A lingering concern
Posted by: Sam Borden - Posted in Misc on Mar 08, 2010 
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Earlier today we learned that the controversial Canadian doctor Anthony Galea told The AP that he did, in fact, treat Alex Rodriguez after A-Rod’s hip surgery last year. A-Rod’s surgeon, Marc Phillipon, told The Times he never authorized Galea to work with Rodriguez and the Yankees are already on record saying they have no knowledge – and, more importantly, gave no permission – for A-Rod to work with Galea.
Galea says he only gave A-Rod anti-inflammatory medication and not human growth hormone, and Rodriguez has continued to stay quiet when asked about when he will meet with FBI officials investigating Galea. A-Rod is one of several athletes connected to Galea (Tiger Woods, Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes are among the others).
Beyond the obvious questions about whether Rodriguez could get himself in “real-life” trouble (a perjury charge, for example) are the baseball questions: How long will this investigation continue and will it be any kind of distraction for Rodriguez? A year ago, A-Rod enjoyed a year that – once he came back in May – was largely controversy-free. To say that didn’t help Rodriguez enjoy a terrific season and postseason would be naive. If he’s hounded by investigators, press and allegations throughout 2010, will it affect his play?
There is also the question of what, if anything, this means for Rodriguez’s relationship with the Yankees. Here’s what I know: many Yankees officials are tired of these kinds of issues surrounding Rodriguez. The Yankees have stuck to their party line about not asking A-Rod anything until he’s done dealing with the FBI, but at some point there will be conversation about what, exactly, A-Rod did and whether it was a violation of his contract with the team. Remember, the Yankees say they didn’t approve him working with Galea.
There are no obvious answers for these questions yet and maybe Rodriguez will be able to deal with it and have it fade away like last year’s steroids issues did. Legal issues like this, however, often have a way of lingering. Today, A-Rod said “nada, nada, nothing” when asked if anything was new regarding the FBI; at some point, he’ll have to come up with a better answer than that.
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That’s probably it for the blogging tonight. Thanks to everyone for reading today. Back at it tomorrow with a game against the Pirates at The Boss. Check in all day for updates.
I guess the Canadian health-care system does not have HIPAA or “doctor-patient confidentiality” laws.
oh please nobody cares already, the fans don’t care.. the only people who care about all this steroid talk are you people in the media who have to keep bringing up old stories thinking that readers give a d amn..
Arod has a ring, thats all we care about..
For the love of GOD, will the yankees ever have a quiet spring? **double facepalm**
i wish this issue would just go away….why cant this be amaury sanit instead of arod lol….*apologies to the sanit family*
Good thing Pete’s not here – he wouldn’t have been able to resist taking shots at ARod over this.
You just hope A-Rod doesn’t perjure himself. If he wants to take HGH go right ahead just tell the feds exactly what happened.
The Yankees are doing the right thing distancing themselves from this investigation.
The media is just salivating to have any non-baseball related news to report on A Rod. As of now there is absolutely nothing to report, yet writers continue to persue what is now a non-story.
looking for sj’s take on this
I love how folks jump to conclusions.
Phillipon has already talked to the Yankees.
There is no evidence Arod took HGH.
Sometimes, it’s best to say nothing than jump to baseless conclusions.
sj dont u think it is kind of alarming that he would go to Galea without the yanks just to get “anti-inflammotories” im thinking that he could have gotten those from phillipon.
Dr Galea claims he’s being targeted by the current administration because they don’t want to see famous people flocking to Canada for health care when they’re trying to push their own bill through.
Maybe they just want to uphold the law?
The Yankees aren’t going to say anything publicly, but they must be fuming. And if you have to ask why, then I don’t know what to tell you.
There won’t be “lingering issues” for Arod. Just as there aren’t for Reyes and Beltran.
This is so “urgent”, the Feds haven’t even scheduled his interview.
This will be like the Reyes and Beltran interviews.
Go in, answer questions, and move on.
I’m an A-Rod fan. In fact he’s my favorite position player and I could care less if he took HGH but its highly likely he was taking HGH. He’s with a doctor who gives out the stuff its makes sense to think that.
I’m not judging A-Rod. I don’t judge players and what they take and do with their bodies.
The Yankees did say something publicly.
Randy Levine shot down the Daily News story last week and said the team has mo problems with Arod.
That’s just never written when folks recap the story.
So far, there is no evidence Galea supplied HGH to any athlete.
That’s why it’s best to react when there is actual news in this story than just recaps.
If this is so important, why haven’t the Feds already interviewed him?
“Beyond the obvious questions about whether Rodriguez could get himself in “real-life” trouble (a perjury charge, for example)”
Seriously? There is nothing obvious about this question. He hasn’t even been put under oath.
“…the Yankees say they didn’t approve him working with Galea.”
But they approved Lindsay, who they knew or should have known had a close relationship with Galea.
“I guess the Canadian health-care system does not have HIPAA or “doctor-patient confidentiality” laws.”
Maybe not but Dr. Philippon practices in the US and I’m shocked he would share treatment info with the press. That would be against HIPAA laws unless Alex authorized it and opens Philippon to a lawsuit.
That’s where you are wrong.
The Dr. has said repeatedly he has NEVER given HGH to ANY athlete. He has said the HGH is for his personal use.
It’s the problem with stories like this. People don’t even know the facts of the case. They just leap to unfounded conclusions.
Google stories on this case and find out the facts. Then comment about it.
That’s not hard to do these days.
SJ- I pointed that out to Mark Fiensand as well. If they really thought Alex knew something they would have called in to DC or gone to him how ever something like that works. They haven’t, and apparently according to Alex no interview has been set up.
I would like to know why Galea is talking to the AP about who he treated. He turned what became a oh we have to ask this question to media guys digging again for information.
I’d put all my players on Goji Berry Smoothies were I the Yankees.
Then, when we all flunk the HGH tests they’re threatening to implement, we could present all the empty plastic Goji Berry bags from the Himalayas, to ridicule all the positive results.
We’d expose the hypocrisy, gain a moral victory, and also have the healthiest team in the majors.
.
Yeah, I’m supposed to believe that it’s all good that Alex blind-sided the Yankees twice in one year.
It’s about giving the team a head’s up.
How about having your lawyer giving the team a courtesy call before someone else does?
That’s only common sense.
“I guess the Canadian health-care system does not have HIPAA or “doctor-patient confidentiality” laws.”
Apparently, they do:
http://www.cfpc.ca/cfp/2003/Ma.....ical-2.asp
It is well documented that health professionals owe a common-law duty of confidentiality with respect to health information. In McInerney vs McDonald,2 the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed this view by stating that:
[C]ertain duties do arise from the special relationship of trust and confidence between doctor and patient. Among these are the duty of the doctor to act with utmost good faith and loyalty, and to hold information received from or about a patient in confidence.2
m
So if cause is present, do you void the contract and in the process void the team of a 3rd baseman and clean up hitter?
No offense to anyone, but I’ll take anything Dr. Galea, Alex, and Levine says with a grain of salt.
I’m not saying Alex is guilty, but you can’t tell me I have to believe this doctor never gave an athlete HGH just cuz he says so.
This is a bunch of silliness.
How about you not worry about it because it’s not as big a deal as the media is making it out to be.
Arod is not a core person in this investigation. Neither are Reyes and Beltran.
Neither one of them informed the Mets of their involvement in this. Have you seen any stories about the Mets being “furious” with them?
Ever stop to think that whatever original reaction the Yankees had to this story went away after Phillipon talked to the team?
AORS.
Play ball !
pat,
I’m not saying that at all. But if it came out that Alex was using **** with the Yankees and if I was the GM I would seriously think about it.
But knowing Boras, it’s probably ironclad anyway.
So, no, I’m not saying that.
But I’m not married to A-rod either. lol!
I’m not saying you’re doing this Sam but it’s unfair to assume A-rod or Galea have done anything wrong. Just keep the following in mind:
Dr. Anthony Galea also told The Associated Press an assistant who was stopped at the U.S.-Canadian border in Buffalo, N.Y., last year was carrying only a minuscule amount of HGH — which Galea said was for his own use. The doctor reiterated that he has never given the drug to an athlete.
“I only brought enough for her to do two injections into me because I was away for two nights,” said Galea, who believes authorities and the media have exaggerated the accusations involving him and his practice.
“They made it look like I had 100 vials. I had one little vial and two doses were for me and you think that someone along the line would ask ‘Well how much is there?’”
It’s troubling that A-rod is wrapped up in this thing due to his past but I think it’s being blown way out of proportion. Just think about it, how many doctors has A-rod seen in a year? Especially considering he had a serious injury and is worth a TON of money. It’s not all that unlikely that one in the long line of docs he’s seen could have a dirty little secret.
Actovegin, the drug this doc was found with is a legal drug (although not FDA approved) and medical experts can attest to it’s usefulness. The doctor is being made out to be a quack because the source of the drug is calf’s blood. Let me get this straight, athletes can get platelet enriched plasma injections (human blood) but they can’t use Actovegin? This whole PED nonsense just doesn’t add up to me.
Many of you, especially SJ are being very naive or just do not understand how these federal investigations go. They will interview just about everyone before they bring in the big gun, A-Rod. It is very telling that they have not interviewed him yet. They are taking statements and depositions and they will see where A-Rod’s (eventual) story differs from the other ones. This is the way they build perjury cases; if they can’t prove an HGH charge, they will go for perjury. This is what happened to Martha Stewart and many others. Trust, A-Rod is their target and he must be running scared right now. Hope he’s got a good attorney.
So, that’s what condescension tastes like.
