Greetings from Gate 2
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Feb 09, 2009 
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And so it begins as I head down to Tampa for spring training. The good news: Got an upgrade. The bad news: the television in the gate is blaring A-Rod news. There is no escaping it.
So it seems our protagonist has returned from the Bahamas and is huddling with Scott Boras to determine his next step. There would seem to be three options:
1. Admit it, apologize and try to move on. It worked like a charm for Andy Pettitte.
2. Deny it and fight. This didn’t work for Roger Clemens.
3. Refuse direct comment, citing legal reasons. Pretend to be the victim.
Unfortunately, Rodriguez will likely chose the third option. Boras is adept at trying to spin a story with his version of the truth. Given all the tangents and shadows that have dogged baseball’s drug-testing efforts over the years, this won’t be difficult. The MLBPA would be willing partners in this effort.
But that way would be perilous, both for Rodriguez and the Yankees. It would keep the story alive all season and only encourage further investigation. Barry Bonds tried to duck the punches and now he’s on trial. 
You know there is some publicity seeking Congressman out there just dying to drag Rodriguez before the cameras.
Yankee fans forgave Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte and would do the same for Rodriguez. But not commenting would turn even supporters against him. It would be a tacit admission of guilt without the contrition.
Somebody with a firm voice — Hal Steinbrenner? — needs to tell Rodriguez to act swiftly and surely and allow the Yankees to get on with their season. The question is whether Rodriguez will listen.
The next post will be about baseball, promise.
Woohoo the season is almost here. Agreed that A-Rod SHOULD just admit, apologize, move on. I’m really looking forward to this season.
Every time I wake up and put the news on, I’m reminded of how I went to bed Friday night with such grand sweet visions of a fantastic spring training, of such grand promise for this upcoming season.
Now it’s all gone to shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…………..
The adult man inside of me is so angry at this news, angry at Alex, angry at how sealed grand jury information is leaked to the public.
The little boy inside of me is really, really sad….
I think #3 if he’s taking advice from a spinmeister like Boras. Let’s hope that a friend with greater integrity like Bowa or Buffet has his ear.
Pete,
In order for him to ‘fess up, its going to require his lawyers get an “all clear” from the government.
If the Feds are looking for him to roll on Barry Bonds, roll on a steroid dealer, or whatever they are looking for (they are obviously looking for something or his name never would have been leaked), he can’t talk.
If he gets the “all clear”, then he has to ‘fess up to the failed test, talk about how he has never flunked a test since, and IMO) go the “Lance Armstrong Route” from now until the rest of his career.
As Armstong is now doing in order to race again, Arod has to agree to in and out of season testing AND agree to have his blood stored.
Its drastic and its outside the scope of the current MLB Testing Program. However, its the only way he can salvage his reputation.
As far as the Union being pi$$ed off, who cares? They sold him down the river not destroying the samples. He owes the Union nothing at this point.
He DOES owe the Yankees however. They are in the middle of this #$#%storm through no actions of their own.
To that end, if he gets the “all clear” from the government, he has to take the bold steps I outlined above.
If not, its 9 years of baseball purgatory for him, regardless of the numbers he puts on the board.
I hope his “people” get that when it comes to giving him advice on what to do.
every since this guy came to the Yankees, its been downhill
If he hits .320/.400/.600/40/100+/100+ then I couldn’t care less what he does or doesn’t say.
All this mess has made clear is that beyond the box scores, I care less and less regarding what is written about the game.
JeffG… what if he puts up those numbers but once again hits 1 or fewer RBI in the Division Series and the Yankees don’t make the ALCS?
Didn’t Arod fire Boras after the opt out snafu???
When did he get himself back in the picture?
Sorry, but no matter what A-Rod does it will be a story dragged out anytime things get a little slow or if the Yankees are doing well.
If he admits it and says that he didn’t do it beyond that one season, everyone, especially Peter, will say he’s lying. No one, after all, does this once, or only a dozen times.
If he denies it, everyone will say that he is lying.
If he tries to go the legal route and delay a response everyone will say “see, he used.
There is no way A-Rod gets off here. None.
Even if the list comes out and his name isn’t on it, he will still be guilty. His name was linked to it, that is all that is needed to condemn the man for life.
In all of this, the one thing that should happen yet probably won’t, is that the people who were Roberts sources should be found and charged with contempt of court.
