A-Rod leaves park with cousin
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Feb 25, 2009 
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The cousin Alex Rodriguez said smuggled drugs into the United States for him, Yuri Sucart, was behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Suburban that picked him up from Dunedin Stadium today.
Rodriguez said earlier this month that a cousin obtained a performance-enhancing drug for him for a three-year period starting in 2001. That drug, the anabolic steroid Primobolan, is illegal to possess in the United States.
That person has since been identified as Sucart.
It is unlikely that Sucart will face any federal drug charges. But MLB could find Rodriguez’s continued association with a drug smuggler somewhat curious. Nick Swisher also was in the vehicle, which was granted permission to pull up next to the Yankees’ clubhouse in a secured area. Two other as yet unidentified men also were in the vehicle as it left the parking lot.
Rodriguez is expected to meet with MLB investigators later this week to discuss his actions. Given that, it might not have been wise to be seen with Sucart at the ballpark.
tiring..
who cares, it’s still his family give the guy a break
Alex never gave the name of the cousin.
Swish is so cool. Hanging with the fugitives…
Seriously Pete? When you post this trash, you’re just like the supermarket tabloids. Total non-story. What’s funny is he would have been more in the wrong to cut the cousin out of his life after the press conference. I’m pretty sure the cousin was just following his orders (and ARod said as much).
The cousin drives. Oh No!
So? It’s his cousin and he’s handling everything for Alex. He’s not the one to blame.
I’d really like to see you distinguish yourself from all those steroid bloodhounds (the other reporters)…
His poor cousin is just a poor squirrel trying to get a nut. Sancho Panzastyle.
This is ridiculous…Peter, no one cares. He is related to the guy. Post something meaningful.
It’s interesting, don’t think Pete is damning him for it. It’s fine. Should he sell his cousin down the river. It’s not like this guy forced him into the situation. Interesting Swisher was in the car. I really thought before they got him he would be a great pickup not only for the talent, but just reminds me of another good character guy, clubhouse guy, a Gimabi-style personality. Seems like he is fitting in well with guys from Arod to CC and so on. I really believe he will prove to be a key ingredient made this year.
“Swish is so cool. Hanging with the fugitives”
LOL.
Low class post.
“Low class post”
how is it low class?
Trash? Two Yankees are in a car with somebody who smuggled steroids into this country for three years and that’s not a story?
Sure thing.
Alex can hang around with whoever he wants to hang around with. But having your drug mule pick you up at the park is not a smart move as you’re readying to meet with MLB investigators.
Oh good…
So if Swisher has a power year, we’ll all know why.
A-ROD’s intro music at the Stadium should be “Hate me Now” by Nas featuring the artist formally known as ‘Puff Daddy’
Sneaking around in broad daylight. Very nefarious indeed.
Drug Mule…Nice….
“But MLB could find Rodriguez’s continued association with a drug smuggler somewhat curious”
What is curious about it? Its his family.
Arod’s theme song should be “I want a new drug.”
Many of you all think its a non-story and not a big deal..and believe me i’d love to feel the same way..but come on. A-Rod couldn’t get someone else to pick him up?
It’s like he just WANTS the attention. it really gets old.
OMG A-ROD WAS IN A CAR WITH HIS COUSIN!!!!!
Hey, you know what would be awesome? if the media made as much effort into finding out 1. the other 103 players who did steroids and tested positive and 2. the names of the people who leaked a-rod’s positive test results. You guys can find Yuri Sucart’s name, number, and grammar school report cars, but you can’t be bothered to investigate anyone who isn’t A-rod.
The hilarious thing is that the media mostly act like they are charged with guarding the reverent game of baseball, and that digging up the most dirt on A-rod is the way to do it. Yeah, the guy cheated and lied, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it was to a greater extent than he admitted. It sucks. But to ignore the fact there are other stories that involve steroids and not A-Rod is just lazy. You guys just want the easiest story that will sell the most papers.
I think AROD doesn’t care anymore, get his work done between the lines than do what he wants off of it, he’s not going to abandon family that have been there for him his whole life
This really is a non-story Pete. It’s A-rod’s cousin who has worked for Alex for many years. Are you saying that A-rod should cut his family out of his life? That is unrealistic and quite absurd.
Yeah Pete, it’s trash. You have family, right? Talk about them on the blog every once in a while, I believe. You’d cut them out of your life for following your orders on something? Just because the media says or thinks you should? Come on man, think of it from that angle.
Pete,
I don’t really have any issue with you covering Arod but why the double standard with Joba? You reported on his DUI once and then that was it. There have been no follow ups, no questions asked. It’s like you’ve buried it under the rug.
Uh it’s his cousin and one of his best friends, Pete.
Is he supposed to banish him from his life to make you feel better?
Then the headline would read “A-Rod Not A-Friend To Best Bud.”
Christ, just say it to his face that you don’t like it so we can all move on. You’re anti-Rodriguez fixation is one of the few setbacks to this blog, everything else is absolutely fantastic.
Just stop with the tilt or at least stop pretending that you don’t hate the guy.
Two Yankees are in a car with somebody who smuggled steroids into this country for three years and that’s not a story?
Right…put him on DEATH ROW along with the guy who downloaded the new U2 album and the guy who drove 10mph too fast and the guy who ordered Viagra from India over the internet…
Have you never smuggled something over a border? I bet almost all people who travel a lot do that…
In his case the thing he was smuggling was illegal, I’ll give you that. Still, A-Rod is to blame for that and he took responsibility for it.
I’m guessing that if the Girardi and the Yankees had an issue with this, Rodriguez and Swisher would have been on the bus.
Oh man, Swisher is AWESOME. Listening to him with M-Kay.
What a great guy
Pete,
You say you want no PED talk yet after a Spring Training game in which A-Rod hit a home run the talk is who he got a ride to the park with. This sounds a lot more like TMZ than what I have come to expect from this blog.
Swisher and ARod hanging out with the cousin
Just when I was excited about reading Gardner jack one out of the park…
I love the Blog a ton and read it several times a day. It’s where I go to get my Yankee news. But the A-Rod hate is tiresome
In addition, since when is it a bad thing to be loyal to your family? It’s not like the guy was in the clubhouse
“I love the Blog a ton and read it several times a day. It’s where I go to get my Yankee news. But the A-Rod hate is tiresome”
Exactly. No one misses it Pete.
Come on already. You’re better than this.
Wow… is Swisher always this upbeat? I’m so umped up listening to him
You know all these peoples keep talking about me giving ride to cousin Alex ,and I tired of having answer questions about steroids. Yes I shot him in the ass with a needle, but that was many many years ago when I was a kid that didn’t know no better. I thinks I was only thirty five at the time. A kid. He told me to do it. Anyways, me and cousin ,and his friend got in the car today, and it look suspect. what can I say? peoples want to make the troubles for us because he Arod, and famous. Same for Madonna and Michael Jackson. Bonds lied, at least Alex told truth about what he did, and apologised but no one believes him. Why? I just do what I’m told. it’s my job. As long as he no ask me to put icy hot on his cajones, I good with that. You know what I mean?
Yuri
swish is awesome, he that kevin millar type clubhouse guy that can really change things w/ this club, loosen things up
AROD should embrace the role of villain.
Agreed. I love this blog and feel really appreciative of all that Pete gives us, we get so much great information that we can’t get anywhere else, but the A-Rod hate gets so old. It’s a really large black mark on an otherwise fabulous blog.
Pete,
Why always so defensive? Some people here including myself believe you have a double standard when it comes to Arod. I dont remember such constant coverage or mention of Giambi’s steroid use. But thats because he was your boy.
It is your blog and you can post what you wish and we can comment on what we think of your posts.