You can believe whatever you want.
However, most people want to see actual proof before making conclusions.
Thus far, there isn’t any proof Galea gave HGH to any athlete.
This, after nearly 6 months of the Feds actively investigating this case.
By the way, the bolded sections of my last post were copied from an ESPN article.
I also have one further point. This doc is insisting he only had 1 vial with 2 doses and that it was for his own personal use. He’s being grilled by Canadian and US authorities including the FBI. That kind of questioning (especially when exposed to the media) has a way of revealing the truth and I don’t see any cracks in this guy’s story.
“Many of you, especially SJ are being very naive or just do not understand how these federal investigations go. They will interview just about everyone before they bring in the big gun, A-Rod.”
A-Rod is the big gun? Oh, the irony.
Bohdi-
I can’t seem to get this thru the filter any other way.
Have you ever tried an A*C*A*I* berry smoothie ?
Arod isn’t a target of the investigation.
Since my office has extensive experience in Federal Court system, I’m not being naive at all.
If someone is a target of the investigation, the Feds inform the targets lawyer he is a target.
That has not happened with Arod.
Interesting you are correct the media portrayed it as though the doc had enough HGH to inject every major leaguer. Not enough for 2 days.
Oh, M. Give it a rest.
That’s right. I can post what I want and believe what I want.
I reserve the right to accept Alex for what he is. I understand that he was a key part of the 2009 championship team.
But that doesn’t mean I’ve got to swallow any c-rap just because he’s a Yankee.
I don’t know why the doctor would deny that he wasn’t giving out HGH.
Years ago, a doctor tried to get my mother to try HGH. He used it himself. “It’s the fountain of youth.”
She declined, but I should ask her if he told her the effects would be reversed if someone fails to take the dosage 2 days in a row.
Not saying Alex is guilty at all. Just saying we can’t pretend like nothing happened.
Patrick,
people really should read that story. It’s pretty interesting how little they have on the guy.
It’s a non-story but, when you have had a quiet spring, you grasp at straws.
One last point on this.
Bud Selig said last week his office has been in constant communication with the Feds and doesn’t believe any MLB players are involved.
If they were, the Feds would be giving him a heads up and he wouldn’t be on the radio saying anything.
Not sure if you are reading still MTU but I want to answer your question. From the last thread -
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“He’s still very good but he could be elite.”
What’s your definition of “elite” ?
—-
Chase Utley is elite. One of, if not, the best fielding 2B in the league and easily the best hitter.
Hanley Ramirez, Albert Pujols, Evan Longoria, Alex Rodriguez, Joe Mauer.
Maybe Mark Teixeira, Adrian Gonzalez and Grady Sizemore.
Justin Upton, Ben Zobrist and Ryan Zimmerman are getting there.
When I say “elite” I mean the best of the best, guys you would build a team around. Cano isn’t there yet. His OBP is still very average despite his insane batting average. He still struggles with men on base. If he could remedy those two things (much much easier said than done) he could go from being a very good 2B to an elite one. He certainly has the natural ability to do so.
“Not saying Alex is guilty at all. Just saying we can’t pretend like nothing happened.”
At this point m, we don’t have to pretend. As far as we know, nothing happened.
“Have you ever tried an A*C*A*I* berry smoothie ?”
—
Tried the juice, it’s kind of bad tasting but apparently very good for you…
“Patrick,
people really should read that story. It’s pretty interesting how little they have on the guy.”
—
You’re right and I should post the link, it’s a long story but it gives both sides of the story in a fairly unbiased way (espn, who woulda thought!?)
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=4976904
Nothing did happen.
Until there is proof something did, jumping to conclusions make little sense.
I choose to wait until I see proof before tarring someone. But, that’s just me.
Alex can’t discuss anything with the media on this until he talks to the feds. Some members of the media don’t understand this. I’m sure he was told not to talk about it till he gives his statement to the feds. There is nothing fishy about that. Did Carlos or Reyes talk to the media on this before they spoke to the media. I don’t get why they slide on this issue with the media while Alex doesn’t. Also the Mets knew he was going to this doctor and they slide.
Okay, I have to do something. So, I’m not headed out because someone told me to give it a rest.
my point, rich, is that Alex could’ve told the Yankees he was contacted by the FBI. As far as I know he didn’t.
m
“my point, rich, is that Alex could’ve told the Yankees he was contacted by the FBI. As far as I know he didn’t.”
We don’t really know what has transpired.
I certainly don’t take media reports as evidence of anything.
m
You may not be saying that but it is the angle that is appearing in stories and the one likely that will be run with.
Knowing how much you hate the contract, just wondered if you saw this as the “out”. A game of “what if” for sure at this point but cant help but wonder if that would be worst case scenario for Alex or the Yankees?
What are the odds that someones Federal/Civil Rights could get violated 3 times in a year. Even money if you’re Alex!
Patrick-
I guess we have to agree to disagree on this one.
I think Cano is an elite 2nd baseman.
That’s good enough for me.
Is he the elite of the elite in all of baseball ?
Of course not.
Alex didn’t do anything except see this guy (that’s what I choose to believe; I’m not going to be skeptical and now it’s a big deal ? We already knew a few weeks ago that the Yankees didn’t specifically give Alex permission to see Galea; they just gave him permission to see Philippon. Giving permission to see Philippon means the Yankees trusted Philippon to do whatever he felt was the right thing. Therefore, the Yankees have zero reason to be upset.
M, why don’t you tell me? The Yankees have no reason to be furious with Alex
SJ, M, everyone else: I respect everyone’s opinion on this story (or non-story, as the case may be). Truth is, as someone said, it’s not something that interests me greatly – but, as a journalist, there is news value to it.
To me, the more interesting thing is what does it mean from a baseball perspective? Quantifying mental and emotional affects are pretty much impossible, so the questions aren’t really answerable but that doesn’t mean they won’t be asked anyway. That was the thrust of this post — not to get into the logistics of the Galea case (which, as pointed out, is not as strong as it may seem) but more to discuss what affect (if any) a lingering involvement in something like this might have on Alex’s psyche.
Betsy the Yankees as far as we know never gave Alex permission to see Galea. So if he saw him without the Yankees knowledge or permission they darn well do have the right to be angry. He is their property so to speak. They signed him to a contract, they have some say over what he does.
Don’t you recall what happened with Beltran. He supposedly went ahead with surgery on his knee without the Mets permission. Remember the war of words through the media?
The Yankees aren’t voiding the contract.
Sometimes, folks can really go off the reservation on this stuff.
As long as he tells the truth when he talks to the Feds, he has nothing to worry about.
Betsy
They also gave Alex to see Lindsay, who is close with Galea.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03.....nted=print
The statement also said the Yankees had authorized Dr. Marc Philippon, the Colorado-based surgeon who performed the hip surgery on Rodriguez, to oversee his rehabilitation. It said that at Philippon’s request, the Yankees also authorized Dr. Mark Lindsay, a chiropractor who is close to Galea and has called him a medical pioneer, to take on the daily role of monitoring Rodriguez’s condition.
It’s really the Daily News who’s making a big stink about this. The News and the Times (whose coverage of the Yankees absolutely stinks, by the way). I refuse to even type the headline that’s on their website now, but suffice to say that it’s sleazy. Some people just don’t like Alex – but as long as he doesn’t care, then he’s fine.
“Betsy the Yankees as far as we know never gave Alex permission to see Galea. So if he saw him without the Yankees knowledge or permission they darn well do have the right to be angry. He is their property so to speak. They signed him to a contract, they have some say over what he does.”
No, they don’t, for the reasons I stated.
I’m disappointed in Sam – the implication of his blog thread is that Alex did something wrong. Come on – they are not going to void the contract and they have no business being upset about this.
Sam
“To me, the more interesting thing is what does it mean from a baseball perspective?”
The problem is that when you give a story undue attention merely because of the star power of the individual involved, the consequences of pursuing the story can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Fair enough MTU.
I find one of the problems with baseball discussion is that people have vastly differing opinions on words like “elite”. You consider an elite 2B to be one of the top 5 at his position (which in Cano’s case is true!). I have a different definition.
The same thing happened a week or so ago when we had the massive conversation about clutch. Me and a few other guys were arguing against “clutch” and about 6 hours into the conversation we realized the people we were arguing with had a vastly different definition of “clutch”.
Well it’s not too far fetched for Dr. Lindsay, who is a co-principal at the Toronto clinic Affinity Health along with Dr. Galea, to ask Galea to check on his patient if he was going to be in NY anyway.
The situation does stink of poo a little bit but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s actually poo.
Jennifer, they gave him permission to see Philippon. If the Yankees wanted to know every single doctor Alex was going to see, they should have specified that. Unless they did so, then IMO the Yankees left Alex in Philippons hands and they have nothing to be upset about.
Sam,
If he was a focal point of this case, you can be sure the Feds would have leaked that info, put the squeeze on him to mess with his head.
Then, the psyche angle would have merit.
To steal a phrase from Arod’s steroid PC of last year, this has been a “loosy goosy” investigation with these players.
Unless something new materializes, this is a non-story.
Back to baseball
I ran across an interesting article about a week ago: re Cano vs. Pedroia especially in regards to defense.
“According to FanGraphs, which Klapisch later uses to discuss offense yet did not use to justify his defensive evaluation (for whatever reason), Robinson Cano’s career UZR is -26.8 and his career UZR per 150 defensive games is -5.4. On the other hand, Dustin Pedroia’s career UZR is +21.7 and his career UZR per 150 defensive games is 7.4.”