Roberts should also be hounded about why, if she had this access to “sources” that have direct knowledge, then where is even one other name that was on the list. Doesn’t matter the level of the player, but just one other single name would make this less of a witch hunt.
Shame on the media for the way they have handled this. Shame on them for the holier than thou attitudes. Shame on them for finding A-Rod guilty on the word of a suspect reporter who lost her job for faulty reporting in the past.
A-Rod never fired Boras, he just chose to negotiate with the Yankees post-opt-out without Boras being as heavily involved as he normally would be. Boras was still his agent, Boras still got the commission for A-Rod signing a new deal, and Boras remains his agent. He just also hired Madonna’s talent manager and had Warren Buffett and some guy from Goldman Sachs working on his behalf to get back in touch with The Steinbrenners after the opt-out.
Nah, just put some distance between himself to save face in light of the opt out controversy.
Eat the contract and move on. This guy has been a disaster from day one and with this news will likely ruin 2009.
Keeping Arod will kill the Yankee name, it many ways it already has.
A Lifelong fan
“The next post will be about baseball, promise.”
I DARE you, Pete!
I wish I still lived in Tampa…
I like how the ad next to Pete’s post was about how to get ripped without steroids.
A-Rod needs to say: 1) He Did it 2) He got caught up with the environment in the texas lockerroom and realized how dumb he was 3) His civil liberties were violated.
Safe flight, Pete. Looking foward to baseball news from Tampa.
A-Rod never does the right thing so this will be no different. Shame, the Yanks were primed for a great season.
“Didn’t Arod fire Boras after the opt out snafu???
When did he get himself back in the picture?”
—-
I think that story has been discredited by now as an agent playing the bad guy to protect his client.
Joel Sherman, for one, said that Boras handled the final contract negotiations. It was all a ruse!
Any word yet regarding the front office response to this mess?
Can the Yankees void their contract with A-Rod in light of these new developments? The contract includes clauses for breaking Bonds’ record, which itself has questionable legitimacy.
3 days till picthers and catchers, is everybody psyched?
Hey Pete, is Buster Olney writing for you today?
Cuz this looks a whole lot like his column yesterday.
Good luck in Tampa Pete… enjoy the sun!
A-rod really needs to come clean and fess up… who, in all of the sports world has denial worked for? Bonds? Clemens? the female track star from the olympics? (sorry can’t remember her name)
Another thing that urks me, Alot of football players get suspended for PEDs, get suspended, and its a small story, probably because no one of any greatness has tested positive yet, but they just want them back on the field and all is forgiven. Baseball seems to be different in that one positive test and your a scumbag for life? Baseball and football fans seem to have completely different standards/morals when it comes to these things. I guess no journeyman left tackle who tests positive is going to be breaking any records either. Would people be mad if say… Shelly Duncan tested positive for PEDs?
“Eat the contract”.
I didn’t know Bill Madden, or one of his family members, post here.
Yeah, that makes a ton of sense.
Eat 270 million dollars for a failed drug test that didn’t even happen when he was employed by the Yankees?
Thank God Bill Madden and he fan(s) don’t run the Yankees.
Sometimes, its better to think a little bit than to take your cues from one of the most clueless sportswriters in NYC.
Matt,
Agree with point one and two. Not three, to the fans and media, that’s irrelevant (although true).
Get out and admit and disclose. I would also start an organization that seeks to instruct and inform HS athletes of the danger in PED’s.
I will say this; much of the response is hyperbole. Buster Olney is talking about his HOF chances. That’s a minimum of 14 years away!
Doubtfully. He never tested positive since then, so it would be a hard-sell to argue he misrepresented himself.
And so the interesting question arises here:
Does it really matter if an athlete uses steroids?
In the sense of the sport and its place as a form of entertainment.
Does it matter?
The answer is no.
Welcome back Pete! I hope you had a relaxing time. You may need that this week.
So yeah, while you were away not much happened. Slow week. Joe Torre did some interviews about a book he wrote, what seems like a million years ago.
And there was a new episode of Miami Vice on Saturday — seems like a daily series of it has started. You may have heard about it…
Other than that, nothing happened at all…
Sam was great, but good to have you back!
“3 days till picthers and catchers, is everybody psyched?”
GOD YES.
The Yankees have no grounds for breaking their contract with ARod. There is no “steroid clause” in it. Nor will they eat the $270 million or whatever is left on the contract.
Instead they will do the only thing they can: ride out the storm and hope that ARod plays well enough to make people stop caring that he used PEDs six years ago while playing for another team.
