Today in The Journal News
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on May 04, 2009 
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Joe Girardi rose to the defense of Alex Rodriguez yesterday and spoke out against a book on him.
The Yankees will send Phil Hughes against the Red Sox tonight. This notebook also has updates on Damaso Marte, Xavier Nady and Mark Teixeira.
Any chance of this game being played tonight?
^What he said.
Pete, you got namechecked on Boomer and Carton this morning before the Selena Roberts interview.
yea what are the odds this gets played today. Id hate to waste a train ride up…
Ill be at the game and am leaving work early and bringing clients id hate to go up there and it be a washout like yesterday…2 rainouts in a row dont usually happen too often though, they usually want to get the games in
I wanted Joe to bring up Roberts’s one-woman smear campaign against 3 completely innocent people.
You wanted Joe to bring this up.
I think he almost brought it up…but stopped himself.
Only in this media environment could Selena Roberts write what she did in 2006 and then have Joel Sherman and others refer to about her as a “serious journalist.”
whatever your stance on the book or ARod, IMO you have to agree with the way Girardi responded yesterday. As a manager you have to make some effort to show support for your player/”family member” in a situation like this. any of the mediots saying Girardi was out of line with his reaction need to get a clue…
Pete, any update on A-Rod’s return date…is he a lock to be back in time for the series in Baltimore this weekend?
Downside Matt, is that the teams see each other so often that making these games up is a little easier than it might if the Angels or Twins were in town.
100% chance of rain go redsox
oops…that’s “refer to her as a serious journalist.” It’s this allergy medication.
Like I said before. No way this game gets played.
Thanks alot, god. Again.
A-Mess was always going to happen, Selena or no Selena. Girardi is doing what he has to do; too bad because the team has more than enough other problems to keep him busy. Meantime, do the Yankees do anything to get ahead of this story besides complain about the messenger, or are they resigned to continually being blindsided by their $300 million due-diligence-free investment?
Hokiehill
Not to mention Tex’s struggles, Sabathia’s lack of wins and the self igniting bullpen take a day off from being front and center.
Hokiehill,
I think you’re totally right, but check out Sherman’s ramblings in the Post today.. its ridiculous. Apparently defending your players is the right thing to do as long as it isnt Arod. Sherman’s basically calling for the guy to be fired because he ‘doesnt understand’ why books are written…
I know it stinks to have another rainout. But I don’t want them pitching in a mess. Plus, it’s another day for Tex to heal. It’s another day of rest for the bullpen. I suppose the question then becomes, for the pitching, how much rest is too much rest?
I thought it was April showers and May flowers.
just listened to the radio interview of Ms Roberts….she sounds as contrived as her Subject.
Good job by the interviewer…being in the UK i’ve never heard of them….but they certainly gave her a rough time.
How is there “no chance” the game gets played? It’s not exactly pouring in NYC, there is at least a chance for baseball. Wait until later in the day to dismiss the game being played altogether.
Just came back from Barnes & Noble in midtown. I flipped through the book, and immediately saw “sources told me,” “a former Texas Ranger player told me,” “according to a source in MLB,” etc. I quickly put the book back on the shelf.
I pray this book is a huge bomb, that Harper loses a crapload of money, and Selena’s credibility takes another hit.
Is Sherman really that dense or deaf? Girardi CLEARLY said he didn’t understand why “someone would write a book like this.” That’s a limiting statement. He’s being intentionally obtuse and inflammatory.
So I guess with the rainout yesterday all the writers are covering the Girardi spiel.
Pete’s was pretty much straightforward reporting which is his role at his paper. He is a reporter after all as opposed to a columnist who interjects personal opinion. It would be great if he wasn’t attacked for doing his job but I’m not hopeful.
If you want to attack a reporter, read Sherman who somehow turned it into a 1st Amendment battle.
One thing I think the media is slow to realize is that the public is jaded when it comes to Arod. Well maybe not outside NY where I’m sure contempt runs high but I feel the general consensus here is “Don’t like- Don’t hate -just want him to help the team without being a distraction.”
Girardi is sort of a bumpkin. He admits himself that his views may be “short-sighted”. Alex is a team problem. The book makes that problem a little more difficult. Girardi’s job is to handle these problems. His job got harder. His job is on the line. You can’t blame him for being upset.
Picture other managers in the same situation and try to imagine how they’d handle it. Ozzie, Leyland, Charlie Manuel, Piniella.
You think they’d be cool with it?
Seleaza Roberts isn’t through yet. As soon as the dust settles on this colossal flop of a book, she’ll go after Derek Jeter.
An elevator operator and a doorman at Trump Tower will leak who Derek goes up to his penthouse with.