Not trying to start trouble, just curious as to how some of our more stat oriented friends reconcile this with what they “saw ”.
Sorry link
http://www.i-yankees.com/?p=18118
Rich, I remember that – thanks. It’s a couple of news sources (ESPN and the like are not making a stink of this) and some fans that want to hold onto the idea that Alex is involved because of his past. Chad reported a few days ago that Alex seemed extremely comfortable talking to the reporters about this; if he were guilty, he wouldn’t have come off that way. This is much ado about nothing.
Betsy of course the Yankees have a right to know what doctors he goes to. And how do you know he they didn’t specify it.
Patrick-
If you ever try A*C*A*I
again make a smoothie out of it.
Add other fruit such as banana, and add a little organic honey if you like.
It’s a superfood, and is very good for you.
The natives of the Amazon
have used it to give them energy, etc.
It amazes me the public allows govt to lead them by the nose based on calculated leaks of information without explanation. And they do so knowing most defendants wont speak in public because its not a smart move. and stewart was not convicted of perjury, thats lying under oath. She was charged under the federal false statement statute which makes it a felony to “lie” to a federal employee (doesnt have to be a lawyer or investigator necessarily).
Sam,
Thanks for responding, I think you are fairly examining the news and what it might mean to the organization and fans. It’s kind of your job to speculate on these matters
I think most people understand Sam and Chad have a job to do. As much as i’m sure they don’t want to write about this nonsense anymore they are obligated to their employer to write and ask questions about it. While some probably take a great joy in this, i’m quite sure they’d love this to go away as much as we would.
Jen, we disagree. They left the treatment in Philippon’s hands…and anyway, since I don’t think Alex did anything wrong, I don’t think there’s much to report. Sam made it sound like the Yankees could void his contract; IMO, he’s gone a bit overboard.
Sam
I’ve contended for years that Alex is stronger than most people gave him credit for. His psyche may be the strongest (or dullest) part of his game (depending on how you look at it).
Some people seem numb or compartmentalize the disorder and chaos around them and Alex seems to have been born with that gene.
I’ll take a healthy A-Rod going through this over an injured A-Rod going through everything he went through last year, and he was pretty damn good last year.
MTU,
Good tip, banana + honey could make just about anything taste good.
SJ: Totally fair opinion. I’m just not so sure I can go as far as “non-story” — anytime you’re talking about a celebrity of Alex’s stature being involved in anything with the FBI (particularly off the back of his steroid admission from last year), I think it’s a story. That may be more of a reflection of our society and what people are interested in than anything else, but whatever I think about this story – and, as I’ve said, I find it pretty uninteresting – I still have a job to do as a journalist and, for now at least, it’s a story of some type.
Betsy: I never said they could void his contract and I certainly didn’t mean to imply that. What I did say is that Yankees officials are upset (which I know to be true) and much of that feeling stems from Alex seeing a doctor that wasn’t approved by the team (which, by definition, is in violation of any player’s contract). Will it affect his contract from a big-pic standpoint? Almost surely not. But will it affect his relationship with the team and the front office? It may. There is certainly some level of frustration with the number of “situations” Alex has found himself involved in and no one ever likes to be blindsided by something like this. Again, there are no real answers to these questions but they remain questions all the same.
Not trying to start trouble, just curious as to how some of our more stat oriented friends reconcile this with what they “saw ”.
—————————
In his career thus far Cano has been a below average 2B defensively. Pedroia has been a well above average 2B. Personally, that does not contradict what I saw.
Well I see no reason why Sam would lie so I’ll have to accept that the Yankees front office is annoyed with Alex.
I’ll admit that it’s frustrating to constantly hear A-rod’s name pop up in these kinds of stories. Not sure if it’s basic logic or my Yankee bias that makes me lean towards believing nothing wrong went on here.
I mean, most of the evidence points towards no wrongdoing on Alex’s part but I can’t really trust myself when it comes to a Yankee
Sam, thanks for responding. I really don’t believe Alex did anything wrong and I really do believe this is much ado about nothing. If the Yankees are upset, they should be upset at Phillippon, not Alex. The Yankees should have specifically insisted on approval of all doctors that Phillippon sent Alex to if that’s the tack they are taking now. If they did and Phillippon ignored their requests, then he has some serious questions to answer. I don’t believe the Yankees did this and I find it hard to believe the Yankees didn’t think Philippon would refer Alex to other specialists. Now that I think about it, maybe the Yankees should be upset with themselves; they’re the ones who put Alex’ rehab completely in Phillippon’s hands.
On the Cano/Pedroia argument. Sometimes you just have to watch players to appreciate them. Pedroia is great, makes all the plays, is steadier than Cano. That said I’ve seen Cano make plays, especially throws nodody from 2nd base can make. Cano’s ceiling is higher and that tough to justify knowing Pedroia won a MVP. I just hope Cano reaches his potential, learns to hit with RISP, and in the clutch. I love to watch him field.
This will probably become as big of an issue as Pettitte testifying in court two years ago (ie. nothing but a bunch of hoopla that died quickly).
Let’s say worst case scenario, Arod took HGH last year. If only he and Galea know about it and both are denying it, then how exactly can he get caught/punished for it almost a year later? It took the billion dollar Mitchell investigation to dig up old syringes of Clemens, and I doubt MLB wants to conduct another major investigation over the likes of Arod, Beltran, and Reyes. It would just attract more negative attention to the sport, and that’s the last thing Selig wants.
Betsy: As per the Times story, Phillippon says he had no idea Alex went to Galea. The Yankees didn’t need to insist on approving doctors — that’s part of the deal when it comes to player contracts with teams where the teams (and their insurance) are paying for the procedures. I’d agree with you if Phillippon had sent Alex to Galea without telling the Yankees; then he’d be at fault. But, if you believe Phillippon, he says he was blindsided by this, too.
I had a feeling last week that it was going to be the case that Alex ended up seeing this doctor.
Otherwise he could have just said he didn’t see the guy.
And I think the Yanks were a little harsh in their statement last week.
But if this guy’s assistant didn’t get busted at the border, I think the Yanks would be sending this doctor pinstriped fruit baskets given the way Alex’s hip responded and his subsequent post-season domination.
Betsy
Pointing fingers at Philippon for anything other than possibly breaking HIPAA laws is unfounded.
Philippon told the NY Times he did not authorized Galea to treat Alex but he did authorize Lindsay to manage his rehab. What Lindsay had the right to authorize may be the $64,000 question.
LGY
Fair enough. I disagree, but every one is entitled to thier opinion.
However, when you posted this you are showing him to be on par with pedroia.
“IDK how to define elite, but Cano is either the second or third best 2B in baseball. If he can take is defense to the next level and do it consistently he will bridge the gap to Utley. IMO:
Utley
(gap)
Cano-Pedroia
(gap)
Hill”
I am a little confused because it looks like you have Cano below Utley and equal to Pedroia. How is that possible considering Pedroia is “Well above average as opposed to well below average”? Are you just talking offense?
I really don’t think A-Rod is dumb enough. To start taking HGH especially after what happened last year
“Well I see no reason why Sam would lie so I’ll have to accept that the Yankees front office is annoyed with Alex.”
It has nothing to do with lying. It has to do with the agenda and/or biases of the people that choose to speak without attribution to reporters.
The Cano/Pedroia debate kind of reminds me of the Garciaparra/Jeter debate from years ago. Garciaparra put up more gaudy stats but Jeter was known as the steady, clutch performer who had all the intangibles. We hear the same arguments when it comes to Cano and Pedroia.
The thing is, for Cano to mirror Nomar’s career would be an absolute worst case scenario, while Pedroia becoming the next Jeter will be an absolute best case scenario for him. It’s far more likely that both will go on to produce their current production (or close to it) for the next 6-7 years. In which case the raging debate will never end
Sam, Philippon sent Alex to this Dr. Lindsay, correct? It was Lindsay who sent Alex to Galea? Lindsay didn’t tell Philippon about this? Isn’t that odd?
I guess what it comes down to is that I don’t believe Alex did anything wrong. I don’t blame you for reporting on it (and thank you for being objective about it), but if I let this get to me even a little, it would get to me a lot. The less I hear about it, the better. If the Feds want to pursue Alex, we’ll hear about it, but I don’t believe that’s the case. Alex’ personal relationship with the Yankees is not all that important to me. The important thing right now is that Alex seems comfortable in his own skin – he’s not stressing out about this, it seems
Pat, that’s fair.
Phillipon is engaged in CYA behavior, which is hardly surprising.
That’s true, Rich……..
No doubt Lindsay looks shady in all this. Can’t argue that. There is certainly an element of he-said, he-said, too.
Rich, you’re right – everyone has an agenda whether they speak on the record or off. I wouldn’t necessarily take Randy Levine’s words of total support for A-Rod as gospel just because he was on the record; there are reasons, PR and otherwise, for everything. Ultimately you take all the info and try to piece together as much as you can.
Thanks for the comments, everyone. I do my best in situations like these to present news and issues as fairly as possible, with the idea that everyone will have a (usually strong) opinion. Obviously that’s true in this case.
I’m headed to bed since another long day awaits. Good job to everyone and keep checking in tomorrow.
Sam is right to report on this. And Jennifer makes valid points. This is another “situation” the Yankees front office has to deal with. It’s not about whether anything illegal happened with Galea, the story is about the appearance of imprropriety in Alex reaching out to Galea after all the speculation of last year. It’s about exercising good judgment. Why would you needlesly put your team in a position to endure yet another drama?
“I really don’t think A-Rod is dumb enough. To start taking HGH especially after what happened last year”
And likewise, you’d have to be an idiot to give Alex HGH months after he got outed for steroids.