Pete just hates Arod or he’d treat this story like he did with Joba.
if i want garbage stories, i’ll read page 6 of the NY Post….this blog entry is so useless and just sensationalist to its core
Don’t you guys know what this means? Clearly Swisher is a steroid user. I mean, he was in the guy’s car wasn’t he?? Why else would he be there with A-rod? Its not like he needed a ride to his hotel or maybe out to dinner, no way.
I wonder how many bus drivers or cab drivers have done drugs and never been caught. I should probably refuse to get on buses or in cabs from now on, the drivers might secretly be drug smugglers. What will everyone think of me if I let them drive me around?
Pete he is his cousin. I don’t care. Is he supposed to disown him?
I love the idea that I should ignore it. A guy who smuggled steroids into the United States for three years pulls an SUV up next to the Yankees clubhouse and two players get in.
No big deal. How could I possibly think that is significant? I’m sure MLB is just fine with that. I’m sure Brian Cashman is thrilled.
I have no control over what A-Rod does. I can only report what I saw. That is what I saw. I’m sorry it’s something you don’t like. But if you’re expecting me just to report the happy stuff, you’re at the wrong place.
I was in a room with a murderer.
Am I going to murder someone soon?
Also, my brother does pot.
Am I going to do pot, now?
They’re adults, for god’s sake. This is ridiculous story and it’s unworthy of a blog post.
What happened to the all-natural blog?
Swisher should know better than to hang out with two low character guys like ARod and the cousin who are associated with illegal drugs.
Guilt by association… Swisher would have been wise to take the bus back to Tampa
Pete doesn’t hate Arod.
crazy talk.
Regarding post from Summer @ 5:05PM, very well said.
No Jennifer. But do you really think what he did today was a good idea a few days before the MLB investigators meet with him? Answer me that.
There are times to be discrete and not to push your luck.
Pete,
You ignore the Joba story. What’s the difference?
I believe you said for yourself in an interview you did on another site that the greatest benefit of the blog is that it gives you a better idea of what the people are looking for/interested in.
I think you should take the criticism of these arod posts an use it along those same lines. Maybe share with some of the other guys on the beat how tired we are of all this so we won’t have to read this arod garbage anymore.
Yuri Sucrat is a pretty common name, it could be a different Yuri Sucrat. I’m sure this is some big misunderstanding.
“if i want garbage stories, i’ll read page 6 of the NY Post….this blog entry is so useless and just sensationalist to its core”
then read the NY Post.
it’s really dumb for arod to bring the cousin around yankee camp. it’s just taunting the feds.
i don’t have a problem myself with him hanging out with his cousin, but if arod thinks he’s totally out of trouble he’s mistaken if he flaunts things with the feds.
they can simply decide to make trouble for him whenever they want to.
this is his cousin who is very close to arod.would i avoid my brother if he did the same thing? no i wouldn’t.
i can see if it was a shady friend or aquaintance but family get’s a pass.
“That is what I saw. I’m sorry it’s something you don’t like. But if you’re expecting me just to report the happy stuff, you’re at the wrong place.”
Uh. Are you seriously trying to play the “just play the happy stuff” card? Yankee fans want the brutal truth about their players more than any other fanbase in the known universe.
What everyone here is sick of, is your anti-ARod fervor which you sadistically enjoy deploying on this website.
Believe me, we can deal with the “not happy stuff,” but your bias is has been getting old for some time now.
Pete you can report on anything you see, but to me this is on the same level as talking about what’s on your ipod or what Springsteen songs are your favorite. Absolute fluff but of course you can post whatever you want.
The sentence that is bugging people is, “But MLB could find Rodriguez’s continued association with a drug smuggler somewhat curious.”
Its curious that Rodriguez still associates with his cousin? Really? The cousin has been working for him since his Seattle days, he isn’t going to abandon him now. Come on, you have to do better than that.
Pete,
“I report what i saw” does not seem like a valid defense. I’m sure there are times when you see things having to do with other players that you keep quiet.
What we are saying is that we are tired of the piling on Arod and many believe its because he is top dog and easy to pick on b/c he sells papers or because you just dont like him.
Pete,
He is his cousin and one of his closest friends. They say they made a mistake and have been clean since. With him being so close with ARod I would assume he would be around him much more this season. Please let us know if everytime Yuri shows up you are going to put up a post about it. If so, this blog is coming out of my reader. There are too many quality Yankees blogs to put up with this nonsense.
wine tasting festival, on the blog today
I see your point, Peter, Alex’s cousin should just lay low for the time being.
That being said, it’s hard to cut family out of your life though, and I’m sure Alex feels the need to be around people he trusts now. But, perception is reality in today’s world…
this cousin of arod was more than just a average cousin, as far as i know, he took care of all of Arods daily needs (dry cleaning, etc)…so what if he picked him up? if they want to get their stories straight, they could do it whenever with their lawyers
this is a non story (if anything, they could be going out to dinner or something, we dont know, its a non story), if anything, it just shows more arod hate
giambi never got this much scrutiny
A-rod is always criticized for being a phony who only cares about his appearance. Now when he stays true to himself and his family he gets ripped? The only reason to avoid his cousin would be to keep up appearances and try to show people that he is distancing himself from the steroid stuff.
This guy is family and A-rod took responsibility for requesting the steroids and doing them. His cousin isn’t the bad guy so why should A-rod cut him out. This is such a nonsense “story” I can’t believe I’ve wasted so much time posting on it.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02.....156914.htm
And right on time comes the NYPost’s sensationalist headline.
Your in good company on this one Pete.
Pete is very objective about AROD. Just because some people here worship the guy and think he can do no wrong. The guy is a liar and a cheat. He continues to hang out with low character drug dealers like Angel Presinal and the cousin.
What do you want Pete to write about? Gardner hitting a meaningless HR? Igawa, Tomko, and Giese pitching well?
This IS the big story and will continue to be a big story. Props to Pete for not sweeping it under the rug, but rather giving us new information as it breaks. This story is not going to go away, so brace yourself for things like this to pop up frequently.
He can’t even address the Joba story.
Because he likes Joba
And Hates Arod.
Oh my god Arod & Swisher got into a car with a drug dealer! Quick someone call the cops.
Who cares? Nick just likely wanted a quicker ride instead of taking a bus. Perhaps just bad judgement on his part. I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Alright enough. These are list the people who me and the other trainers have injected with steroids, and HGH.
Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Curt Shilling, Keith Foulke, Trot Nixon, Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller, Nomar Garciaparra, Alan Embree, Dave Robertson, Mike Timlin, Jonathan Papelbon, Dustin Pedroia, Datsuke Matsuzaka, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, Derek Lowe, Jason Varitek, to name a few,
Yeah. I’m sure the Yankees love the fact that a drug dealer is hanging around their players and A-Rod continues to add gasoline to the fire by hanging out with the guy in public. Now Swisher is hanging out with him too and he’s going to face a swarm of questions about hanging out with a steroid supplier.
And you guys wonder why this story won’t go away. ARod won’t let it die.
“Yeah. I’m sure the Yankees love the fact that a drug dealer is hanging around their players and A-Rod continues to add gasoline to the fire by hanging out with the guy in public.”
A drug dealer? Really?
I guess every bodybuilder in the world is a “drug dealer.”
I don’t know whether to laugh or just feel sad for you and your offspring.
Pete:
“No Jennifer. But do you really think what he did today was a good idea a few days before the MLB investigators meet with him? Answer me that.”
Is it becuase you hate A-Rod that you anything you report on him is negative? Answer me that!!
The Yankees and MLB will not be happy about this whatsoever. Anybody who doesn’t understand that isn’t showing common sense.
I really can’t explain it better than that. Family, not family, whatever. The guy smuggled drugs into the country for three years. MLB probably doesn’t want him pulling an SUV into a secure area next to a ballpark and leaning on the the side of the truck for 10 minutes waiting for two players to get in.
Just answer me this: You really think that if OK a few days before meeting with MLB investigators? Because it really isn’t. Now is not the time to do things to make them mad.