There’s a big difference between eating a contract and voiding it. There could be language in this deal that would give the Yankees an out if they decided to take it .
First off – Pete that was fine writing on your “comeback” blog. I don’t always totally agree with you – but I do give you props for being a darn good writer.
I’m torn.
As a Yankee fan – I want the other 103 names released. Yes, Arod might be guilty – but there are others. Having those other names released (maybe even a Sox or two) will help ease the pain.
As a baseball fan – I don’t want the names released. Arod’s name should never have been leaked. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Releasing the names will just further take the game down.
Maybe baseball has to hit rock bottom – before we start healing and building back up from the ground floor. The Mitchell Report band-aid approach doesn’t seem to be working.
“The next post will be about baseball, promise.”
Unfortunately, stories about PED’s are baseball.
As Yankee fans we’ve done a lot of waiting this off-season.
Waiting for CC to make up his mind.
Waiting for the Yanks/Pettitte to bang out a contract
Now we wait for ARod to address this situation.
Nothing in his history points to him coming clean.
I love this quote that’s been getting it’s share of play over the last 48 hours:
ARod- “I’ve never felt over matched on the baseball field” What a moron.
Not that I’m dying to change this delightful subject or anything, buuuuut…
Has anybody heard anything new about Austin Jackson? I’m curious as to where he fits into the Yankees plans. Given that Damon is in a walk-year, I was wondering if they envision AJax as a replacement for him in the OF/lead-off spot?
From every account I’ve heard, he’s considered a 5-tool player, which leads me to believe he’d be a good middle of the order guy, but after watching the kind’ve impact Jose Reyes and Hanley Ramirez have had on their teams, maybe he’ll be the catalyst at the top of the order?
This whole ordeal makes the signings of CC, AJ and Tex of greater importance for the team on the field, the state of the franchise and us fans. Just imagine what things would be like if the front office failed during the free agency period and now had this drop on them?
I’m in the field of crisis communication, and my reaction to how A-Rod and his team of people are handling the news gives me every reason to believe that 2003 wasn’t the only year he has done PEDs. If it was a one and done deal, his people would have been able to react quickly.
It would be a poor choice on his part to deny it and use the legal approach. He could use this opportunity to turn over a new leaf with Yank fans, etc. Takes a humble approach – admits using them, realized he was wrong in using them (hopefully he stopped after 2003), then takes the initiative to become the poster child against steroid use in the league as well with all levels (minors, college and hs). If Alex cared about his perception with the public, this is the opportunity to do some real good than bad. He’s got the money in hand, he can make an impact in the fight against peds, especially in the lower levels.
“Eat the contract”.
That is funny. I’m not a doctor but I’m pretty sure thats a bad idea. But hey, Joe Crede is still available.
Maybe I’m being naive about this, but am I the only one
that is still holding out hope that Arod is innocent?
Everyone already has him tried and convicted without even a shred of evidence. I need more proof than four anonymous rats leaking his name. I want the list of the 104 players that are supposedly guilty of using peds published, and if Arod’s name is on it, then I guess I’ll join the ranks of lynch mob.
There is no clause in Arod’s contract that can make the Yankees void it over a failed drug test 6 years ago from another team.
It doesn’t exist. They can’t get out of the contract. I also believe they don’t want to get out of the contract.
If he hasn’t flunked a drug test while with the Yankees, they are powerless to do anything about what happened with him when he was in Texas.
Art,
There is no way for the Yankees to void ARod’s contract.
Even if there were such a way, they would not do it. No matter what you or other fans think about ARod, he is still the best 3B in baseball and one of the best players, period. The Yankees would not void ARod’s contract and take the massive drop in production from a replacement because ARod used PEDs six years ago while on the Rangers.
If he gets the “all clear” from the government, he has to come clean about the failed test.
If he doesn’t have an “all clear” from the government, he can’t talk.
This info was leaked for a reason. Is the government looking for him to roll on Bonds or Clemens? Do they have a dealer on the hook and want his testimony?
No idea but, its not a “coincidence” his name got leaked.
If he’s a target of ANY investigation, he can’t talk. If he isn’t, then he has to ‘fess up, go the “Lance Armstrong Route” (agree to year round testing and blood storage to prove he’s clean) and he can begin to rehab his image.
The “good news” for the Yankees is, he isn’t due in Yankee camp until March 24. By that time, a lot of this will be already digested and we can get back to baseball.