That would be like dreaming up some crooked money making scheme and giving it to Bernie Madoff to sell for you.
Patrick: ..” When I say “elite” I mean the best of the best, guys you would build a team around. Cano isn’t there yet.”
————————
Considering the hard fact that Cano’s IF team mates are Alex, Jeter and Tex it would be difficult to build a team around Cano in order to make him elite in your view. Suffice it to say that the Yankees have an elite infield and Cano is part of that and the youngest.
Why can’t we accept that Cano is an excellent player on an elite team. He is a vital part of that elite infield and turns a double play better than in his position.
I knew, double dog knew, that in the 9th inning of the WS with 2 outs, when the ball was hit to Cano that the Yankees were the champs. Did anyone have any doubts? Cano to Tex is a sure thing.
Sadly, I bet the Yankee players are used to all the steroid/HGH controversy by now.
Seems like Lindsay is the one that recommended Galea; why assume Alex reached out to the guy?
Pedroia didn’t so much win the MVP as he had one given to him. Morneau must have had an off year or something. Cano has been better most years. Pedroia get unbelieveable gritty points for being 5’5″, diving around a lot and acting like he might get tough with someone who throws inside. Cano has a much larger strikezone to defend and as much as he’s got to at least get his OBP over .360 Pedroia gets some walks because he does have such a tiny zone. It’s amazing that Pedroia has been able to do as well as he’s done given the fact that he swings out of his shoes like he does. I think at some point that will get exploited and I don’t know why it hasn’t yet.
***anyone*** in his position.
JeterJoba-
That’s the way I feel about Cano.
And on that note, which is a positive one, I wish you all a good night.
“It’s not about whether anything illegal happened with Galea, the story is about the appearance of imprropriety in Alex reaching out to Galea after all the speculation of last year. ”
Where has it been established that Alex reached out to Galea?
Okay, I’m back and I apologize for getting snippy. It’s just that no matter how hold I get, I don’t like people telling me what to do.
What happened to — innocent until proven guilty? Does that not pertain to Alex?
” When I say “elite” I mean the best of the best, guys you would build a team around. Cano isn’t there yet.”
If you look up stats like hits, total bases, and slugging %, Cano is right there with some of the premiere hitters in the game. The difference is, he’s the ONLY player listed among league leaders who doesn’t bat 1-4 in the lineup.
I think we forget sometimes that Cano doesn’t have a Ryan Howard or David Ortiz protecting him. Most of his career it’s been Melky Cabrera, Miguel Cairo, Brett Gardner, etc.
And yes, that’s ‘hold’ because I’m not getting old.
Good points RS
My opinion is they are both above average, with different strengths. No way do I see Pedroia being that much better than Cano.
I do not think anybody turns the double play better than Cano. Also, Cano has the better arm. You have to give the mental approach (gritty?) to Pedroia. I just don’t see the huge gap one way or the other that UZR does.
Rodriguez psyche isn’t as fragile as some people like to believe. His year to year numbers are as consistent as just about any body’s in baseball. If he was so fragile, he wouldn’t put up numbers while being booed worse than anybody in baseball. I’m not buying the PS pressure crap getting to him. They were outstanding prior to a 3 year drought. I can give a list of HOF players that put up equally bad numbers over a similar stretch and some worse.
M, I didn’t think you were snippy – we just disagreed. For what it’s worth, I hate being told what to do as well.
I don’t think this is a big deal and I can’t wait to get back to baseball. CC pitches tomorrow, Phil and Joba go the next day and AJ after that; life is good in Yankeeland.
For the one that decided that Zobrist was close to being elite but Cano isn’t there, BS. Zobrist had one season. He’s been a journeyman utility player for his whole career. Perhaps if his next 4 years gets close to what Cano has produced, he’ll stop being close to elite and like Cano, just not there.
Phil the Thrill,
I agree about the MVP thing. While winning an MVP in any year is impressive, the requirements for such an award can change drastically from year to year. It’s kind of like winning the batting title. Some years it takes a .370 BA, and some years it only takes a .325 BA. Pedroia won the equivalent of a .325 batting title. Great performance, but nothing exceptionally unique.
Rich in NJ
“Where has it been established that Alex reached out to Galea?”
_________________________________________
Um, well he acknowledged he went to Galea for medical advice. Sounds like you and Betsy are excusing him because Lindsay may have referred him. That’s a little insulting to Alex. He is not a robot. He knows what happened in the past and how seemingly innocent things can come back to haunt you (and your team) because of appearance. It’s all about exercising good judgment and, unfortunately, that’s generally something you can’t teach this late in someone’s life.
The gift that keeps on giving. How many years left on that contract? The NYY couldn’t get rid of him if he is proven guilty. Nothing like union labor rules to bankrupt a team.
“Until there is proof something did, jumping to conclusions make little sense.”
Betsy,
I don’t recall having a conversation with you. Two other persons tried to give me some “friendly” advice.
I did see your question and without rereading the thread I think Sam said some of what I wanted to say.
I think you asked what they were hiding? I don’t know if they are.
But I don’t expect Dr Galea to say anything BUT he never gave HGH to American athletes. Why? Because, that would cast suspicion on high profile clients like Alex, Dara Torres, Tiger Woods, and to a lesser degree Reyes (lol). That would also land his fancy suit in jail for something.
Levine? Just toeing the party line.
Alex? Not saying he’s guilty (again). But have your lawyer pick up the phone and call the Yankees giving them a heads up. It’s like deja vu with this guy.
Not sure how Lindsay can look shady just because he has a business connection to Galea, but, Phillipon doesn’t look shady for knowing that and recommending Lindsay.
“I’m not buying the PS pressure crap getting to him. They were outstanding prior to a 3 year drought.”
It’s funny, because 20-30 years from now when people who haven’t witnessed the Arod postseason drama only have the stats in front of them to judge by, they’re not going to understand what all the fuss was about. His postseason numbers are hardly an outlandish deviation from his regular season stats, especially considering the higher quality of pitching in the postseason.
GB
Alex’s life sometimes reminds me of the movie The Truman Show.
Can you imagine the social experiment it would be to insert other people into living his life with all the good and bad that comes from it and having it televised 24/7.
J9, lol – I’m not making excuses for Alex as I don’t think he needs them.
m
“Alex? Not saying he’s guilty (again). But have your lawyer pick up the phone and call the Yankees giving them a heads up. It’s like deja vu with this guy.”
Again, we have no idea what has actually transpired.
“I just don’t see the huge gap one way or the other that UZR does.”
Last year UZR gave Teixeria a negative rating and Daniel Murphy a positive rating, so I’m pretty sure whatever defensive metrics they calculate aren’t completely accurate.
Tarheel,
When I made that list I was combining offense and defense. Overall as players at this point I would say they are about even in terms of production.
In terms of defense there are a few problems. That ugly -27 number includes his first year in which he was at -22.6. Again I was talking about his entire career thus far though and I think most would agree that if you take 2005-2009 together Cano has not been above average defensively.
If you want to talk more recently and exclude his early career struggles, the past 3 years he has been -0.6. When people see negatives in UZR they automatically think that means they are bad defensively. That is not true. A -0.6 number would have made him the 11th best 2B in baseball last season.
“Um, well he acknowledged he went to Galea for medical advice. Sounds like you and Betsy are excusing him because Lindsay may have referred him. That’s a little insulting to Alex. He is not a robot. He knows what happened in the past and how seemingly innocent things can come back to haunt you (and your team) because of appearance. It’s all about exercising good judgment and, unfortunately, that’s generally something you can’t teach this late in someone’s life.”
Really? I thought Alex has refused to make any public statements.
So, you have evidence that Alex engaged in doctor shopping? Would you please link it.
I all ask it again:
Where has it been established that Alex reached out to Galea?
“We know he’s a stud defensively, and UZR backs that up. Even though he posted a -3.7 UZR in 2009 (which raised some eyebrows), Tex’s three-year UZR is +2.6, much more in line with his real ability (imagine that, a better answer when looking at a larger sample).”
http://riveraveblues.com/page/3/
M, I will concede that Alex probably should have given the Yankees a heads up about Galea; outside of that, I’m really not giving this thing much thought. Until Sam posted about it tonight, I had forgotten about it. I’m assuming everything is kosher and would prefer just to concentrate on baseball.
Rich,
Are you telling me that Alex called the Yankees and told them about the FBI? Or did they find out from a third party?
All I said was the Yankees can’t be happy. No matter what really transpired, they can’t be happy.
If you choose to believe otherwise, I can respect that.
But if I signed a guy to a huge contract. And I get hit with what happened last year. And then we support him. And then he blindsides me again a year later. Then I’m not happy. I’m thinking what the hell else is going to come out. Not even getting into what’s real or not. Perception means something to the Yankees. No one can argue otherwise. Conglomerates like the Yankees would prefer not to deal with c-rap like this.
RS
That gets explained away by saying it “doesn’t really work for 1b or catchers”.
I guess it doesn’t work too good for 2b either.
According to UZR the right side of our infield is terrible.
m
I have no idea what happened.
I don’t know how the Yankees feel.
The contract was stupid. I hope they learned from that mistake with other aging players.
m,
When I told you to give it a rest I should have been more specific. If I didn’t learn anything working in a law firm it was BE SPECIFIC.
You have been heads up in your posts on issues; specifically, keeping up with the “boys” on the stats and the other verbage that I choose to ignore and do not understand. And posters gave your ‘atta girls’ for that.