Associating with a drug smuggler? Oh dear.
More sensationalizing by the fourth estate. And the NY media types seem to be in competition to see who can smear more. Sad.
A-Rod hit a dinger? Yeah, good for him !!!
What Joba story? The DUI that happened 6 months ago?
At least Joba does have the excuse of being “young and stupid” because he is 22. He also apologized numerous times and didn’t lie about what happened. He was upfront, took his beating, and moves on.
ARod was not truthful about his steroid use AND he continues to associate himself with steroid abusers. How can you not see the difference between Joba and ARod?
arod and his cousin both need to show humility and remorse for what they admitted to.
the feds went after arod because they want him to be humbled and set an example to every other mlb player that no one is too big for them to take down.
i’d say they have made their point. bonds, clemens , mcguire, sosa, palmeiro , tejada, pettitte. why antagonize them? that’s just having a death wish.
i think this is the last time we’ll see the cousin on yankee property . this cousin is in the crosshairs too . he’s admitting smuggling illegal drugs into the united states.
“The Yankees and MLB will not be happy about this whatsoever. Anybody who doesn’t understand that isn’t showing common sense.”
That is their right but if so then they are the ones not showing common sense. Anyone who expects A-rod to abandon his cousin needs to get off their high horse.
I’ll agree it wasn’t the smartest thing of him to do, (does he ever do things the smart way??). But you can still report things in a more neutral way,
or maybe not cuz you hate the guy.
Good for him. Maybe they’ll roid up & Arod can hit some more homers tomorrow. Who cares? What a non-story.
Steroids are illegal drugs. Therefore, Yuri Sucrat is a drug dealer. He transported illegal drugs across country lines, which is a crime.
Or do only recreational drugs count as drug dealing and steroids are ok?
pete is not a problem he even said it that his cousin was his driver so hes drivin him isnt that his job and hes familyyy
“What Joba story? The DUI that happened 6 months ago?
At least Joba does have the excuse of being “young and stupid” because he is 22.”
Joba was 23 going on 24 when he got his DUI and ARod was 24 going on 25 when he said he started roids.
Yeah, big difference there genius.
mko -
I had to respond to your post. You know, I’m one of “those people.” Those people who never do anything illegal. One of those people who think about what I’m doing. I would imagine a lot of us have had conversations about, “gee, I bet we could buy that extra case of wine, stick it in the trunk and no one will ever know.” And I bet many of us have immediately laughed with our significant others, “yeah, right – it would just be our luck to get stopped.”
I am one of “those people” who thinks about the consequences. Who actually takes the scenario to the next step – what if I get caught? Am I prepared to deal with that? Is this something I could live with?
So, not everyone “does it.” Some people do have a conscience, or maybe it’s just plain old being chicken.
And apparently neither Yuri nor ARod cared much about what could happen. And I think it has to do with having far more money than brains.
Besides the attorney team Arod has hired, it appears he has others on his payroll. Namely, half the people who post on this blog. How much does Arod pay you people, to defend him?? Get off his jock.
It is tired.
Did A-Rod ever identify this Yuri guy as the cousin who brought him the stuff? No. The media are the ones who said that this is the guy. Even if this is the guy who got the Bole, it’s still his cousin. If Alex had abandoned the guy, then the media would be ripping him for not being loyal to family. Even worse, they’d say that he used him to get the steroids and then dumped him unceremoniously. The guy just can’t catch a break. Everything he does is criticized. It’s hard to feel sorry for someone that’s making 32mil, but to me, Alex becomes more sympathetic as the days go on.
Yes, Joba was arrested. He also hasn’t had his case decided yet, by the way. So I should hound Joba about that now, five months later, instead of reporting about the best player in the game admitting to taking PED two weeks ago?
Of course. That makes perfect sense. How could I have missed that?
“I’ll agree it wasn’t the smartest thing of him to do, (does he ever do things the smart way??). But you can still report things in a more neutral way,
or maybe not cuz you hate the guy.”
Nail.on.the.head.
“Joba was 23 going on 24 when he got his DUI and ARod was 24 going on 25 when he said he started roids.”
A-rod was 26 during the 2001 season. Regardless, being young isn’t a good excuse for making stupid decisions like drinking and driving or doing steroids.
Laura: Um, the man’s wife said it was him. Nice try though.
“Joba was 23 going on 24 when he got his DUI and ARod was 24 going on 25 when he said he started roids.”
“Yeah, big difference there genius.”
No, the big difference is that Joba could have killed innocent people. Alex only hurt himself by using steroids. The media is giving Joba a pass because he’s Joba. If Alex had gotten a DUI, they’d be calling for him to get a life sentence. He is clearly the most hated man in America.
I’m sorry Pete, but I’m just not outraged over this.
Is it a fact that this is indeed the cousin who supplied him? Has it been proven? Has he admitted to it? Has Arod named him?
On top of all that, I think Arod was lying through his teeth when he came up with the “my cousin did it” excuse.
The cousin is a dupe. He’s a patsy.
I don’t know…maybe I’m numb at this point and I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop with him i.e. he used as a Yankee.
I think I’m plum out of outrage.
This seems like a non story to me.
I don’t understand why everyone is hating on Pete. The guy is just trying to do his job. It is a big deal. Say you get stopped for buying a bag of herb by DEA agents. The person you bought it from is your cousin who they are trying to take down. They tell you that if you don’t want to get busted to stay away from him. If you want yourself to look bad, keep going and seeing him. It is stupidity to keep yourself involved with someone who could possibly come under FBI or DEA investigation. It’s basically like…here have a shovel, keep digging yourself a bigger hole. Pete is doing his job, and you guys shouldn’t be pissing him off like you are.
Pete – please keep posts like these coming. The only people who find this story tiresome are those who want it to just go away. Problem is it can’t, it won’t and it really shouldn’t. Pretty sure the responsibility for that falls in A-Rod’s lap, not yours. On that note, any more info surface on what A-Rod plans to do to fight steroid use in the US? You’d think it would take less than 10 days for someone making $300 million to decide if he’s even willing to donate money to the cause.
Not a story here. This is a bit absurd.
Pete -
You are doing an excellent job covering this. Do not shy away just because the fans want to sweep it under the rug. This is big news. Certainly more important than Kei Igawa pitching a scoreless inning.
When are baseball writers going to realize baseball fans don’t care about steroids. Get over it.
Pete, I think A-Rod is stupid to do this as it plays into the hands of the tabloids and I see no problem in you reporting it on that basis. However, referring to his cousin as a ‘drug smuggler’ is tabloid journalism at its most crass and entirely undermines your own credibility as a serious sports journalist.
“A-rod was 26 during the 2001 season. Regardless, being young isn’t a good excuse for making stupid decisions like drinking and driving or doing steroids.”
A-Rod was born in July of 75 so going into the 2001 season he was 25 years old.
We’re both wrong.
Pete:
Since nobody else seems willing to respond to you without being blindly defensive I will take a crack at it. You can be a stalwart Yankees fan without having to defend every action to a fault. A-Rod having his cousin pick him up is DEFINITELY not the smartest move in the world given the current circumstances. Unless they were driving to a meeting for that Steroid awareness foundation he mentioned in his press conference I really dont want to see those two together near any baseball operations for a long long time…
Pete -
By your logic, no one on the Yankees should ever ride in a car with Alex Rodriguez or Joba Chamberlain. No player. Shoot, they probably shouldn’t be in the same clubhouse with them ever. They’re both admitted law breakers. Any association between them and other players should be a story and blog post.
“Laura: Um, the man’s wife said it was him. Nice try though.”
Really? I’ll take your word for it then because I didn’t read that. Of course, I’ve been trying to stay away from the A-Rod nightmare so it’s possible I missed it.