SJ – I agree with you 99% of the time – BUT – if the Yankees could get a do over on the Arod contract they would.
All those incentive milestone clauses? Each one will be a painful reminder and will rehash all this crap over again.
I would like to know who’s idea that was. (a Boras sell job proably)
Couple things.
First, Craig Calcaterra has a great omnibus post up over at Shysterball on the whole mess. Highlights? Gene Orza should be fired for not demanding the survey test results be destroyed back in 2003. The Yankee brand is about winning ballgames and as such will be just fine if they continue to win ballgames. And my favorite part? Taking some well-deserved shots at Jayson Stark and the rest of the Aunt Pittypat lackwits in the sportswriting community who love their own misguided sense of rectitude more than the game itself. (Obligatory movie reference. Aunt Pittypat is a ‘Gone with the Wind’ character who squeaks and faints every time she hears some bad news.)
And thank God for writers like Rob Neyer:
“But I will not sit idly while great athletes looking for an edge — not all that different from the many generations before them — are demonized by the high priests of baseball opinion. I will not.”
As for what happens next, Pete’s absolutely right. The Pettitte Method is far and away the better option. Stonewalling or denial will get A-Rod nowhere. And while I understand thinking Boros will never let him do it, let’s not forget A-Rod’s big mea culpa before the 2007 season on all things Jeter. It cleared the air, and teed up a pretty good season more than likely performed without the use of drugs that make Jayson Stark gibber and spout. A-Rod likes attention. Negative and positive. One way to combine the former and the latter is to take this head on, offer a brave/bold/tearful confession spiced with an appropriate amount of “I Love This Game”, and let us all get back to the thing, the game, that we love.
Until this revelation is addressed directly by A-Roid it will not recede into the background and will be a constant distraction to the team. Torre’s book confirmed what we knew all along: that A-Roid doesn’t really fit in and at times needed to be the center of attention. This is one situation where it would be better for all concerned if attention can be minmised.
What he needs to do is hold a press conferance before ST begins. Get out in front, put out his message, address the media outside of the ST environment. He needs to do this for himself and more importantly the team. Consider if he says nothing until he shows up in Tampa next week ? News media will be all over the clubhouse to the distraction of all concerned. Better for A-Roid to step up, take responsibility and try to move on. A forthright admission and a sincere apology will allow fans to forgive him.
Unless he has used suppliments cointiniously since before 2003, he can make a good case that it was a 1 time indiscretion (nudge, wink). Unlike other known abusers, he has never been injured and his offensive production has been remarkably consistent since he entered the ML. Clemens, Giambi, Pettite, Maguire, Sosa, Palmero, Conceco all had debilitating injuries and demonstrated very inconsistent results during their careers. Food for thought.
Never, has anyone who denied it gotten off. Never.
I am a pro cyclist and my sports has been riddled with dopers for year, and we’re just starting to get it all straightened out. The difference here is that if you get caught, you’re banned from pro riding for at least a year.
But the guys who get caught and deny it always end up never riding again. They disappear. The riders who accept that they got caught, admit it and move forward are almost always accepted back and riding in a year or two. I think everyone in cycling understands it was part of our culture and for those who got sucked into doping the best thing to do is admit it and say you’re sorry. People forgive them because everyone realizes it WAS human to dope in the past.
Hopefully Alex looks at all the examples out there as he decides how to respond.
I read this blog every day and I am really tired of this. I have not read everyone’s comments and don’t really care to take that much time to. This thing with A-Rod, I don’t care. It happened and its over. If this was something that happened last year then I understand all the hoopla. I am sick of people’s names going through. They still have to have talent to make it in the bigs and if they want to hurt their bodies to do it then fine. That is their problem not mine, I think all this steroid thing is stupid There are things in place now to stop it from happening again. End of story.
maybe this is why a-rod came running back after opting out he was scared this could come out and cost him millions
He has two choices for me, either he comes clean or he takes a lie detector test. Neither will happen. Like SJ said before, he is a different case. He has the opportunity to stand up, be contrite and admit his mistake. He has the ability over the next nine years to change the fans perception. We all wanted Arod to save the game, and I believe he still has the opportunity to do so, the scenario has just changed a bit.
This is extremely damaging and saddening for the game. Like Pete said, NOBODY will surprise me now. Not Jeter, not Maddux, nobody.
