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A-Rod
May 14, 2007 21:42:46 GMT -5
Post by sinctybldh on May 14, 2007 21:42:46 GMT -5
why is olney so convinced that we won't extend arod?
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A-Rod
May 14, 2007 22:02:27 GMT -5
Post by David Goodman on May 14, 2007 22:02:27 GMT -5
He thinks the Yankees won't spend money on long term deals. That just isn't true. They just won't do it on bad risks. A-Rod is not a bad risk.
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A-Rod
May 14, 2007 23:13:00 GMT -5
Post by philinla on May 14, 2007 23:13:00 GMT -5
why is olney so convinced that we won't extend arod? He seems to have no fucking clue as to who the richest fan pleasingest team in the universe is.
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A-Rod
May 16, 2007 9:10:50 GMT -5
Post by jumbo on May 16, 2007 9:10:50 GMT -5
Joe has new respect for A-Rod
By JOHN HARPER DAILY NEWS SPORTS COLUMNIST
Posted Wednesday, May 16th 2007, 4:00 AM
CHICAGO - Three hours before game time, Joe Torre walked purposefully out of his office, down the long, narrow visitors' clubhouse until he encountered Alex Rodriguez, the player he was looking for.
"I need a favor," the manager said, putting his hands on A-Rod's shoulders. "I need to move you up to the three-hole, see if we can do something to get us going."
"Sure," said A-Rod, and that was that, as manager and player nodded at each other and walked in opposite directions.
It was nothing out of the ordinary for Torre, who almost always makes a point of informing players of any moves that he thinks might mess even slightly with their delicate equilibrium.
Of course, you couldn't watch this brief exchange yesterday without thinking about last October in Detroit, and the day Torre dropped A-Rod to eighth in the lineup in Game 4 against the Tigers. He didn't say a word to A-Rod before he posted the lineup on that day, which told you all you needed to know about his level of exasperation with his third baseman.
And now, here was Torre, careful to let A-Rod know he was moving him from fourth to third, from one glamour spot to another, as he searches for a lineup that:
a) Won't be as vulnerable to lefthanded pitching. The Yankees are 3-6 in games started by southpaws, and after last night's game against the White Sox was rained out, they will now face rookie lefty John Danks today.
b) Will be more consistent, in general, than an offense whose lack of situational hitting this season is reflected in the Yanks' 5-11 record in one and two-run games.
c) Limits the rally-killing damage that Bobby Abreu can do.
It made sense for Torre to insert Derek Jeter, A-Rod, and Jorge Posada, by far the Yankees' best hitters so far, into the 2-3-4 spots, while dropping Abreu to seventh to face Danks. But that wasn't the point so much as Torre's gesture of respect toward A-Rod was a snapshot of how things have changed on this ballclub.
A-Rod is not the problem, obviously. He seems to have survived a mini-slump of sorts, when he went from hitting 14 home runs in 18 games to chasing sliders for a couple of weeks, and though his power numbers have stagnated, he is still hitting .329.
One AL scout who saw him in Seattle over the weekend noted that he hit several balls hard, a few deep flyouts, and said, "He looks ready to get hot again. He got jumpy there for a couple of weeks. He wasn't as relaxed at the plate as he had been when he was so hot, but he still managed to get his hits."
Torre concurred, saying, "He's not as selective as he was (during his hot streak), but he's better than he was a week ago. He hit a couple in Seattle that would have been out of some ballparks."
A-Rod, for his part, continues to keep a low profile, as he has since the season began. Yesterday, with no batting practice on the field due to rain, he kept his distance from the media, staying mostly in the trainer's room, the batting cage, or the back area of the clubhouse, where he watched video of White Sox pitchers.
Even so, A-Rod was a most visible presence, in part because the Chicago-Sun Times, which was sitting on a table in the visitors' clubhouse, featured him on its pages yesterday, with a headline that read: "In A-Rod They Trust?"
Well, you knew this was coming. From the minute his opt-out clause became a story, speculation regarding his future was inevitable, in New York and elsewhere. His historic home run spree to start the season only makes it more inevitable, and here was the first real taste of it, a Sun-Times columnist urging owner Jerry Reinsdorf to take the plunge for $200 million or so next winter and sign A-Rod to be a savior for a White Sox team that has underachieved so far.