Sometimes, and specifically with Alex, your personal opinion comes through harshly rather than your usual logical opinion.
pat
March 8th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
GB
Alex’s life sometimes reminds me of the movie The Truman Show.
Can you imagine the social experiment it would be to insert other people into living his life with all the good and bad that comes from it and having it televised 24/7.
————————————————————
Without a doubt, he creates a lot of issues in his personal life, but, it hasn’t appeared to affect his year to year play. If the media insists on asking people questions, have the guts to go ask Rodriguez himself instead of sneaking around and asking other players to comment on him.
Hopefully, they got rid of that type of player when Mussina and especially Giambi left. Giambi always seemed to be a slug type. No wonder a couple of media types liked him. He gave them all of the clubhouse goings on.
Rich,
We agree on the contract!
Anyway, I’m just saying the Yankees would 100% rather not have to deal with this.
“Um, well he acknowledged he went to Galea for medical advice. Sounds like you and Betsy are excusing him because Lindsay may have referred him. That’s a little insulting to Alex. He is not a robot. He knows what happened in the past and how seemingly innocent things can come back to haunt you (and your team) because of appearance. It’s all about exercising good judgment and, unfortunately, that’s generally something you can’t teach this late in someone’s life.”
Really? I thought Alex has refused to make any public statements.
So, you have evidence that Alex engaged in doctor shopping? Would you please link it.
I all ask it again:
Where has it been established that Alex reached out to Galea?
__________________________________
I misspoke. Galea acknowledged he saw Alex (per Sam’s post and numerous other sources). I think all expect Alex will confirm. Doctor shopping? You are missing the point my friend.
JeterJoba,
Oh, I know it shows. But if Jeter or Joba or Cano did the same thing, I think I would be equally as harsh.
Alex is still an employee of the Yankees, and I feel he has certain responsiblities to them. One of the main ones is keeping them in the loop. Even if it turns out to be nothing. Especially if it turns out to be nothing.
m
Cashman’s initial reaction shows they were blindsided. Cashman’s subsequent comments shows they would prefer not to know……yet.
The trade-off of one minute of stupidity for a lifetime of deniability.
Using unnamed Yankee sources is about as useful as using unnaned scouts, unnamed police sources or the ever believable “an anonymous source told me”. Nothing like gutless sources, and the media that use them.
Who cares?!?!?!?!?!
You guys (media folk, yes you loHud blog writers) seriously can’t leave well enough alone can you?
And I felt like this before everything started going A-Rods way.
It’s so annoying now. Can anybody stick to reporting on BASEBALL?
Pure baloney.
Exactly what did Galea do, aside from being “controversial?” Shouldn’t we hear a bit about that? Isn’t that what reporting is all about?
Instead, all we get is innuendo, “associations” with “controversial” figures, with hints that the “front office is not happy” and a snippet about “contract violations.”
The guy does platelet rich plasma therapy. Some people don’t like it, especially those with ties to our government. Is it BS? Who knows? Honestly, who cares?
There is no proof he gives anyone HGH–and even if he did? Can we get some serious reporting on this, instead of treating it like killing kittens?
Whatever ARod did, his hip appears healed –and he played by the rules on this one. He played a major part in winning the World Series. The Yankees should appreciate that more than anything, and I think they do.
Leave ARod alone. Your predecessor in this blog did himself a disservice last year with the whole Selina Roberts debacle.
Want a real investigative story? Check on how George Mitchell, part owner of the Red Sox, handled the steroid investigation. There’s a Pulitzer in that one for anyone with the guts to take on MLB.
Pigs will fly in formation over Yankee Stadium before that happens.
“I misspoke. Galea acknowledged he saw Alex (per Sam’s post and numerous other sources). I think all expect Alex will confirm. Doctor shopping? You are missing the point my friend.”
What is the point?
Galea, who is close with Lindsay, a doctor the Yankees approved at Phillipon’s request, may have violated doctor-patient confidentiality by his admission.
So let’s say the good doctor actually saw Alex. How did that take place? Did Lindsay instruct Alex to see Galea for a specific yet legal purpose? If so, why is Alex at fault?
As to the Yankees. When they approved Lindsay, did they do a background check on him? If not, why not? If so, did it reveal anything about Galea? If not, why not? If so, did they instruct Alex on whether or not he should have contact with him?
Until we know the answers to these questions, we are merely speculating.
Tarheelyank
March 8th, 2010 at 11:42 pm
RS
That gets explained away by saying it “doesn’t really work for 1b or catchers”.
I guess it doesn’t work too good for 2b either.
According to UZR the right side of our infield is terrible.
————————
There is no UZR for C.
There is also a misconception about the flaws of UZR in regards to 1B and that means it does not work or is useless.
It is not that UZR does not work for 1B. It is that UZR does not tell nearly enough of the whole story of what makes a good 1B relative to other positions. But, it does not tell you how good Tex is at scooping balls in the dirt, stretching to save bad throws, or making great throws over guys to 2B. For what it tells about 1B it works. One season of UZR is not worth discussing. However, like I said the past 3 years Tex has been +2.6 which is very good.
Cano has been -0.6 which is not bad. Again I just want to stress in terms of UZR Negative does not automatically mean bad.
Take the 3 year sample from Tex and Cano and UZR accurately characterizes the right side of the infield as quite good.
“Pigs will fly in formation over Yankee Stadium before that happens.”
I’ve witnessed many “pigs” stand in formation outside Yankee Stadium.
One of them even wrote me a ticket once.
“I do not think anybody turns the double play better than Cano. Also, Cano has the better arm. You have to give the mental approach (gritty?) to Pedroia. I just don’t see the huge gap one way or the other that UZR does.”
—————————-
Combining their ENTIRE careers thus far though there has been quite a gap. Pedroia has been consistently good defensively every year.
Cano has shown stretches/flashes of brilliance but by and large his has been extremely inconsistent. He has also had more than one season where he has just been flat out bad, as recently as 2008.
Okay, help me out here. Did Alex see Dr. Galea or not? Because that’s not what was originally reported. It was reported that he saw Dr. Lindsey.
So, if he did see Dr. Galea, was it in Canada or in the states? Florida or New York?
See, this is the thing. Why Dr. Phillipon couldn’t have a local (New York or Miami) doctor consult with Alex to examine him and give him the Rx for the anti-inflammatory.
In the end, it would have been a lot less trouble.
m
You are helping out by raising more questions. These questions reveal how little we know.
“I’ve witnessed many “pigs” stand in formation outside Yankee Stadium.
One of them even wrote me a ticket once.”
LOL @ pigs
Truer words have never been spoken (and my best friend is a cop!
Rich,
Of course I have questions. Because it’s not clear. Things are not adding up. And for people to tell Sam not to report on it or for others not to talk about it is…well, I’ll just stop there.
Actually M,
Phillipon said he wouldn’t have a problem with Galea giving Arod an oral anti-inflammatory.
He said that if there was an injection he should have been consulted.
It doesn’t seem as if Alex looked for Galea but eve if he did, I don’t think it’s a big deal. The guy was Tiger Woods doctor. He was a leader in his field. Up until the point his assistant got busted with his dope the guys was highly respected.
“Today, A-Rod said “nada, nada, nothing” when asked if anything was new regarding the FBI; at some point, he’ll have to come up with a better answer than that.”
Sam Borden
Absolutely not an attack on you, but why can’t Alex say “he does not have any information” like David Ortiz and have it fade away as David Ortiz did?
Also, when the Yankees visit the Sox to start the season, if you get a chance to interview Sox players, could you ask David Ortiz exactly what has taken so long for him to get back to the media with what he tested positive for?
m
(what I am about to say is about “reporters’ in general)
The issue isn’t about whether or not to report about the subject, but how. Reporting implies a mere recitation of the known facts. As your posts points out there aren’t many. Instead we have seen tons of speculation and unsourced, unsubstantiated claims about how various people in the Yankees’ hierarchy allegedly feel. That’s why things don’t add up.
m
What do you mean “things are not adding up”?
What is there to add up?
All Alex has done is take a prescription from another doctor without the permission or supposedly knowledge of the Yankees team doctor.
Bronx Jeers,
Thanks for that. I’m just trying to think logically. Does Dr. Galea even have a license to practice in the states? I know there are thousands of doctors up and down the east coast who are. I know doctors make house calls to the rich & famous, but did they need to fly a doctor all the way from Canada?
Hey guys leftfield’s heating up. Winn’s at 143 Golson at 125 Gardy and Thames at 111 and Hoffman’s at 071. Girardi and Cashman are going to have a press conference to announce the leftfield winner in a few weeks, I just don’t think I can stand the wait. Since when do the Yanks take quantity over quality, these guys all stink. We’re going to miss Johnny, and bad.
Anyone know what happened to Chad?
What’s the mystery? Lindsay, who is a chiropractor, works closely with Galea.
m has every right to have questions and every right to be annoyed especially when it comes to A-Rod. This is not just a story because he is a superstar. This is a story because of Alex and what he has done off the field in his career.
There are plenty of superstars in baseball that somehow magically are not at the center of some controversy or scandal every year. His buddy on the left side of the infield being one of them.
Personally, at this point I have no position either way on this issue. The one thing I do know is that it is very easy to get burned and look silly when you trust what Alex has to say.
CR9,
What’s not adding up? I’m trying to connect the dots.
Dr. Lindsey was in charge of Alex’s rehab. He’s a chiropractor? So, I’m going to assume (for now) that he’s not an M.D. and can’t prescribe medication? So, he has his associate Dr. Galea prescribe and administer some sort of anti-inflammatory? Either the doctor or patient has to travel long distance to do this.