By then she ought to be employed by the National Enquirer to add to her incredible resume.
No karl it’s more of a 90% chance of rain go lester
Am I the only one dissapointed that the Yankees didn’t build a retractable roof on the new stadium? They already spent over a billion on the place, they couldn’t spend a little extra on a roof?
“Am I the only one dissapointed that the Yankees didn’t build a retractable roof on the new stadium? They already spent over a billion on the place, they couldn’t spend a little extra on a roof?”
At least they might have done a little better job keeping the rain out of the upper deck concourse. Leaving on Thursday I was getting a little mist/drizzle in my face, leaving me to wonder what it would be like during a downpour.
Let’s come up with a topic to talk about or else Pete is going to put up a post defending Selena to get the blog moving this morning.
A retractable roof is not necessary, this is New York not Florida, Arizona or Seattle or some such place where weather is always a factor. The need for a retractable roof isn’t balanced out by the cost, plus then you have to take into account the fact that if the stadium had it, it would be abused, meaning you remove the cold factor from October games, you remove the cold factor for April games, you remove the heat from the summer time, and you’re constantly playing baseball at 70 degrees which to me is lame. So, in short, I don’t regret the fact that there’s no retractable roof. A few rain outs isn’t the end of the world.
For any Shawn Chacon fans, he’ll be pitching for the Newark Bears this year.
No they would not only be playing at 70 degrees. RETRACTABLE roof, not dome.
The Yankees had enough dough for a retractable roof. As far as I’m concerned, if you are building a new stadium it should have a roof. Why spend hundreds of millions (or billions if you’re the Yankees) if you can’t make it perfect? Maybe save some money by not making a stupid bar in center field and put it towards a roof.
Oh well, it’s too late now.
I heard what I thought was the Girardi interview that everyone is talking about but I must be wrong. The part I heard was when he answered a question about the book in a calm manner. I completely missed the parts where he blasted, ranted and called for censorship.
The retractable roof could have been a sponsored item with premium priced sky-bucket seats.
How did they miss that?
Yankee U -
Nope, same interview all of us heard.
The place is massive enough without all the additional structure which would be required to support a retractable roof.
I’ve been going to the games for 20 years and weather has never been more than a minor inconvenience (of course, there have been times when I dressed like an Inuit). If a retractable roof would have added even another buck to the cost of my ticket I would not have been for it.
“Is Sherman really that dense or deaf? Girardi CLEARLY said he didn’t understand why “someone would write a book like this.” That’s a limiting statement. He’s being intentionally obtuse and inflammatory.”
Shermans’ career is based upon making huge logical fallacies. I caught him on Kay’s show on friday and he essentially admitted to not liking Alex.
people are allowed to have opinions on other people, but, when journalists start making judgements on other peoples character and motives it stops being journalism and moves into the relm of opinion and speculation.
I must be a Girardi apologist too.
This A-Rod saga has reached its saturation point.
I know, let’s discuss if Joba should be in the pen.
I’m thrilled that there’s no retractable roof – ugh. No thanks – I’ll deal with a few rainouts a year.
Peter Gammons
May 4th, 2009 at 10:54 am
No karl it’s more of a 90% chance of rain go lester
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey Gammons !
There’s still time to head for Walgreens for some teeth whitener.
*raise your hand if you’re on board – and then do it!*
I am going to write Joe Girardi a letter of support and let him know I consider the treatment he received by the press outrageous. I will also reference the fact that he was asked the questions and that the questions did not stop and all he did was give his opinion in a calm and respectful manner.
I think anyone who feels the same about it should consider doing the same thing. After all, Girardi gets to read about how bad he is on a daily basis. How about he hears that he has fan support and that we see through the machinations of the NY press.
I hope others will consider doing the same thing. Say yes if you’ll do it.
“This A-Rod saga has reached its saturation point.
I know, let’s discuss if Joba should be in the pen.”
Maybe we should try something less controversial like Gay Marriage.
You will not see a book about Derek Jeter. He keeps his private life private. All the years he has been in NY, you have not seen pictures of him with strippers or sunbathing in Central Park.
People (Alex) doing these things want to be seen. Alex likes to be the center of attention. Let’s hope when he comes back he does not answer questions about the book. Just play ball.
Yanks will not rain this puppy out until at least 7:30. They are going to make us come out, spend money on concessions, buy junior a hat and t-shirt. Pay 20 for parking then have to sit in traffic getting out of there. It’s typical. If you don’t show up and the game gets rained out, you can just use your stub for the make-up game right? You don’t have to actually show do you?