So who knows, maybe A-Rod will have his choice of teams in this city, considering his relationship with Cubs manager Lou Piniella.
And everyone presumes that Arte Moreno will offer A-Rod partnership as an owner to get him to come west to play for the Angels.
At what point does all of this become a distraction? A-Rod has sworn since spring training that none of this will affect him, and maybe it won't. But it is surely just the start.
In any case, the lineup changes Torre was ready to make yesterday weren't about A-Rod. There are plenty of culprits, starting with Abreu and Robinson Cano, and Torre has made a point of talking to them the last couple of days, offering support.
But it was the way he approached A-Rod, with a deference you didn't expect to see again after that day in Detroit last October, that was a reminder:
One way or another, A-Rod can't help but be in the middle of everything that happens to the Yankees this season.
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A-Rod
May 23, 2007 11:57:43 GMT -5
Post by jumbo on May 23, 2007 11:57:43 GMT -5
A-Rod's elbow ticks off the Red Sox Posted: Wednesday May 23, 2007 05:31AM ET It can't be catalogued in the same universe as his infamous "slap play," but Alex Rodriguez added an elbow to his repertoire against Boston last night. And Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia didn't approve. In the eighth inning of a 7-3 loss to Boston, Rodriguez came in hard trying to break up a double play. He clearly bumped Pedroia with his elbow after reaching second. The Red Sox rookie said he was hit in the midsection.--New York Post
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A-Rod
May 23, 2007 12:30:14 GMT -5
Post by philinla on May 23, 2007 12:30:14 GMT -5
we need to keep hitting them.
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A-Rod
May 23, 2007 12:43:04 GMT -5
Post by torrey on May 23, 2007 12:43:04 GMT -5
Funny how nobody mentions pedroia's slide at Jeter earlier in the game. Arod at least hit the bag. Arod is doing everything he can to win games.
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A-Rod
May 23, 2007 14:31:25 GMT -5
Post by HomerSimpson on May 23, 2007 14:31:25 GMT -5
Pedrioa's a stupid little fucking midget. A stiff wind could knock him over. He's mad that the big meanie A-Rod slid hard? Aww...poor baby. Fuck them. I hope they go harder tonight, and I hope when fatass Schilling plunks A-Rod in the 1st inning tonight that A-Rod charges the mound and kicks his sorry ass all over the joint.
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A-Rod
May 23, 2007 22:13:17 GMT -5
Post by mpep on May 23, 2007 22:13:17 GMT -5
If Ortiz did it, it would be a clutch play. If Derek did it, it would be leadership by example. When Frank Robinson, Don Baylor, or Paul O'Niell did it, it was hard-nosed baseball.
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A-Rod
May 24, 2007 14:53:34 GMT -5
Post by daveinbayonne on May 24, 2007 14:53:34 GMT -5
Homersimpson, your 2:31 post was the best post ever. Hahaha. Schilling didn't throw at ARod (smart on Curt's part), but I would PAY to see ARod charge the mound and kick his fat, arrogant ass all over Yankee Stadium.
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A-Rod
May 24, 2007 16:21:52 GMT -5
Post by sinctybldh on May 24, 2007 16:21:52 GMT -5
From Buster Olney's Blog
• There is a lot of speculation that Alex Rodriguez could renegotiate his deal with the Yankees after this season is over, rather than exercise his opt-out clause, and in this way, New York could still save the $27 million being paid to A-Rod by Texas over the next three years. Here's the problem with that theory: Scott Boras, the agent for Rodriguez, needs free agency to create the leverage in order to drive the bidding for the slugger to the $200 million range. This is why he always takes his clients into free agency, and why he felt incredibly restricted by his Daisuke Matsuzaka negotiations with the Red Sox -- he did not have the ability to involve more than one team.
A-Rod/Boras cannot get that kind of leverage until he declares free agency, and once he does, the Rangers will be off the hook for that $27 million.
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A-Rod
May 24, 2007 16:38:32 GMT -5
Post by David Goodman on May 24, 2007 16:38:32 GMT -5
Olney needs to get over his obsession.