PETE! GIVE A-ROD A BREAK! HE WAS YOUNG AND NAIVE THIS AFTERNOON WHEN HIS COUSIN PICKED HIM UP. PLUS, HE NEVER WENT TO COLLEGE. HE’S LIVING UP THE EXPECTATIONS OF A $250 MILLION CONTRACT TOO…JEEESH, YOU JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND.
if the reporters think it was a big deal y didnt ya hop on a car and follow them were they were going they probably went out to eat and go home
Surprisingly i have to agree with Pete to a point. I wouldnt abandon family either, but at least wait for it to blow over before you put yourself in public with this guy.
Also lets be real. This guy took the fall for Alex. He is surely not the problem here.
That being said, he lives there, he is family, and swisher was there too, so i dont think this is really a big deal.
“Pete – please keep posts like these coming. The only people who find this story tiresome are those who want it to just go away. Problem is it can’t, it won’t and it really shouldn’t. Pretty sure the responsibility for that falls in A-Rod’s lap, not yours. On that note, any more info surface on what A-Rod plans to do to fight steroid use in the US? You’d think it would take less than 10 days for someone making $300 million to decide if he’s even willing to donate money to the cause.”
You my friend are an *diot.
I think it would be better if Al Cowlings was driving A-Rod around
” But, perception is reality in today’s world…”
it’s all about perception. it’s not fair arod was singled out with the list of 104, but he was singled out for a reason. the reason was to be an example. he’s not playing the “get out of jail card” very well.
like pettitte , he needs to show humility. f he can’t, he’s going to buy a whole lotta unnecessary trouble . i think that people on the blog underestimate the power of the feds.
they don’t have to play fair. that’s the point here. why antagonize them?
I can’t believe you’re all getting on Pete’s case for this one. This just shows poor judgment by ARod.
Joba’s lawyers have asked the court to postpone his trial twice now. Have you asked why?
no.
That’s the point.
Who cares how old the story is. It’s still a story. You reported on it ONCE and that was it. The Arod story keeps dragging on and on and on..
You have such a double standard between both players, that it’s worth it to point out.
this is not big news, this cousin is really close and does all the daily things for arod
again, if they want to collaborate to get their story right, they could do it whenever they wanted to, so its no big deal they just drove together
its obvious the owner of the blog is on the arod hate wagon right now, cuz thats whats getting ratings these days
its hypocritical to pick on arod, why guys like giambi were given a free pass just cuz pete was buddies with him
The media is giving Joba a pass because he is Joba?
So, Joba is now Michael Jordon or Tiger Woods or some cult hero?
They are giving him a pass because he was truthful and remorseful. There was not anymore info that came out after his apology. He didn’t continue to do things that link him to alcohol (whereas A-Rod continues to associate himself with steroid suppliers). He made a mistake and moved on.
ARod cheated the game, thats why this is a big deal. Nobody cares how it affected his health.
I knew that Swisher was trouble the minute I saw him.
Nick Swisher was there. I think we all like him, so clearly A-Rod is a great guy. Nick wouldn’t get a ride home with him if he wasn’t…
rodg12-
not exactly an apt comparison. arod faces possible sanctions from mlb on top of his reputation continuing to be tarnished. it would be as if pete rose pulled up to riverfront stadium with his bookie.
if joba, currently awaiting trial for dui, were to be seen leaving a bar and driving away, i’d think that’d be a story too. no one is saying other players/people shouldn’t be haing out with arod and joba because they may ahve committed criminal offenses- they are saying after admission to committing a criminal offense (which i guess a-rod skirted around since he claimed he though it was an otc drug- no intent), it usually isn’t smart to associate with the person with whom you committed the offense with.
I would find the story a lot more interesting if A-Rod and Swisher had gotten into a car driven by Madonna. Now that would make for some good headlines.
We can even throw Leyritz into this also since he’s a former Yankee.
The guy kill someone drinking and driving.
Yet Arod is getting more press on this blog.
Double standard.
Sad that people have to drag our 24 yr old phenom pitcher into this discussion just to make ARod the cheater look better.
Embarassing….
This is only a story because the media wants to make it out to be one. The guy got the drugs for Alex 6 yrs ago. Are we supposed to be referring to him as a drug smuggler as if it’s something he’s still doing today?
“rodg12 February 25th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Pete – By your logic, no one on the Yankees should ever ride in a car with Alex Rodriguez or Joba Chamberlain. No player. Shoot, they probably shouldn’t be in the same clubhouse with them ever. They’re both admitted law breakers. Any association between them and other players should be a story and blog post.”
bravo
[b]I think everybody (Pete included) here are fighting two separate arguments that they think is one.
1) Should Pete have posted this as a news-worthy item?
2) Do I myself care about this story?
I think most people on here don’t care anymore about the story and are taking it out on Pete. I don’t care anymore and am sick of it. It happened 5 years ago, he apologized the best way he can, now let’s move on! However, me being sick of it AND not thinking that this is a big deal doesn’t mean Pete shouldn’t report on it. Of course he should! Any respectable journalist should, however, he doesn’t have to come out with op-ed pieces (which I hope he doesn’t do) so until then, harness your inner frustration and don’t take it out on Pete.[/b]
A-Rod doesn’t face sanctions. The whole reason the test was allowed was because it was agreed no one would be punished. Giambi wasnt punished. pettitte wasnt punished. People on other teams weren’t punished.
Unless they find something more recent, he is just talking to them for show. MLB wants to look like they are being hard as–s, but they know there isnt much they can do here.
“When are baseball writers going to realize baseball fans don’t care about steroids. Get over it”
I care.
thank you for trying to speak on my behalf, tho
“They are giving him a pass because he was truthful and remorseful. There was not anymore info that came out after his apology. He didn’t continue to do things that link him to alcohol (whereas A-Rod continues to associate himself with steroid suppliers).”
You use the term “steroid suppliers” in the present tense. Any proof that this Yuri is still supplying steroids to players?
Pete, let me ask you something. Putting the institution of MLB aside, which do you view as worse? An admitted steroid user or an (essentially) admitted drunk-driver?
Which crime deserves being completely ostracized?
Now, if you were in Seattle, I could understand why no one would care about Joba and they would about Alex. But Joba is on the Yankees. I don’t want someone who is a drunk driver to be a role model to children. Hell, do we even want him driving home for the ballpark? Or can we assume, since you love Joba, that he is past those immature times of old?
Yes, A-Rod should know better than to have the same cousin pick him up from the stadium.
Does that also mean that Joba shouldn’t be seen driving a car?
E-gawa
postponing a trial or hearing is pretty commonplace in a criminal case and not out of the ordinary. for all we know it can be a scheduling problem with his attorney, needing additional time for discovery or evidence to arrive, waiting for driver’s license hearing, etc…
E-gawa
postponing a trial or hearing is pretty commonplace in a criminal case and not out of the ordinary. for all we know it can be a scheduling problem with his attorney, needing additional time for discovery or evidence to arrive, waiting for driver’s license hearing, etc…
“Sad that people have to drag our 24 yr old phenom pitcher into this discussion just to make ARod the cheater look better.
Embarassing….”
What’s even more sad is if he weren’t a 24 yr old phenom pitcher, he’d be facing mandatory jail time in Nebraska for a first offense.
Pete, if you want to score big…
Find a way to get the other names on the list. You could be the next big thing in SI, and write a book and be a millionaire.
It is out there for someone to find.
Wouldnt you like to expose Curt Schilling, or David Ortiz, or someone else who may have helped Jamie Moyer win a title that he magically ignores?
Nick Swisher in the car. Hmmm, it reminds me of the time i dated this girl at school and we had to let her sister come along so nothing would happen. Wont tell you how it ended. But maybe Swish was the watch dog Pete.
I liked it better Pete when we didnt talk about the S word. Lets try to bring that back tomorrow.