Girardi’s doing his version of what all the sports journalists did for Selena Roberts: he’s circling his wagon around A-Rod and defending his guy, much like they did for Roberts when A-Rod was calling her a stalker and a burglar and what not. When you have Pete posting about how everything Selena Roberts has “reported” has turned out to be true, the other side of the mirror is Girardi ripping her a new one for writing the book and standing behind Alex by empathizing as a fellow imperfect person. What’s amazing to me is that the media somehow doesn’t see this as basically the same thing as what they all did when one of their own was under attack.
Arod is to sports blogs what Sara Palin is to political blogs. Every post is guaranteed to generate –advertising dollars– hits.
“If you don’t show up and the game gets rained out, you can just use your stub for the make-up game right? You don’t have to actually show do you?”
Please, don’t give them any ideas.
Good for Girardi.
OMG! A Met fan proposed a Carlos Beltran to the Yankees for Hughes and Austin Jackson deal.
there probably will not be a game tonight. 100% chance of rain at 7pm…and 80% at 9pm
Trevor -
That’s totally idiotic! I mean, that’s the kind of deal only crazed YANKEES fans are supposed to propose!
Trisha -
Good idea. E-mail or snail mail?
OMG! A Met fan proposed a Carlos Beltran to the Yankees for Hughes and Austin Jackson deal.
HELL NO!
just to be clear, my “mediots” comment in reference to the beating Girardi’s been taking on his response to questions on the Selena Roberts tabloid mag was not directed at Pete. As one reader mentioned he basically just transcribed what Girardi said and provided the audio (much appreciated). My comment is directed at those in the media saying Girardi should not have made those comments or that he should be fired for them…just ridiculous.
It’s pretty evident that those in the media with that kind of response are feeling the need to protect their own (media member Selena Roberts) which I find humorous, since that is exactly what they’ve been blasting Girardi for, protecting his own. At least some folks in media circles have been pretty hard on the book after reading it (or talking with folks who have read it).
We don’t need a nice guy like Beltran on the Yanks. Like Omar says, you need to have guys w/a mean streak, you know – true leaders. :rolls eyes:
I may rip on Cashman, but I’d take him any day over Minaya.
Doreen – I would go email if I had an email address. Do you know how to get one? If we go email I think it’s a good idea to let him know where we are writing from (state, out of US, etc.). It will just show that he has support outside of NY.
Bard and Bucholtz for Reyes? Throw in Lars Anderson it’s not a bad deal for either side IMO.
I would also consider including the YES Network in your emails…you’ll be able to find an email address and if you can’t get to Joe, I’m sure they’ll pass the messages along
Trevor: The sox would never do that deal, they have to save Anderson so they can trade Lars and Lowell for Miguel Cabrera at the deadline
Girardi has the right to express his opinion. He did and should not answer any more questions about this book. Neither should the Yankee players comment on this book. Enough already.
I tend to rip the sportswriters for making a big deal out of insignificant events, but can you blame them?
Check out the posts on this blog, everyone is in agreement this is a non-story but no one has anything else to talk about!
I’d rather talk about the retractable roof!!!
Has anyone ever bought a ticket to a game that got rained out on stub hub? How does it work?
they tell you to contact stubhub, it’s on the Yankee website
every single time it rains, people start clamoring for the retractable roof.
you know, sometimes a rainout is a GOOD thing for a team.
“Has anyone ever bought a ticket to a game that got rained out on stub hub? How does it work?”
Yea, you go to the game at the rescheduled time.
“every single time it rains, people start clamoring for the retractable roof.
you know, sometimes a rainout is a GOOD thing for a team.”
I’ll agree with that. Bruney, Marte, Nady, Wang are out. Swisher and Tex are banged up. ARod comes back in a week. Lets play these games when we have our full squad.
Trevor
May 4th, 2009 at 11:31 am
“Bard and Bucholtz for Reyes? Throw in Lars Anderson it’s not a bad deal for either side IMO.”
Reyes is very good but the Sox would never trade all three of those guys for him.
Anderson is considered one of the best prospects in baseball and Bard is topping 100 mph with his pitches.
I grant you Bucholtz has been inconsistent, but the Sox don’t trade all three of them.
If I hear one (1) tree hugger complain about a drought this summer, they’re going through a window…
“Bard and Bucholtz for Reyes? Throw in Lars Anderson it’s not a bad deal for either side IMO.”
wait, JOSE Reyes?
that would be an awful, awful deal for the Mets.
Trisha -
I don’t know how to get an e-mail address for Joe Girardi. It seems awfully slow to mail a letter, doesn’t it? Maybe through YES, or yankees.com or something?
Anyone ever try that?
Is AROD playing in another extended spring training game today?