Watch out for a story about hurting his neck playing golf and a dr’s prescription….
Pete you forgot two options:
4) Admit everything he did. Everything not just what they could prove.
5) Admit it but don’t regret it because everyone does PEDs. Lash out against the hypocritical media and fans.
Especially the latter one would be fun.
The MLB should look closely at cycling. That’s their future if they really fight against PEDs – an atmosphere of paranoia and big sponsors dropping out. Whereas all the sports where people don’t care about PEDs thrive.
I am going to brave my fingers falling clear off my hands and say I agree with Schilling. Now that the “clean” pure talent poster boy was outed it casts a shadow over everyone else. If I were a clean ballplayer I would be fighting for the list to be made public. Everytime anyone does anything you’re going to wonder. The only ones I would be shocked at would be Jeter and Mo because they don’t have the size or that “I may be smiling but I can throw down in a heartbeat” vibe.
I say he should give the reporters nothing. What good has it ever done him? They like to beat up on him for everything, no matter what he does. From now on, just recite his favorite movies.
REPORTER: Alex, did you use Pimobolan?
ALEX: I really liked Ghostbusters, but the sequels did not really live up to the expectations after the first one. Thanks guys. Goodnight!
Pete,
We were told that we needed to invade Iraq because they were the culprits in the September 11 attack, but we now know this was not true. We were told that there were weapons of mass destruction ready to be hurled at us, but none were because there were none. Ted Haggard, thundered against sin and drugs and homosexuality, but he was caught smoking crack and paying for sex to a male prostitute. Eliot Spitzer, the governor of NY, Mr. Clean, who rode a wave of anti corruption in Wall Street and fought crimes in Time Square, was caught as a client of a prostitution ring under investigation by the federal government. Just recently we were told that we needed to approve 60 billion to bail out financial institutions, or the financial system would collapse. But we now know that many CEOs just pocketed some of the bailout money to give themselves bonuses and pay for expensive hobbies.
Nevertheless, every time one of these revelations came forward we told ourselves: this is the reality of living in a fallen world. “…There is no one righteous, not even one…”
So, why would I think that my sport, God’s sport: baseball, would have been any different? Baseball seemed to be the area of human experience where things appeared to be more fair and transparent and clean. Yes, God’s team, the Yankees, as always, were trying to buy all the best players in the world, but the past five years showed us that championships could not be bought. Yes, there were scandals in the past: Hank Greenber could have broken Babe Ruth’s home run record of 60, but he was Jewish and pitchers kept walking him. Yes, the 1919 White Sox took money to throw games, and yes, Pete Rose gambled on games, but, they had been dealt with and the system seemed to work. Even with Bonds and McGuire, the system worked: both are now relegated as freaks and to baseball’s asterisks.
However, this latest revelation, that Alex Rodriguez was on steroids back in 2003, has truly shocked me. I have suspected that Rodriguez was a self-serving prima donna who only cared about himself, cared more about his own personal records than his team’s overall standings and was incapable of personal sacrifice, other than when it ultimately benefited him. But I also thought that this obsession with himself and his looks would prevent him from cheating with steroids. I believed him when in 2007 on 60 Minutes, when asked by Katie Couric: “…for the record, have you ever used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing substance?…” he said: “…I’ve never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I’ve always been a very strong, dominant position. And I felt that if I did my work as I’ve done since I was, you know, a rookie back in Seattle, I didn’t have a problem competing at any level. So, no,…”
I believed him, not because he was so trustworthy , but because I thought he was so narcissistic that he would not want to do anything that would jeopardize his good looks, his image, the adulation of his fans or his income potential. In other words, I saw in his own character weakness the safeguarding mechanism for him not cheating. But, I was wrong, for truly: “…there is no one righteous, not even one…”
Hes admitted to Peter Gammons, turn on sports center NOW!! LOL
I thought he was going to admit it at 6:00 PM. I can’t watch anything here.
Arod admits to seteroid use 2001-2003.
1. Admit it.
2. Explain that the Bonds’ and McGwires’ of the world made him feel compelled to do this.
3. File suit against whomever was in charge of protecting this information, and donate the judgement or settlement to the players’ pension fund (Safe at Home fund?).
Was divulging this private information a violation of federal HIPAA laws?
You have to Admit Pete, that even thought Arod is a Yankee Player you love when something negative come out him.
Well he just admit that he used it on ESPN. Here we go Pete, now lets see what is you view on this.