In the world of the non-rich-and-famous. Your doctor would pick up the phone and consult with a doctor in (pick a city) and ask them to do it for you.
Sam,
I think the innuendo and implications in your post were rather one-sided. First, you said that Galea did “in fact” treat ARod. You made it sound like someone has denied that fact, when, as far as I know, ARod hasn’t answered that question at all.
Second, you say that Galea claims he treated Alex without including the fact that he also claims he never gave any athletes HGH. That is a rather significant omission.
You said in a comment that your main interest was if this would affect his psyche, but you gave equal time to the Yankees’ alleged unhappiness with him and the fact that seeing an unapproved doctor was a violation of his contract. You said in the comments that you weren’t implying they could void the contract. In that case, what were you implying?
Finally, I’m really not at all interested in reading what reporters, arm-chair psychologists, or anyone else has to say about ARod’s “psyche.” We saw WAY too much of that in 2006. No one’s a mind-reader, and ARod certainly isn’t going to talk about it. Why not wait and see if his performance suffers this year before you start attributing it to his “psyche.”
You also said the Yankees are tired of ARod’s issues. How many of those issues are created by ARod, and how many are created by the media? I don’t recall seeing any stories about whether Reyes or Beltran’s “psyches” are going to be affected by this investigation.
I appreciate the fact that you are much less biased than your predecessor, and I particularly appreciate the absence of snark on this subject. However, I still think this post was somewhat misleading.
LGY
Rights?
What rights does A-Rod have?
Because he admitted he used, unlike, as CR9 pointed out, Ortiz, has he forfeited his right to fundamental fairness?
Must he now accept that every ambiguous fact will be construed in the light most unfavorable to him?
As for the comparison to Jeter, a fairness issue arises there as well. He did not have the benefit of the parenting that Jeter had. But hey, it’s tough sh&t, he has to deal with it, and accept being smeared before the facts are adduced, right?
“Does Dr. Galea even have a license to practice in the states?”
Apparently not as he’s also being investigated by the state o Florida for treating Tiger Woods there.
I think it’s just a matter of Alex and Galea were smewhere at the same time and Lindsay asks Galea to check in on his patient.
Could have been NY, possibly Florida, could have even been when the Yanks were in Toronto.
It didn’t have to happen when Arod was doing his rehab. It could have been during the season. Certainly his hip bothered him at times.
Regardless, I don’t think it’s going to turn into a big issue for Alex.
I should not have said at the *center* of some controversy or scandal because that implies that I think he is at the center here which is not true.
What I meant was just being involved somewhat or attached or mentioned, whatever. Regardless of A-Rod’s innocence my point was that plenty of superstars are able to remain completely free from these things.
I would think that is what Sam meant by Alex’s “issues.” Just having his name attached to this whole thing is an “issue” regardless of the outcome.
LGY
“Regardless of A-Rod’s innocence my point was that plenty of superstars are able to remain completely free from these things.”
That implies that Alex is primarily at fault for “these things.” Granted, he is at fault for using PEDs, it was dumb, but perhaps as many as 80% of the players in MLB used. Is it his fault he was outed, unlike most of these players?
Is he at fault for signing the richest contracts in MLB, because that’s where most of the controversy flows from.
That contract made other players, including Jeter, tens of millions of extra dollars, but they have escaped the added scrutiny, unlike Alex.
All this stuff Galea/ARod/FBI stuff is the kneejerk reaction from the reporters and morons who had their heads in the sand for 20-25 years and now think they’re all properly hipped to ped use in baseball. Obviuously, since all the papers are running a tepid and uninformed ARod/Galea story tonight for tomorrow, we can only assume the Editors could find no new Tiger chicks and went with their old reliable. Half-smart folks shouldn’t try drawing conclusions.
LGY,
Had things transpired differently, then there wouldn’t be any issues.
But, there are patterns of behavior that emerge over time.
One of the few espn talk show hosts I like today said about Big Ben. It happens once, you can overlook it. It happens twice, you gotta at least give it some consideration.
Now, in Alex’s case, I’m simply pointing out the pattern of not letting the Yankees know what’s going on.
Bronx Jeers,
That’s all plausible. And you almost had me convinced. Except, if he’s with the team, you would think that Alex would consult with the team doctors. If Phillipon/Lindsey/Galea said he needed a certain medication, maybe they could’ve been of some assistance?
LGY,
The problem with the issues argument is that many athletes have the same “issues,” they just don’t get the same media attention.
Plenty of athletes cheat on their wives, but unless it’s ARod or Tiger, it’s not front page news. (And the media ignored Tiger’s philandering until he crashed his car.) Plenty of athletes used steroids, but most stories about other athletes’ PED use have just faded away (i.e. Ortiz). Most athletes date actresses and/or strippers, but no one cares.
Granted, ARod has not helped himself PR-wise. But at the same time I don’t think it’s fair to blame him for all his public “issues” when many (if not most) players share the same issues, but receive less publicity. It’s not like ARod can control the media.
Rich,
There is a difference between what m is doing and what some in the media are doing. All she is doing is asking questions and having her suspicions. In A-Rod’s case given his history of lying to everyone’s face and getting caught up in something controversial seemingly every year m has a right to be suspicious when his name surfaces once again. She is not crucifying him or sentencing him. It is human nature to be suspicious of someone who is a known liar.
There is also an issue of being a celebrity in which unfortunately it goes along with the territory.
If Alex wants to quiet the media or the suspicions he needs to stay away from anything and anyone controversial. There are countless athletes who are able to do this. It does not take good parenting to know that at this point. Derek is just one of them.
m
“One of the few espn talk show hosts I like today said about Big Ben. It happens once, you can overlook it. It happens twice, you gotta at least give it some consideration.”
What pattern is there with Alex? I see it as a pattern of resentment and jealously on the part of others.
LGY
I’m not singling out m, or Sam for that matter.
I am merely pointing out that we have very few facts, and to speculate based on what we know is to embark on a very, very slippery slope.
Are the “lies” you are referring to the denials about PEDs? That’s a disease that has reached epidemic proportions in MLB.
It’s not like he has ever been accused of sexual assault or any crime that leaves a victim.
Good parenting underlies everything every one of does.
What has Alex done to cause a controversy in this instance?
Whether this is right or wrong morally, when it comes to athletes of Alex’s stature it does not matter if he is primarily at fault.
What matters is that he is tied to this controversial stories even minimally. They are a distraction and no matter how minimal his ties are he could have avoided it. He has more resources than anyone to make sure he is not involved with anyone controversial. He could have done his research better. He could have made sure to clear everything with the Yankees.
Like I said before I have no position either way right now in terms of saying Alex is guilty. But, I would also like to point out his issues with the media started before the steroid thing.
That’s a good point M.
Although I can see Alex seeking out the “celebrity” doctors before “slumming it” with the company men.
And he obviously trusted Lindsay.
Anyway, whatever they teamed up to do to him, it seemed to work.
I also just want to say I do not care about player’s personal lives. I think what the media does to celebrity’s and athletes is ridiculous. I am just talking about the reality of what we live with and how Alex should be staying away from that harsh reality.
Rich,
In that post I said that with Alex he’s developing a pattern of not notifying the Yankees that something was going to hit the news.
And I think you’re veering off into some other territory. The FBI doesn’t want to talk to Alex about his contract. They want to talk to Alex about his association with Dr. Galea. No contact, no conversation. But there was contact.
I don’t think Alex volunteered any of the information. And before we call this Alex persecution, there’s other people who’ve been named, too. So, they’re probably talking about Reyes on a mets blog. Woods on some golf blog. And Dara Torres on some swimming blog. And btw, this wouldn’t be the first time Torres name has come up in the conversation of PEDs.
But it seems that Dr. Galea has volunteered certain info. So there’s that.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/.....id=4976904
MLB fired 3 Umpire Supervisors back in January for the botched calls this past October….40 year Veterans Garcia, Springsteen & McKean who were Umpire Supervisors recieved their pink slips……What a mess
LGY,
Thanks for the support tonight. People probably wish I was off watching the Oscars!
LGY
“What matters is that he is tied to this controversial stories even minimally. They are a distraction and no matter how minimal his ties are he could have avoided it. He has more resources than anyone to make sure he is not involved with anyone controversial. He could have done his research better. He could have made sure to clear everything with the Yankees.”
That’s the point. We don’t know if he did anything that justifies even a minimal tie to the present controversy. So to say that he could have avoided it is not accurate.
But in the world of circular logic that some reporters live in, because he once used, reporters are justified to think the worst of him. That’s patently unfair, and factually indefensible.
If your primary doctor, Phillipon, authorized a chiropractor who, according to some reports is linked to BALCO, and your employer, who has the resources and the motivation to research such things, approved that chiropractor, why isn’t it reasonable for you to trust the advice of that chiropractor?
“But, I would also like to point out his issues with the media started before the steroid thing.”
Yes, it started with the resentment over his contract.
One last thing M, and this is just dirty speculation on my part but…
Even if HGH is off the table, Galea has been linked to Actovegin, which I believe is another healing product derived from calf’s blood.
Which would fit in with that whole “centaur vibe” that Arod’s got goin on.
m
“In that post I said that with Alex he’s developing a pattern of not notifying the Yankees that something was going to hit the news.”
How do we know what the Yankees actually knew and what Alex actually told them?
“And I think you’re veering off into some other territory. The FBI doesn’t want to talk to Alex about his contract. They want to talk to Alex about his association with Dr. Galea. No contact, no conversation. But there was contact.”
No, I’m not. You are conflating two points. I said the resentment is a consequence of the contract.
