Comments on: Audio: A-Rod postgame in Clearwater

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:00:58 +0000

I’m a firefighter, but thanks for talking down to me, Pete. Maybe it’s not a “good job” but I do what I can. I’m sure there are plenty of people that would be happy to step up and do what you do, get to travel and rub shoulders with major leaguers, and get paid quite nicely to do so.

But again, I would like to apologize on A-Rod’s behalf for not making your job easier.

By: Dave S.

Dave S. — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:35:52 +0000

Pete-

We all know how much you bust your hump, and as a result this is hands down one of the best Yankee blogs out there.

But there is something to be said about your bias against A-Rod. Obviously, he’s strange. And how he operates obstructs your ability to cover him the way you’d like to. From how you describe him, it almost seems like he has some form of Asperger’s or Autism. Either way, he comes off aloof and, as you say, weird.

Here’s the thing: from reading your blog, this clearly affects your tone in how you write about him. You’ll say “he’s the best player on the team”, but always with a “but”, or some other tidbit that calls into question his judgement, either on or off the field (it’s YOU, kind readers, that suffer for his uncanny behavior!). I certainly don’t blame you; you are just trying to do your job and I’d say you’re much more objective than most of the media. It’s just that, as much as you might like to see yourself as totally objective, you’re not. Nobody is - and in this instance, something pretty clearly negatively colors your writing about A-Rod. You can deny that it would be wise to filter your comments on A-Rod with an understanding of your personal distaste for him, but I don’t think it’s going to stop any of your many admiring readers from doing so.

We’ll keep reading, to be sure. Your coverage of the Yanks really is the best.

By: JANE

JANE — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:11:28 +0000

Pete, has anyone asked Alex why he does that?

By: Peter Abraham

Peter Abraham — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:57:30 +0000

Eric:

While I’m sorry you weren’t able to get a good job, I feel I work hard at what I do and I’m not going to apologize for what I do.

I’m not asking anybody to side with me on anything. My sole goal is to provide information to readers. Whether Alex wants to talk or be civil doesn’t change my life. You’re the one who is denied information.

It’s also not about kissing anybody’s ass. Girardi, Eiland, Long, Pena, Meaham, Harkey, Jeter, Matsui, Posada, Rivera, Wang, Hughes, Kennedy, Mussina, Giambi, Cano, Cabrera, Hawkins, etc. are all civil human beings who understand that the media is a conduit to the fans who ultimately pay their salaries.

Does that make them bad guys? I don’t think so.

Anyway, thanks for breaking away from your labors to post a comment. I’ll get back to sitting around doing nothing.

By: eric

eric — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:30:34 +0000

Poor Pete…. Arod isn’t helping you do your ‘job’. Must be rough. Try a blue collar job like so many of us have, then you’ll really have something to complain about. We get it. Alex doesn’t kiss your ***. No matter how much you whine about it, Yankee fans (the smart ones anyway) aren’t going to side with you over him.

By: Tantron Willoughby

Tantron Willoughby — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:52:39 +0000

The audio speaks volumes (no pun intended) on this character that is our 3rd baseman for the next 10 years. I know he will put up his “numbers”, but what we will have to suffer and endure through the next 10 years scares me. Certainly, he is a good influence on some of the players via workout routines and providing the example of hard work, but the diva stuff and other potholes that the team is going to be subjected to in the next 10 years will have a deleterious effect imo. I wish that Hank had taken Cashman’s suggestion not to resign Arod. In Cashman we trust…not Hank.

By: saucY

saucY — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:59:04 +0000

i’ve heard a similar type of story (basicly blowing someone off) about alex from a friend of a friend who played HS ball with him.

he ran into alex at some type of function and introduced himself as so-and-so whom he went to school/played ball with. alex looked, but didn’t respond and kept talking with whom he was talking with. he introduced himself again, and alex responded “yeah, i heard you the first time” and that was it.

now i don’t know how credible this story is, but i heard it way before i started reading these tid-bits from Peter, and it just seems like it fits Pete’s description so i’m kind of inclined to believe it.

and this was supposedly a kid who would have team members (including alex) over his house for lunch and whatnot back in the day.

By: YankeeDiva

YankeeDiva — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:39:56 +0000

Pete I was not implying that you were a telemarkter just implying that I have done the same thing as Alex has done when I don’t want to talk to people who have asked the same question over and over again. At some pt you just give up and walk way. I mentioned I know that makes your job harder but I can completely understand why Alex does it. The media (including beat writers didn’t help him out in the slightest when he was drowning in 06 and he had to learn to cope on his on and in his own way, this works for him and that has helped the team so I can’t get angry with him for doing it).

By: no.27

no.27 — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:37:52 +0000

We get the point. ARod isn’t as polite as other players that you are used to. I’d rather have a personality like ARod on my team than a guy like Curt Schilling who opens his big mouth every chance he gets embarassing his team in the process. ARod is taking the advice that people have been giving him for years - shut up and play, and its working.

How many times is this going to be a topic on this site in 08?

By: Andrea - anti-anti

Andrea - anti-anti — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:31:01 +0000

While I don’t think it was ok for A-Rod to just walk away, his “I’m excited about opening day, blah blah, March 31st” kind of sounded like “ok I’m done” to me.