market if he opted out. From what we’ve seen since BC has taken over, he’s avoiding those types of deals, and for good reason.
For very good reason… Unfortunately for us, the Cubs blew the market back open and teams were giving ridiculous contract lengths like that this year, so A-Rod might be able to get it elsewhere next year. But I agree, Cash more than likely won’t do it.
chris, it wasnt the cubs, necessarily, but the market itself. if the cubs didnt give it to him, the giants, angels, orioles, astros, etc, were all lined up to give it to him instead.
last year was a perfect storm as far as new revenues giving mroe teams more money to spend, and less standout FAs to spend it on… not to say his talents havent earned him a great contract, but supply and demand player a part in handing Soriano those millions, too.
True…
Peter,
I remember the Brooks Robinson quote (although I can’t find it now), but what I recall is that he was referring to a single play (and I remember the play, it was an awesome catch at third) that he said was like Brooks Robinson. He was using it as an example of people only focusing on the negative with him, not the positive. He wasn’t comparing himself to Robinson like you said above, he said one play was Brooks Robinson-like. A major difference.
I love your blog, and I’m not attacking you for being negative about my favorite player (which I don’t think you were initially), I’m just trying to point out what I think many in the media do with ARod, which is to interpret everything he says or does in the most negative fashion. I was just going back through the NYTimes archives looking for the Brooks Robinson quote and I was astounded at how negative their writers were all season, sometimes about things they can’t possibly know. For example, Tyler Kepner (at least, I think it was him), wrote a piece lauding Jeter’s appearance on SNL, and contrasting Jeter’s “simple approach” of just trying to win with ARod’s “mystifying mind games.” He didn’t give any examples of any of these alleged mind games, just stated it as fact. How could he possibly know what goes through ARod’s mind? And does he really think ARod’s not trying to win? But once a negative narrative is set in people’s minds (even reporters trying to be objective), it is simply human nature to view all subsequent events through that narrative.
You’ve already said that he rubs you the wrong way. Fine. I, and others, are just trying to point out that the media coverage of ARod in the past has been unfair. It’s often based on armchair psychology and mindreading, plus every single word (or tone of voice, or the contents of his locker) has been criticized for being either excessively scripted or for revealing some character flaw, or both at the same time. He rarely gets credit for being the first to blame himself and for not ducking the press when he plays poorly. He also seems to be held to a different standard than any other player.
“Again, that is fine. He is under no obligation to do anything as far as I am concerned. But plenty of other players—Jeter, Mussina, Rivera, Posada, etc.—look you in the eye, answer your question and wait until we’re finished. That’s really all we ask.”
Mussina? You mean Mike Mussina, right? I’ve seen him be extraordinarily rude to reporters in more than one post-game interview. Jeter’s a low talker who also can be snippy, as can Posada. Only two who seem to consistently be friendly and warm in the postgame are Rivera and Damon.
One other thing, Pete. You now say that after Don Mattingly explained that there was a flaw in AROD’s swing, that when you reporters went to speak with him, “he said ‘you guys wouldn’t understand’ and blew us off. Never mind that we fully understood it, having had it explained by the manager and the hitting coach.”
However, when you wrote in your blog about that night, you described Alex Rodriguez as “bubbly after the game” when discussing it with reporters (see the post at: http://www.lohud.com/blogs/200.....lings.html). Very interesting.
Mary: He was bubbly about the change he made. But he would not explain it. Fascinating, I’m sure.
Pete – I continue to be amazed at how ARod still finds ways to make errors in his professional appearances whether they are in or out of baseball. His wife is a psychologist and either she is giving him bad advice or he isn’t listening. Yesterday I heard that ARod is ‘fragile’ – ????????