G. Love- if the guy is looking to avoid controversy, to stop being a distraction for his team and to just move forward with his baseball career, why would he even chance being seen in public with the same person he accused of smuggling steroids into this country and then injecting him with them? Why would he ever chance that, much less chance it with in 10 days of the accusation? For a guy in desperate need of positive PR, it’s ridiculously stupid and it makes him seem that much less credible.
Why are people acting as if Pete is the only one covering this?
ESPN sent TWO reporters to this game in Dunedin just to gauge the crowd reaction. And they broke into SportsCenter live during each AB to show this.
The entire NY media is still pushing this story. This is still a big deal. Why should Pete hide from it when the rest of the baseball world is talking about it?
I think the double standard here is on the opposite side – what if this was not Alex Rodriguez, but David Ortiz or some other “hated” opponent?
I imagine many would be singing a different tune.
Of course, the instinct is to rally around one of our own. But stupid is as stupid does. Alex could have had someone else pick him up at the ballpark for appearances’ sake. Doesn’t mean he’s cutting out his cousin, who, I am sure, does plenty of other things for him.
Hey, it’s not like Alex can’t afford a different driver.
And in this case, it most definitely is about appearances and perception. He still has to meet with MLB. And there’s a crazy commissioner in the picture who seems to be looking for an angle to punish ARod .
Baseball writers are ruining baseball.
Maybe A-Rod’s reason for getting picked up by his cousin was to show that he has nothing to hide.
Better for him to get picked up by his “drug mule” cousin in the light of day than to sneak around in the shadows.
Stop being a distraction?
What do you want him to do, stay home in bed?
People follow him around, he isn’t EXACTLY going out of his way to be a distraction.
Matt M -
Not really embarrassing since the 24 yr old phenom’s transgression was much, much worse than ARod’s in the grand scheme of things. But, keep hating on ARod because, oh my gosh, he took STEROIDS!!!!! STEROIDS!!!!!!! The ultimate evil of this country and professional sports. STEROIDS!!!!!!
RustyJohn,
That’s the point though. We don’t know because these guys are too busy asking Arod questions.
“ESPN sent TWO reporters to this game in Dunedin just to gauge the crowd reaction. And they broke into SportsCenter live during each AB to show this.”
Thats because ESPN and Pete are Red Sox fans
Matt M.
February 25th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Sad that people have to drag our 24 yr old phenom pitcher into this discussion just to make ARod the cheater look better.
Embarassing….
————
Ah yes. Keep in mind that if I’m partying with Joba, I’m going to make sure I call a taxi.
But I guess you feel doing steroids is worse than risking the lives on innocent and unsuspecting people.
Which should we care about more? Pitchers upset that a steroid user hit a HR, or families of the victims of drunk drivers? Hmmmmmmmmmm….
Yeah… because Brett Gardner hitting a HR off some no name or Brett Tomko striking out minor leaguers is so much more important than ARod getting into a car with the guy who supplied him with steroids…
I’m not hatin on Pete, as a matter of fact i really love the guy for what he does to us Yankee Fans, i check out this blog as much as everyone here and i respect his opinion. Except when it’s on A-Rod because he hates him and you can read it in his words, so thats just me refusing to accept a biased opinion on a player i like to watch.
(not as much i used to, I’ll admit.)
“When are baseball writers going to realize baseball fans don’t care about steroids. Get over it”
“I care.”
I bet if you did a survey, you’d find that you are in the minority. I’m not just talking about Yankees fans. I live in Cubs/White Sox country and their fans are scratching their heads over the A-Rod coverage. They have zero interest in steroids and just want the guys to start playing baseball.
“We can even throw Leyritz into this also since he’s a former Yankee.
The guy kill someone drinking and driving.
Yet Arod is getting more press on this blog.
Double standard.”
Excellent point.
Ray Lewis kills a dude and is worshipped as a national symbol of toughness and yet A-Rod has never done anything to hurt anyone but himself and is dismantled piece by piece by an all too willing and bloodthirsty media.
It’s the poke the body syndrome.
I wonder if anyone hitch a ride in Pavanoes Porche last year? If so, did the media grill the individual for being dumb enough to find ways to get Pavanoed?
“Yes, Joba was arrested. He also hasn’t had his case decided yet, by the way. So I should hound Joba about that now, five months later, instead of reporting about the best player in the game admitting to taking PED two weeks ago?
Of course. That makes perfect sense. How could I have missed that?”
Except for the fact that this all happened 6 years ago.
We as fans really only care about one thing, and one thing only. Winning a World Series trophy each and every year. We have our favorite players, we have players that we dislike, but winning is the only thing that matters. Doesn’t matter how we do it, as long as we do it.
To bring up an interesting question…
Look at the fields that teams use to play in, and how much larger the dimensions were than they are currently. Biggest example being the Polo Grounds.
Whose to say that players such as: Ruth, Mantle, Ted Williams, Maris, Jackson, Aaron.
Never took some kind of substance that was available at the time that they played. Most that could come into question, have passed away.
Babe Ruth had more home runs in certain years than all the teams combined. No one will admit this as a possibility, and I’m sure it will make people mad bringing it up.
However, it is possible.
Joba DIDN’T kill anybody. why are people speaking in hypothetical?
“The entire NY media is still pushing this story. This is still a big deal. Why should Pete hide from it when the rest of the baseball world is talking about it?”
Two wrongs don’t make it right. The NY media shouldn’t be pushing this story either.
pete’s infatuation with arod is like reading a celebrity gossip blog.
next we will see him drawing pictures of the male anatomy on arod.
Yeah what a piece of garbage drug smuggler that dude is. Bringing in huge “shipments” of steroids for his baseball mega star cousin Alex Rodriguez. Sucart probably has a huge operation going on. MLB should be furious. PLEASE
Shame on Pete for reporting the news!!
He should be reporting on how Dan Gieses’ fastball looked!
did the steroids enter the us or were they done in the dr?
i can see if this cousin is a bad guy,then arod should not be around him but if it was arod pushing this cousin to get steroids i am not so sure.
the problem i have is that these players are not disowned by their teams,friends,family.why should arod disown his cousin?
my brother had a drug problem,did 3 years on an 8 year sentence,lost his house,business & got divorced,stole from everybody he could steal from & i did not disown him.
with family there might be a difference.i can’t disown my brother & would not wan’t to.
he was sick.now he goes to aa,makes great money & is doing well.we talk about his past all the time & he said he was a sick person.
in my mind it depends on how bad of an influence this cousin is on arod & how good of a heart he has.
people make mistakes.should they be condemmed & if so,for how long.
Wow, the newspaper business is tanking…good thing we have this blog. It’s the best when it comes to Yankee Baseball
“Joba DIDN’T kill anybody. why are people speaking in hypothetical?”
He didn’t, but he could have. His crime was a heck of a lot more serious than what Alex did yet he didn’t get anywhere near the coverage that Alex has received. Face facts – Alex is the most hated man in America. People take pleasure in finding dirt on him. It’s the cost of making more $$$ than any other player in the game.
Wow!
First game of the year and we get to hear about steroids in every post.
Well done!
Did I mistakenly type in PerezHilton.com or TMZ.com
Where am I?
i’ve had change of heart; i think when arod meets with mlb investigators he should have his cousin drive him, and both should wear t-shirts that say ” bleep the feds”.
that way it’ll be sooner than later when he’s in jail and his contract is voided.
I’m not hatin on Pete, as a matter of fact i really love the guy for what he does to us Yankee Fans, i check out this blog as much as everyone here and i respect his opinion. Except when it’s on A-Rod because he hates him and you can read it in his words, so thats just me refusing to accept a biased opinion on a player i like to watch.
(not as much i used to, I’ll admit.)