“Check out the posts on this blog, everyone is in agreement this is a non-story but no one has anything else to talk about!
I’d rather talk about the retractable roof!!!”
OK lets talk retractable roof.
There is none. Never going to be one.
That’s about it for the roof talk now lets get back to the nitty-gritty and talk about ARods’ choice of personal lubricant.
“Bard and Bucholtz for Reyes? Throw in Lars Anderson it’s not a bad deal for either side IMO.”
Except none of those guys are proven Major Leaguers. And Bucholz had a mid-6 ERA in Boston in 2008. Mets need guys that can help them now, not “prospects”.
Good idea, get rid of your leadoff hitter and get 3 prospects. That should help the Mets lol.
Trish, Your letter sounds like round file material to me. I’m sure that’s where Girardi will put it.
I think when it’s time for Arod to come back, it will be un announced.
Coach6423
May 4th, 2009 at 11:45 am
I think when it’s time for Arod to come back, it will be un announced.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Pete said there were delays with the line up yesterday, my sister was convinced that was why
new post
Lars Anderson has spent his entire minor league career in A-ball. He has only played 40 games in AA.
Bucholz = shaky with 6+ ERA not to long ago in majors.
Bard = good but overrated prospect.
Don’t see how that helps the Mets one bit.
Rose,
While you may be right, it also has to do with the fact that no journalist in the area will ever touch Jeter. It isnt like there arent scandals there.. everyone has them if you dig deep enough, but too many people like and respect Jeter. If it was Jeter doing these things (who thinks he hasnt gotten lap dances and left bad tips every now and then?) no one would say a word. I remember when Leetch, a defenseman for the Rangers, once broke his foot and all the media guys knew he did it drunk one night with his mistress by falling out of a limo… but no one reported it. Not one. They liked the guy too much.
Ha wasn’t my idea. A RS fan proposed it.
But how many proven young ML players would they get for Reyes? I would be looking for young’esh proven players. But I don’t think you’re getting say Grady Sizemore, Braun or Verlander for him. It would likely be a bit of an older player/s to a team looking to get a little younger. Either that or high end prospects Reyes.
I’m sure Jeter also can use the break after getting hit on the elbow and having his head slammed into Aybar on 2B collision. All good.
Boston players will be stunned to see just the visitor’s clubhouse which is tremendously more spacious than the tiny matchbox home clubhouse in the bowels of the Green Sardine Can.
They won’t know how to act.
bard and bucholz for reyes? only if Bard is actually William Shakespeare – at least then we’ll have 2 good writers in New York (pete being the other one)
No white flags flying at CitiField. Omar Minaya isn’t delusional enough to deal Reyes for 3 unproven players. Boston will still be stuck with Lugo and $16M through 2010. No team dumb enough to take him even with a good economy.
If your interested in a really clear, concise column about Selena Robert’s shoddy “reporting”, check out Jason Whitlock’s column: http://www.kansascity.com/spor.....75681.html
Good for Joe
Everytime someone questions any journalist they jump and hide behind the first ammendment. Thats a lot of crap. Its like they are always above any kind of question and can stick the protoscope up anyones bottom are far as they like. No one will stand up to the journalist since they can make a players life a living hell. You have to admire people like Albgert Bell and Steve Carlton who just wouldnt talk to the writers. I guess they must have been violating the first ammendent–sigh
Shame Spencer
People see Jeter as always doing the right thing. Believe me, if any writer saw Jeter doing something they would trample each other to write a book. Nothing better than to damage his reputation. I have lived in NYC and if you sunbath in Central Park it will be captured in photos. Between cell phone cameras and photographers (like the TMZ show) there is no privacy. Alex should know that. He loves attention. Too bad he doesn’t strive to get it on the field only.
Rose, I’m sorry but you’re wrong.
Jeter has more clout with the writers than anyone on the team. You seriously think there are no scandalous stories about him out there? They just aren’t picked up by major news writers because if they are he won’t talk to them anymore. No one would want to be the guy that blows the whistle on ANYTHING Jeter does that could damage his image. He basically is all baseball has left, you cant really blame them.. but the media doesnt have the same respect for Alex (fairly so) and pretty much goes out of its way to sensationalize stories about him whereas with Jeter they would brush it under the rug and keep it to themselves.
Just to illustrate my point since I’m sure some of you still will not believe me: Andy Pettite. When he left the Yanks all the writers knew it was because his wife gave him an ultimatum because he was cheating on her. Did any of them report this in Page 6 like they would with Arod? No. Eventually, a few years later when he came back I think it showed up as a blind item.. but that would be under the radar of the NY sports media.
“Journalists” protect the players that they like.