“I don’t think Alex volunteered any of the information. And before we call this Alex persecution, there’s other people who’ve been named, too. So, they’re probably talking about Reyes on a mets blog. Woods on some golf blog. And Dara Torres on some swimming blog. And btw, this wouldn’t be the first time Torres name has come up in the conversation of PEDs.”
You’re free to think that. I will await the full facts.
“But it seems that Dr. Galea has volunteered certain info. So there’s that.”
That’s been mentioned. It’s a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality that may or may not reflect poorly on Alex.
Bronx Jeers,
You are wicked!
And I leave you with this. Some reax to Dr. Galea’s Obama persecution accusation, from the comment section of that espn article I linked:
“…and I plan on driving to Canada to buy some milk after work. What??? It’s just better there. How dumb do these people think we are??”
What resentment are you talking about?
It’s likely Dr. Galea got busted, they got a hold of his records, and Alex’s name was likely in there.
He then becomes part of the official investigation.
It’s never Alex’s fault. People were mad at Selena Roberts. For reporting the truth! How’s that?!
it’s only a “concern” right now in a hideous tabloid journalist sense. because:
1. the NY Times article pointed out that Galea has a relation with Dr. Lindsay. Dr. Lindsay was “acting on behalf” of a-Rod’s approved doctor, Dr. Philippon.
2. Lindsay also said that he had referred other Philippon patients to Galea.
So I don’t see how just going to Galea in that context would be a contract violation; he apparently was sent there by Dr. Phillipon’s proxy.
From going to one of the top hip surgeon in the contury somehos leads to this chiopractor , Hoew doesn’t medicl clearence to admit syringes to a human body……On the surgeon who performed the urgery is allowed to privied HGH for healingh concerns,,,,Besides I had severak HGH shots in 1999 for my 2nd hipp replacement…I never noitcied it helping me get back to runng my AAU travel team any sooner……Black coulds will be on the horizons for a few more years as ESeglig can show the sporting world and more important that the game is sleaning hiself and shill out the Senate committee,,,,Now Football, with a potyential lockoout has a bs program……They’re getting pass……Could he a setup of sorts……
The drug, extracted from calf’s blood and used for healing, is not approved for sale in Canada, but doctors can prescribe it if they inform patients about what it is. Using, selling or importing Actovegin is illegal in the United States; it is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
From the article linked above:
Maybe the Doctor is being persecuted. Note that Actovegin is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
This is the agency that oversees doping in the Olympics. The toughest anti doping screening in the world.
We have football and baseball players dropping like flies post PED use and the FBI is investigating for six months a case of homeopathic ampoules amongst them one vial of HGH.
We know that Alex’s post operative treatment was a major success. He doesn’t need a second operation. So why is this drug illegal in the US when the Antidoping Agency does not proscribe it. Phillipon has committed miracles in his treatment of athletes. Maybe there was a reason.
Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean that they’re not out to get you.
m
“What resentment are you talking about?”
You aren’t aware that resentment accompanies being the highest paid player in MLB?
“It’s likely Dr. Galea got busted, they got a hold of his records, and Alex’s name was likely in there.”
That’s not dispositive of anything.
“It’s never Alex’s fault. People were mad at Selena Roberts. For reporting the truth! How’s that?!”
Then why did I saw that he was at fault for doing PEDs and why did he admit that he was wrong for doing it, unlike Ortiz and others?
Selena Roberts? Have you ever wondered why her book faded into the background so quickly? Because she had one substantiated revelation. The rest didn’t hold up.
“…and I plan on driving to Canada to buy some milk after work. What??? It’s just better there. How dumb do these people think we are??”
Did it seem odd to anyone that the Yankees ok’ed a chiropractor from Canada, not NY, not FL, not even CO to oversee A-Rod’s rehab before any of this new broke. Hindsight is always 20/20.
Rich,
Of course there’s resentment. Fans, teams, other players, media guys.
And I didn’t say Alex was guilty.
I was merely pointing out how Alex’s name came to the attention of the FBI without any resentment being involved.
*correction*
how Alex’s name could have come to the attention of the FBI
Another point – as an elite athlete you go under the knife and you are told that there is a treatment that might prevent a second operation. Illegal in the US but legal elsewhere. (You can prescribe it in Canada but you can’t sell it. Now there is a brilliant setup.) And you would do what? Anyone know cance patients that buy tokes to ease radiation symptoms.
How is it that of the millions that cross the border they managed to target one woman at a specific point in time. Now those border dogs can sniff sealed ampoules. The doctor was under surveillance, you think? The whole thing is pathethic. Drug lobbies are benevolent entities in US politics. You can expand this thing exponentialy.
This is right out of a John Maximm novel with bumbling FBI agents that manage to give out one name out of 104 to the press.
Reading the NYT article. A couple of things stand out. Dr. Phillipon is not sure if Dr. Lindsey has the authority to prescribe meds. Dr. Phillipon also said that Alex’s hip was fine when he left. Surprised at what Dr. Galea is saying about the condition of his hip. But acknowledged that he could have tweaked it and not told Dr. Phillipon about it.
Rich,
“Report” not “wrote”(as in book). What in Selena Roberts’ original reporting was false?
Bo Knows,
From what I understand, Dr. Galea was involved with Balco. Why would it surprise anyone that he would be blacklisted at US borders?
My mother found out she was blacklisted the hard way. They let her through. Of course they won’t tell her why she was flagged.
No rhyme or reason to what the government does!
m
“I was merely pointing out how Alex’s name came to the attention of the FBI without any resentment being involved.”
I don’t understand why you felt the need to do that. I never suggested anything of the kind. I said the resentment was a result of the contract.
“Dr. Phillipon is not sure if Dr. Lindsey has the authority to prescribe meds.”
I wasn’t aware that chiropractors can prescribe meds in any jurisdiction. Either way, why did he tell Alex to use Lindsay (even though Lindsay has alleged BALCO connections) if he didn’t think he was the best in his field? Being mindful of that fact, and that the Yankees approved him, why shouldn’t Alex trust Lindsay’s recommendations without reservation?
(btw, I will repeat, I think Phillipon is engaged in major CYA behavior.)
““Report” not “wrote”(as in book). What in Selena Roberts’ original reporting was false?”
Roberts was the recipient of the selective leak of information contained in documents that were under seal by order of a federal court.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to be mad at someone for being the conduit for the commission of a crime.
Consequently, the major hit to Alex’s reputation has been as a result of a violation of his constitutional rights, a federal crime.
Earlier you referenced Big Ben. At this point, Alex has more in common with Big Ben’s alleged victims than he does with Big Ben.
Can wait until the season starts and we can just baseball…..
Ian O’Connor reports that Lindsay has BALCO links:
http://www.northjersey.com/spo.....rever.html
… Mark Lindsay, the BALCO-linked chiropractor who supervised Rodriguez’s rehab following the surgery performed by Marc Philippon, the hip specialist who recommended Lindsay to the Yanks.
(Now, maybe O’Connor is wrong, that wouldn’t be that unlikely)
__
Again, Phillipon recommended Lindsay and the Yankee approved him, but it’s all on Alex.
Why is that?
I’m out. Got a 10am meeting. GN
Rich,
I think you’re missing the point.
Alex is responsible for his own behavior.
He took steroids. He’s no victim.
No steroids. No issues. No investigative reporting.
I’m surprised. Alex owned up to his own mistakes, but people still want to blame others for his problems.
Rich,
Was just going to post that I saw that in the Daily News.
If I were the Yankees, and I knew that Dr. Lindsay was linked to Balco, I would’ve told him to find someone else to help with the rehab. Thousands of doctors/chiropractors/soft tissue specialists that weren’t associated with BALCO/Tim montgomery/marion jones/Bill Romanowski.
BTW, Dr. Phillipon is now taking back the ownership of Alex’s rehab. “He doesn’t work at my clinic,” Philippon said of Galea. “Here is the way it works — I am the surgeon. I oversee the rehab.”
“Lindsay’s bio was posted on the Galea’s Affinity Health Web site as recently as last week, but is no longer posted there.”
http://www.google.com/hostedne.....gD9EAQN4G0
Forgive me for being cynical about PED use and various drugs. Basketball players collapse and die on court due to heart attacks and so on. 400 pound football players that run the 60 yd in ungodly times. The FDA drug trial period is unbelievably expensive and time intensive. There are benevolent drugs out there that are legal throughout the world except the US. The whole thing is a ball of snakes. So the FDA makes a ruling. Yesterday you were a law breaker, today you’re a legal citizen.
Just a scenario – The Yankees, a multi billion operation is in a new stadium and needs a Series win and the crucial asset has a hip impingement. You need a miracle worker and there happens to be one in Colorado miraculously successful. That doctor prescribes a chiropractor to oversee your star’s recovery. The logic chain breaks down.
We do know that Alex’s treatment was successful without another invasive procedure. This would seem to be a good thing. So why is this homeopathic treatment illegal in the US and not banned by the Olympics Doping body who are the most demanding in the world?
I woke up to check on this update, glad to see not much has changed, I’ll be more refreshed in the morning, sick day. And no it’s not HGH related.
NYYanksFan
March 9th, 2010 at 1:38 am
“…and I plan on driving to Canada to buy some milk after work. What??? It’s just better there. How dumb do these people think we are??”
Did it seem odd to anyone that the Yankees ok’ed a chiropractor from Canada, not NY, not FL, not even CO to oversee A-Rod’s rehab before any of this new broke. Hindsight is always 20/20.
————————————————————
Lindsay is indeed licensed to practice in Colorado.
What did people know and when did they know it?