——-
I have to agree. I don’t care so much that you report the stuff, but its how you report it. It’s also you not being fair with your reporting. You make it sound as though A-Rod killed Jesus Christ (or Mohammed, or Buddha, or whomever.) I mean, the guy did steroids. He handled the admission somewhat poorly (although he did ACTUALLY ADMIT TO USING STEROIDS.) He clearly is not great at handling the media, but does that make him MORE culpible?
You make it sound as though A-Rod was doing roids in the back of the car as it pulled away from the stadium.
Would you question Joba if you saw him get into a car with his old college drinking buddies? Doesn’t a DUI suggest that Joba has a less-than-superb character?
I’ll say it again. The car got past security at the two parks at least twice today in each park. Somebody ok’d it. If Girardi and the Yankees had no problem with Rodriguez and Swisher being in the same car, they wouldn’t have given them permission and both payers would have been on the bus.
“I bet if you did a survey, you’d find that you are in the minority. I’m not just talking about Yankees fans. I live in Cubs/White Sox country and their fans are scratching their heads over the A-Rod coverage”
didn’t say i enjoy listening to any steroid coverage. Point is, i do care if players are using steroids (past or present). BTW, the topic of steroids is bigger than Alex Rodriguez.
Melky vs. Gardner
Gardner was 1 for 3 today with a HR
Let’s see how Melky does.
That’s the news Im interested in. Who is gonna be our new centerfielder, and how is he gonna handle the task.
Just to be clear – I don’t believe ARod’s cousin “supplied” anyone but ARod. I think calling him a “steroid smuggler,” while technically correct, is a bit over the top. I think Pete can’t resist tweaking the readership, if you will.
But the issue is that ARod shows no common sense, ever. Or he just doesn’t think at all.
If you want to call The Cousin a drug smuggler you have to call Alex one too. Not only did Alex implicate the cousin in a crime he copped to one himself too.
This Alex suff is going to get much worse before it gets better. With the upcomming MLB investigation and Roberts’ book, Alex should just “play it safe” for the time being. The press is going to follow his every move.
This post is an example of things to come. Randy has a point about the feds. If they wanted to, they could make his life even more hellish.
change da subjecttt if any giants fans interested the giants sign brandon jacobs to 4 years 25 million
BREAKING NEWS ON ESPN
“Arod enters CVS pharmacy”
shouldn’t Arod know better than to visit a drugstore. After all, he did get the steroids over the counter at a drugstore in the D.R.
Is this guy a moron what is he thinking. such a drama queen, he sure does love the attention.
“I’ll say it again. The car got past security at the two parks at least twice today in each park. Somebody ok’d it. If Girardi and the Yankees had no problem with Rodriguez and Swisher being in the same car, they wouldn’t have given them permission and both payers would have been on the bus.”
I must have missed this the first time you posted it. Good point. Of course, I’m sure that Alex will be told tomorrow that his cousin is not allowed on Yankee territory.
Nick in SF,
Do these Rodriguez groupies remind you at all of SF Giants fans kissing Bonds’s needle-punctured posterior?
The Yankees can’t STOP ARod from getting a ride from his cousin. It is awful judgment on ARod’s part and will just add more negative publicity to the team, but they can’t stop him.
And I highly doubt Girardi knew who was picking him up. He probably just said “Hey Joe, my cousin is here to take me and Swish back”. It may have slipped Joe’s mind that it was the same cousin.
Pete has a “Single White Female” attraction to A-Rod
Just kidding Pete
Hey look! It’s Pete dumpster diving for ARod trash.
Play in the dumpster Pete and you’re gonna end up smelling like…well, you know.
Shame on A-rod for associating with his cousin who may or may not have done something illegal 6 years ago!
Lord knows none of us fans, members of the media, etc. have never ever ever associated with someone who may or may not have been involved in shady dealings.
Don’t throw stones if you live in a glass house.
“BTW, the topic of steroids is bigger than Alex Rodriguez.”
How would we know that when all we ever hear about is what Alex did? No one says boo about the other 103 names out there. Where is the outrage that Alex’s name got leaked? Where’s that investigation? I won’t hold my breath waiting for it to happen.
Arod = Britney,Parris,Pitt,Jolie
media = Paparatzzi
I dont care who Arod hangs out with, what he eats, what shows he watches and who hes dating. All i care about is Alex showing me #27. Thats it.
Now i do like knowing who Jeter dates. For some reason they improve my vision. Vision enhancers.
S.o.S. -=
And I, on the other hand, am soooooo tired of hearing about who Jeter dates.
Hey, the fact that AROD is still seen with his cousin means that AROD does not care what anyone thinks and he will just go on to have a very big year.
Unless the cousin drove the SUV (with drugs in it) from the Dominican (across the water – hey it’s an amphibious SUV!) to Tampa – it’s a non-story.
of course if your name is Ms. Roberts – then it’s page 324 in your new book of titilating tales.
“Do these Rodriguez groupies remind you at all of SF Giants fans kissing Bonds’s needle-punctured posterior?”
Just because you think someone is getting a raw deal in the press and you complain about it doesn’t make you a groupie. But I’m a groupie though….for the New York Yankees. All of them. If the same thing was happening to Jose Molina, I’d be complaining about that too. It just so happens that this is an A-Rod thing. Can’t pick your poison.
this was prob posted earlier but just in case:
” ESPN’s Buster Olney believes Manny Ramirez remains unsigned because of his behavior in Boston:
The primary reason for [the lack of interest in Manny], unquestionably, is the sport-wide perception that he did not honor his contract in Boston, and went to extraordinary depths to get himself out of that contract. These are not the on-background musings of a couple of rogue scouts, or the chortlings of conspiracy-theorist sports writers. This is the cemented belief of many executives with many teams, reinforced by Ramirez’s sudden transformation into a high-energy player as soon as he moved from the Red Sox to the Dodgers.
In my opinion, the primary interest for the limited Manny interest is his asking price. At a time when solid corner outfielders are signing for $10MM per year tops, Manny wants more than twice that salary and at least three years guaranteed. I think if Ramirez and Boras were willing to take a reasonable two-year, $30MM deal, there’d be five more teams in on him.”
mlbtr.com
i would LOVE to see Manny go unsigned so he can reflect on how much he screwed up. Manny being Manny was cute for lil’ Sawx fans but it don’t fly anywhere else.
if arod only used ped’s in the years that he admitted to he will be fine as long as he does not lie to the feds or under oath.
Is Bob Holtzman still in Tampa?
GB7,
I looked up Mienkiuoulitz career and your right. 40 something errors arent too shaby. Alphabet only had 42 in 10 years. Pretty good as well.
It’s all part of the stimulus!
Here’s a thought. Pete can talk about current events (Alex catching a ride with his cuz) AND let us know how the guys on the bubble did.
Pete,
You got any marks on your back? A pack of wild things jumped all over you.
We can say this is ‘la familia’, but it sure seems like something Pac-man Jones would do.
Until he got into the car with the cousin, it seemed like things were back to normal. So much for keeping a low profile.
It’s no big deal, but it’s bound to bring attention to Alex.
Why is this even a story really?
It IS his cousin. They’re family, steroids or not. They could all be going to A-Rods house for a Madden tournament for all we know.
Let’s not always assume the worst… although at this point we have every right to. I’m just tired of worrying about all of this as of now.
Let’s just talk about what’s happening on the field, and only on the field.
I mean it’s time to crank it up…the Yanks are back on the playing field!
i was a yankee fan but i am not anymore i am really fed up with all this bs that comes with the team.they go out and try to get the best team every year and i have no problem with that but some players on the team just disgust me. a rod who takes steroids, cano and melky who are playing like its a joke. then they are the least fan friendley team in the league. and to top it all off the yankees organzation treats there fans like crap with the new stadium relocation plan. you would think they would try to give back the ALL the devoted fans they have but i guess not.
Everybody really needs to relax on ripping Pete apart because they’re hurt by a story which seems as if it will never go away- yes, Alex Rodriguez is by most standards that best player in the game. Yes, the Yankees signed him for 10 years, and yes, he’ll finish his career in pinstripes. I’m on the same page with everyone who tires of reading a constant stream of Alex did this, Alex did that in the wake of his PED use coming out. But could everyone take a step back and take a look at this from Pete’s point of view? All of you here are loyal readers, or else you wouldn’t be posting on this blog, so I know we all appreciate the excellent work Pete does. He makes a indisputable point when he says it would be silly to just ignore the A-rod issue because people are fed up with it. I agree with everyone who says it would be unfair for Alex to simply cut ties with his cousin, but as he prepares to meet with Major League Baseball and more importantly as he is in the first few weeks of trying to *build credibility and repair his image* how can you possibly tell me that it is a good move from a PR standpoint to have his cousin drive him to and from spring training games?!
I’m amazed that I’m one of what seems like 5 out of the hundreds here that are actually on your side about this Pete! I’d like to say I really don’t think you’ve had any kind of double standard whatsoever. And the morons out there who think you’ve been “letting Joba off the hook” are just that – morons. Like you said, the case hasn’t even been resolved, not to mention he’s a player in his second year in the bigs, not arguably the best player in the game like Alex!
“lola February 25th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
i was a yankee fan but i am not anymore”
—
Then you were never really a Yankees fan
“ESPN’s Buster Olney believes Manny Ramirez remains unsigned because of his behavior in Boston”
if not for Manny’s behavior in Boston, then Manny would be on the Yankees. And Texeria, on the Nationals or Redsox.
Personally, I don’t even care if ARod is still taking steroids. As long as he helps us win and hits big HRs, thats all that matters.
There is nothing wrong with Arod getting a ride from his cousin, he is still part of his family. But he should know how that will look and probably should have had somebody else pick him up, or ride the bus. It is again bad judgement.
Just like last year, it was bad judgement for Girardi to have Jim Leyritz in the clubhouse.
lola,
theres always the mets.
haha have fun with that.
Honestly? Who cares? I sure don’t – moving on to other baseball topics, lol.
I missed Swish on with Kay, but I heard La Greca joke that he might have to throw up if he had to listen to Swish’s over-enthusastic nature every day – They kept replaying a clip where Swish was saying “life is too short!”….I would love for Kay to get Swish on for a weekly bit -hope that comes to fruition.
This just in: Rogers Clemens is divorcing his wife as she is an admitted PED user, he stated “I cannot be seen in the company of her sort.” In a twist, Roger’s sons have filed for formal separation from their parents to “make it clear to America that we are clean.” They deny rumors that their mom took PEDs during pregnancy and they were born dirty. Andy Pettitte’s children have likewise moved out of their parent’s home and filed for emancipated so that ”our pop warner league, soccer league and little league teams know we are not juiced.” The Giambi brothers have taken orders of protection out on one another that demand 100 feet of clearance at all times. Jeremy said “I just want a job with that MLB TV show.” The Canseco brothers are suing each other denying that they were ever twins and stating that they were never related. However, it has been leaked that they have signed to do a reality TV series called “I’m with Stupid, No I’m Not.”
Now, if Joba walked the street with an open container a la Joachim Noah, I’m sure Pete would post a thread about it.
“Then you were never really a Yankees fan”
ignorant comment. One can be a Yankee fan, without drinking the kool-aid.
“which was granted permission to pull up next to the Yankees’ clubhouse”
If the organization had such an issue with who was driving and where it was pulling up, why did they allow it? Just curious.
ARod is not the sharpest tool in the shed. And people wonder why this story won’t go away… ARod just keeps giving them more ammunition.
Tomorrow’s stories will be about this, not about how Gardner/Robertson etc. looked.
Doreen,
I would be too if i was a female. I cant wait to buy his tell all book when he retires. Hopefully it has alot of colored photos in it.
m,
Agree. Pete’s coverage about ARod has been very fair if you have an open mind. This IS News, Pete can’t just sweep it under the rug.
vinny-b February 25th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
“Then you were never really a Yankees fan”
ignorant comment. One can be a Yankee fan, without drinking the kool-aid.
—-
So one can be a Yankees fan, but only when the situation is good? That’s basically what she said. I hate this whole situation and am disgusted by the media, A-Rod, and everything that goes along with it, but I am still a Yankees fan.
Pete is just reporting what he saw, but I am so tired of hearing about Alex’s every move. I just want to focus on what’s happening on the field. If the Yankees or MLB has an issue with Alex hanging out with his cousin, they can deal with it.
S.o.S. -
I seriously hope that Jeter is smart enough with all his money to NOT have to write a tell-all biography of his off-the-field exploits!
I highly doubt Cashman or anybody are even in Dunedin to know what is going on.
A-Rod probably just told Joe that he is getting his own ride and Joe said ok. This isin’t Elementary School… the principal doesn’t have to check and see who the family member is. If ARod said he had his own transportation, they will let him go,
Chances are, Cashman is going to be irate at ARod.
*update*
Pete is just posting the news. You can’t blame him without blaming every other sports journalist.
That said, anybody who doesn’t think ARod is treated differently among the media is fooling themselves. Deserving or not, Alex is a hated man by most in the media.
The baseball parks probably have local or state police. I doubt that the Yankees have their own security checkpoints in the other team’s ballpark.
So how could the Yankees control this? At home they can, not on the road.
“Now, if Joba walked the street with an open container a la Joachim Noah, I’m sure Pete would post a thread about it.”
Only if he was with Arod.
Then he would ask other players how they felt about Arod influencing Joba like that.
Next were going to here the Yankees team putting bars of soap in towels and beating Alex with it in the shower. Full metal jacket style. Just watch.
Also, Brett Gardner was seen coming out of ARODS cousins trunk.
Frank,
Good, let the media saturate the sheep with more and more ARod. As long as we have a place to read about guys like Gardner, Melancon, etc (thanks Pete), I’m fine.
Even the sheep sports fans who are spoonfed on a daily basis will get tired of this stuff once the season starts.
Doreen,
Hope your wrong. It would be as exciting as watching the first pyramids being opened. Cant wait!
S.o.S.
February 25th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
GB7,
I looked up Mienkiuoulitz career and your right. 40 something errors arent too shaby. Alphabet only had 42 in 10 years. Pretty good as well.
————————————————————
What I remember is how far off the bag Wes Parker would stand and still flag down the hits down the line, especially when Koufax and Drysdale pitched. He was left handed and could really cover the hole between 1st and 2nd, but, he had really long arms and could still cover the line. He was the best I ever saw at 1st base. If you believe in range factors and such, Parker was well above league average and well above Mientkiewicz.
“No big deal. How could I possibly think that is significant? I’m sure MLB is just fine with that. I’m sure Brian Cashman is thrilled… But if you’re expecting me just to report the happy stuff, you’re at the wrong place.”
Like I said, why not do some intrepid reporting into the other 103 guys that tested positive if you love bad news so much? Why not do some investigating into the names of the people who leaked A-Rod’s test results (yeah, they’re anonymous sources — of anonymous test results that are public now!)?
Oh yeah, right, because A-Rod sells papers and sports journalists are fairly lazy. You guys have the big fish on the line already, no need to cast the net out any further! It’s okay, you’re just doing your job, but please, stop being so disingenuous with the “don’t shoot the messenger” act.
I’m more surprised the Yankees gave the cousin permission to pick someone (anyone) up at the door of the clubhouse. Unless of course it was Felix Lopez who unilaterally supplied the approval. (He apparently is taken with his authority). If Alex doesn’t have any consideration for the team, at least Yankee management should. Assuming there is any management in that bunch of —-.
Steroids shouldn’t even be a scheduled drug in the first place. Even back in 90′ when it was added to the Schedule, the DEA had no intention of enforcing the new act and outright opposed it. But that is now irrelevant.