I can see the chain of trust here for Alex – Phillipon recommends Lindsey who recommends Galea. Alex pleased with Phillipon’s work follows the recommendations without question. “This guy treated Tiger, he’s good.” “Okay, get me an appointment.” Whatever. I don’t think it’s a stretch to see that.
However, all along the way, Alex needed to let the Yankees know who he was seeing and for what. It seems he didn’t let them know about Galea. That’s the problem, and that’s what the “big deal” is in Yankeetown. Another, okay, Alex, what happened THIS time moment. I agree with mel that at some point, the exasperation level within the Yankee organization has to be about at its limit, if not over it. I do not think they would do anything contractually, however.
But even if he did tell them he saw Lindsey who recommended anti-inflammatories via Dr. Galea, would it necessarily have raised any eyebrows at the time? Now, sure it does, but a few months ago, before this controversy? Perhaps not.
If you don’t know that Galea is associated with HGH in any way, and Phillipon and Lindsey have been approved, I can definitely see Alex having no problem following Galea and assuming the Yankees would have no problem, either. Only thing is, notifying one’s employer directly would be nice.
How does it work insurance-wise? Wouldn’t there be some notification somewhere that Alex had seen and been treated by a doctor through insurance records?
Anyway, the bottom line is, I am at the point with this stuff that I don’t really want to know anymore. Not a good attitude, I realize. But I’m not willing to believe any party in this very much, and I’ll withhold judgment to when the entire story unfolds.
so apparently arod is just a pathalogical cheater. if he used hgh right after what heppened last spring with steroids, you have to question his whole career. maybe people like selena roberts are right when the infer that he’s been using since high school.
just like all the other cheaters, you just have to accept what the results of his cheating are, theres nothing you can do about it. it casts a shadow all over his career and by extension to last year’s yankees championship.
Did Arod see Galea before Galea’s assistant got busted at the border?
I have to believe that Arod wasn’t dumb enough to use HGH 2 months after the spring training fiasco from last year. If there is no evidence he received HGH from Galea then the Yankees would be wise to not make an issue of this and not rock the boat when Alex has just gotten comfortable and things are going well. It may lead to a disgruntled and unhappy player with a very large and longterm contract. Hopefully this will go away ASAP.
thanks Blake, we can always count on you to be the voice of reason
I would highly doubt Alex would do anything questionable after all he went thru in ST.
from a strictly money perspective, this may be an opportunity for the yankees. it may give the yankees the chance to get out of arod’s contract at just the right time, before they start way overpaying for past performances and home run records that pretty much nobody outside of nyc is going to care about.
Arod is playing great and his contract is structured so that it pays him the most this season $32M and then the dollars decline (#31M next season, then $29M, $28M and so on down to $20M the last 2 years.) obviously a 40-42 year old arod (veteran of god only knows how much ped abuse) will not be worth $20M, but what makes it way worse are the ‘marketing agreements’ ($6M bonuses) tied to breaking the records of mays aaron and bonds). Obviously if arod, who’s already admitted to steroid usage and stands accused of much more, used hgh last season after his confession and promise that he was clean and would stay so, nobody who’s not tied to the yankees is going to care a fig about him breaking those records. remember when bonds broke aaron’s record? not only did nobody care, but the baseball public just heaped tons of scorn and hatred on bonds because of it. how would this circus possibly be worth $6M to the yankees? it wont even get arod onto the wheaties box.
like him or not, its impossible to see how paying him his salary plus $6M would be worth it to the yankees (around $30M at ages 38(?) and 39(?). the fact is that arod’s contract, worked out apparently under the watchful eye of that great baseball man hank steinbrenner becomes a total albatross in it’s last 5 or so seasons.
if arod admits using hgh after his hip surgery, it is likely the yankees can void his contract. if arod says he didnt use hgh and then is convicted of purgery, they can also likely void that contract. either way, from a straight baseball standpoint, this is on opportunity the yankees need to be ready to sieze upon. arod had no hard feelings about using the oppoturinty he had to opt out and sign a much better deal when given the opportunity to do so and the yankees should feel no guilt if they opt to take advantage if given the opportunity to ‘opt out’ of the last 5 or 6 years of arod’s ridiculous contract.
Nice fantasy. Too bad reality gets in the way.
The guy didn’t do anything wrong and the Yankees aren’t voiding his contract.
There isn’t any proof Galea gave HGH to ANY athlete, let alone Arod.
Try sticking to the facts. That keeps fantasies to a minimum.
no offense sj, i respect your input on this board, but you have zero credibility in regards to arod
“no offense sj, i respect your input on this board, but you have zero credibility in regards to arod”
You’re the one that doesn’t have any credibility because you’re jumping to conclusions without any facts to back them up.
Alex admitted to PED use when he was in TX.
Since then PED testing has been implemented. I would guess that Alex is tested on a regular basis, similar to Lance Armstrong.
What is the “much much more” that he is accused of?
I think this is a non-story being made into something at a quiet time of year.
And for the record, I was never much of a fan, but I have changed my opinion of Alex after the way he handled his PED use…unlike Roger, Mark, Big Papi etc
reread it, the only conclusions i made is that if arod used hgh, the yankees should consider trying to void his contract.
It’s always ARod. I’m still waiting for Big Papi to explain, but I won’t hold my breath.
This so reminds me of “A Few Good Men” where Col Jessep yells a Kaffee, “I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then question the manner in which I provide it. I prefer you said thank you, and went on your way…. Either way, I don’t give a d**n what you think you are entitled to!” – Where Arod goes out and does whatever he can to return to the Yanks to help them win their 27th title and now the Yanks are questioning his methods in getting back.
Just noting.
the yankees are not questioning arod’s methods. the fbi is.
“the yankees are not questioning arod’s methods. the fbi is.”
There you go again with a conclusion that is grounded without fact.
I have more creditibilty than you.
The FBI isn’t questioning his “methods”.
They will ask him about Galea, just as they did Beltran and Reyes. You also want their contracts voided?
There is no evidence anywhere that Arod took HGH or is a target in this investigation.
Like I said, try sticking to facts.
” the only conclusions i made is that if arod used hgh, the yankees should consider trying to void his contract.”
Very good but did you really need 500 words to express that?
And perhaps you should re-read Sam’s post.
It says the one person that could implicate Arod for taking HGH just stated that he did not give Arod HGH.
So basically your point was moot before you even wrote a word.
“Very good but did you really need 500 words to express that?
apparently it kept your interest when you could just have easily skipped over it.
sj, you spent 2 months last year attacking selena roberts and saying that there was no proof that arod did steroids.
you were ‘just sticking to the facts’ then too…
I also said the rest of the book was junk and wouldn’t sell. How did that turn out?
Nobody has heard from Selena Roberts since that book came out. It did more damage than service to her career.
It’s ok to be a Arod hater. Just try mixing in some facts, that’s all.
If you want to have a chance to know the truth of something it’s a good idea to work from the “known” to the “unknown”.
The link below is some basic info. on the legality of HGH use in the US. In general, it seems to state that HGH injection is only legal when it can be demonstrated thru blood tests that it is being underproduced by the body relative to a normal level.,i.e. that the person is deficient in HGH.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/04/11/chasing.hgh/
That is the general rule.
What is the specific rule with respect to it’s use by a professional basball player ?
Is it banned under any and all conditons ?
Judging from Pettite’s problems I would assume that it is indeed banned for use in Baseball.
It would seem the General use(s) of HGH therapy is superceeded by their supposed performance enhancing secondary effects in a baseball type setting.
This creates a conflict in my mind.
On the one hand you have a substance which has been shown to
potentially enhance the healing process, and on the other it leads not only to healing and growth but to “performance enhancement” thru said process.
That conflict must exist in the mind of many physicians as well as their patients.
Why doesn’t Baseball apply the same testing standard as the medical community, or allow for exceptions in tissue repair cases ?
One other Fact :
Chiropractors are NOT allowed to prescribe RX’s.
Draw your inferences and conclusions about the above.
Sometimes it’s a shame that technologies have dual uses because that allows for their potential abuse. Singularity of purpose would simplify things.
Take nuclear science as an example.
On the one hand it can be used to make Nuclear power , and on the other to make atom bombs.
The Technology itself is neutral. The way people apply it is the problem.
Is their a minor analogy with HGH therapy ? Useful in some settings and deadly in others.
I apologize for the length of this post. It’s part of my 2 cents.
see thats where you go off base sj. i didnt say anything hateful about arod. i just made the point that on a strictly money perspective it would be advantageous to the yankees to get out of the last 5 years of his contract.
why do you always have to attack anyone who disagrees with your points or questions arod?
as for the roberts book, so you were wrong about the main subject of the book but right about its sales, which nobody questioned you about.
just sticking to the facts…
The Yankees have no interest in voiding his contract. You do. Big difference.
There is no evidence Arod used HGH. Another fact you choose to ignore.
Like most Arod haters you have limited knowledge of facts to make your points.
In this case, you have no facts.
It’s not just the sales of the book. It’s what has happened to her career since the book was published. It’s pretty much ended.
That’s how negative the book has affected her career.
A-Rod means Asterisk-Rod. Put him in the same class as Mcgwire & Palmiero, Liars
Bastante…Play ball and stop trying to make story out whether A-Rod went to Canada or not…If he did,so what…Must be a slow spring training for news…Who cares….
By the way, what would A-Rod need to tell the Yankees that he visiting this “quack?”
Let the FBI spend the taxpayers time investigating this ridiculous story…Much to do about nothing..
YES, YOU A-ROD HATERS HAVE NO FACTS..