Regardless, A-Rod can hang out with Yuri as much as he wants even if he did smuggle drugs into the country. Firstly, he has not be formally found guilty of illegal smuggling so anything Pete says is pure speculation. At least for me, A-Rod’s statement was 100% trash and for all we know he got the drugs from somebody else in the USA.
Something NEGATIVE written about A-Rod by Peter…….. What a surprise…..
Come on, folks. Pete is absolutely right to report this. When the best player in the game takes the next step in his own self-destruction it is news. No question about it.
Arod hanging out with his cousin? Why the hell not! It’s his cousin people. His cousin. Do any of you have relatives who may have had a problem with the law in their lives or may have done things that weren’t entirely appropriate? Did you turn your backs on them in order to please the populace? Well then neither should Arod.
Rock on ARod. Your cousin is your blood. Everyone else is windowdressing. Everyone.
I said it earlier in the comments and I will say it again, this is completely and utter nonsense. Was it smart of A-Rod to have his cousin drop him off at the park? Probably not. Is this any type of news? Absolutely not!
This is not TMZ! A-Rod did absolutely nothing wrong and as much as I do respect Pete’s writing and reporting, he is far from objective about A-Rod and his comments show this.
I am not a huge A-Rod fan but this is absurd. Since when is it a bad thing that a guy is loyal to his family? Would anyone here kick a family member to the curb who was just taking directions? I highly doubt it.
Pete is the one who asked for non PED talk a long time ago yet he throws nonsense up like this on the site.
If Yuri being around A-Rod (which I would imagine is quite often since they are so close) is going to warrant a post this season, this site is coming out of my reader. There are way too many good Yankees blogs for propaganda like this.
Its probably not all that smart, for precisely questions like this being asked and inferred.
If you can fly below the radar for a while, its probably the smart thing to do. Otherwise you leave yourself open to stories and speculation like this.
Honestly, my mother sends me through OTC (ibuprofen/12mg codeine) painkillers that are available back home. Its only available by prescription here. They’re for personal use because they’re what works for my migraine headaches. She puts on the mail paperwork whats in there, and it hasn’t been stopped by customs yet.
I just don’t have the energy to get all that outraged anymore, lol.
i’m not reading anything into this, but it was probably a dumb idea. no way his crisis management would agree with it on the first spring trainging game and just prior to meeting with MLB.
that said, i think it’s great arod and swisher seem to be getting along well
“When the best player in the game takes the next step in his own self-destruction it is news.”
Unless the driver was blind-folded going the wrong way down Dale Mabry I think “self-destruction” may be a tad too strong.
One way to nip this. All players must go by team rules. Travel on a team bus to road games – - return on the same team bus back to Tampa.
A-Rod is a glutton for headlines. A bonafide attention getter.
Stories about A-Rod & Steroids get more posts than anything on the interweb…so we get more of the same…cool as long as it pays for more stories about real baseball stuff!
Pete is 100% correct on this issue, and those criticizing him are out to lunch.
It’s unbelievable that A-Rod would continue to be seen with a man with whom he was involved in illegally importing and abusing steroids. We all suspect that the impetus for obtaining and using the steroids came from A-Rod himself, and not Sucart, but just the same, A-Rod should have the minimal sense and decency to keep his cousin and Presinal completely out of the picture during ST and the baseball season.
A-Rod really is an unbelievable jackass. I hate the thought of that POS getting $6 million for hitting each “milestone” home run when we all know he was a juicer. The entire charade is unseemly and ridiculous. First of all, A-Rod is already being paid $27 million a year to play baseball. Secondly, he has already been given a huge premium in his contract for chasing the home run record, as he is signed to massive annual salaries until he will be far beyond his productive years (’til he is 42!). Lastly, A-Rod should be happy to become the all-time home run leader for the achievement itself, and not because he will make $6 million with each “record-tying” or “record-breaking” (yay! what a hero!) swing. The only redeeming irony is that A-Rod will get $6 million for passing another juicer (Bonds).
Honestly, I think my fellow Yankee fans are mind-numbed lemmings on this issue. A-Rod is a cheater, a liar, a dishonorable man and a cancer for this team. I hope MLB finds a way to suspend him, and that the Yankees refuse to pay him those disgusting home run “incentives”.
Those people who are completely lambasting Pete for posting this news, are just as annoying as the sycophantic posts and the ones that are additionally not based in reality, like the one above this.
Moderation. Balance. Perspective.
Was that Bill Ayers in Alex’s cousin’s car trunk?
Swisher hits 50 HRs this year.
Thanks Yuri!
Nothing wrong with Pete’s post. Just confirms Al and Yuri are what Al said they were: “stupid”.
To quote the comedian Ron White: You can’t fix stupid.
mattnc- arod was a juicer, but more pitchers juiced than hitters, so its all a wash
Ok Peter, here’s a tip – A-rod last admits to taking steroids in 2003. Meaning that unless there is an active investigation into Sucart, he hasn’t been a “drug mule” in 5 years.
Yeah, he should definitely disown the guy. Or are you so blatantly superficial that being seen in public is a no-no, but if they were hanging out 24-7 in private, that would be ok ?
Of course it would be ok, it would be away from the bloodsuckers like you.
Oh, and in case the enlightened members of the media haven’t figured this out yet, the only reason it is a story is because you decided it was worthy of public attention. Not because MLB said anything about it, not because the Yankees said anything about it, not because any police agency said anything about it, but because YOU think so.
Your job is to report, not to decide what the public should think is important.
You know, I care about steroids in that I don’t want players to do them. I care about steroids in that if a guy is doing them right now I’d like for him to be caught and suspended because ideally nobody would be doing them.
But I’m sorry, I don’t care about this. I did briefly when it was first announced, but it’s weeks later, spring training games are starting, the WBC is right around the corner, and we’re still having to hear stories about how A-Rod’s cousin and best friend who gave him some steroids 6-8 years ago picked him up at a game. I DON’T CARE, I just don’t. Does this have any effect on the game of baseball right now? Unless it’s being suggested that Alex is on steroids right now, and I don’t think even his detractors are suggesting that, then why does this seriously matter? The general idea of “Greatest player in the game uses steroids” is a story, yes. Stalking him over something from 6-8 years ago where every word he says and every move he makes is scrutinized under a microscope, I’m sorry, I’m sick to death of it. I so badly just want to talk about baseball, and instead I’m having to read and listen to stories about A-Rod getting into a car with a cousin who got him steroids half a decade ago. It doesn’t matter, it just doesn’t. What does that matter? Not the fact that he used steroids, but this whole getting into a car with the cousin, who cares? Does that mean anything? No. It’s just pointless fluff that’s being overblown, and while I can live with that in January, it’s almost March now and there are games (albeit Spring Training ones) happening now.
In May are we going to see headlines of “A-Rod winks at fan in stands; Secret steroid supplier?!?”? I don’t care about his every move. I didn’t care about Madonna and I dont care about this unless he’s using right now.
This isn’t really a condemnation of Pete, just the media reaction to this entire story in general.
Joba DIDN’T kill anybody. why are people speaking in hypothetical?
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Neither did ARod but you would never know it from the media. But my guess is since its close to the end of the month Pete needed to get his post numbers up thus an Arod thread.
I’m new to this blog, and so far I love it. The live blogging coverage of the games is phenomenal. I’m hoping we’ll see that for the regular season games too?
I would really like to see this blog stick to baseball issues. Not who’s riding in a car with whom. I know it’s a story, but there are a billion other outlets to get our negative news from. Do we really need it here? Going with a really big news break I can see, but this is absolutely not a major story. It’s just more nit-picking by the NY media.
Peter, great job with the rest of the blog! Count me in as a loyal reader from here out.
Jon
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I love Jennifer Lopez. Badly she is not my Girlfriend
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