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A-Rod
Jun 1, 2007 11:26:31 GMT -5
Post by sinctybldh on Jun 1, 2007 11:26:31 GMT -5
Glenn (Bayside, NY): Any chance of A-Rod coming back to NY next year after we now ruined his marriage?
Jayson Stark: (12:03 PM ET ) It's always good to toss out the first ARod question as soon as possible. So thanks for laying that fastball in there, Glenn. Obviously, the more uncomfortable life in NY gets for this guy, the less reason you'd have to think he'd be back. But the one factor we should never ignore is the Yankees' significant financial advantage in this arena. One reason, of course, is THEY'RE THE YANKEES. They have a few dollars in the checking account. But they also have another advantage. They're the one team that could extend his contract, pay him less per year than he's making now and still collect the $7 million a year Texas is committed to for the rest of this contract. I can't say it's likely anymore that's how it will play out. But if the Yankees really want to keep him, they have ways of making that happen.
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A-Rod
Jun 1, 2007 11:28:15 GMT -5
Post by sinctybldh on Jun 1, 2007 11:28:15 GMT -5
Jake, Toronto: Come on Starkie, let's deal with the real A-Rod question of the week....bush league play or smart baseball? Your take?
Jayson Stark: (12:18 PM ET ) I can't believe it took 14 minutes for somebody to ask this. I've been reading my unwritten-rule book for two days. And I think he broke one of those unwritten rules. It's a misdemeanor, not a felony. And I still think somebody should have caught the ball. But you just don't do what he did if you want people to think of you as classy, as a guy who respects the game and your opponents. And after you do it, you don't claim it happens "three or four times a week" -- because it doesn't. Not that particular play, anyway. And you don't claim you had already rounded the bag, because the video showed clearly that wasn't true. And you don't make up dumb rationales like, "I was just excited to be rounding third." That's the stuff that rubs people the wrong way about this guy. They know this stuff he's saying isn't true. And he knows it isn't true. And it just feeds into the image of this guy as never quite being genuine. If this was so acceptable, why did a laid-back guy like John McDonald get so fired up? It it was so acceptable, why didn't his teammates leap to his defense? Anybody have good answers to those questions?
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A-Rod
Jun 1, 2007 12:18:11 GMT -5
Post by mpep on Jun 1, 2007 12:18:11 GMT -5
The whining continues. I wonder what Stark's take on Rose running into Fosse is. I bet he's on record as saying it was a great baseball play and showed just how tough and cool Rose was.
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A-Rod
Jun 1, 2007 12:25:17 GMT -5
Post by philinla on Jun 1, 2007 12:25:17 GMT -5
it's unreal. And using McDonald's reaction is a false standard.
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A-Rod
Jun 1, 2007 12:31:23 GMT -5
Post by sinctybldh on Jun 1, 2007 12:31:23 GMT -5
Sean (Beverly,Ma): Given your take on the A-Rod mess, Do you see any retaliation this weekend toward him for the cheap shot to Pedrioia's groin last week? Is this something that the players talk about or just the unwritten rule that he will get a fastball in the ribs!
Jayson Stark: I don't know. It seems like this guy's a walking soap opera right now, so nothing would shock me. But what's more likely is that the Blue Jays do something next time they play. A scout said to me yesterday: "He's lucky he's not playing with the guys of 20 years ago. He'd get drilled every time up."
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A-Rod
Jun 1, 2007 12:31:38 GMT -5
Post by sinctybldh on Jun 1, 2007 12:31:38 GMT -5
Jordan (NJ): Hey Jayson, if it was a problem, the Umpire who was standing right there would have called him out. And A-Rod said he was rounding third when he noticed the ball dropped, not when he said something. Also, what about when a player is trying to steal, and the fielder makes believe the ball is going into the outfield? What about that? Or how about that whenever a runner is leading off a base, the fielder pumps his glove numerous times to make him think he is coming towards the bag? How about that one? Howie Clark is a Major League Third Baseman. If you're going to drop a ball because an opponent who you KNOW is running next to you screams HAH!, you shouldn't be playing the field. This is not about class, it never is, it's about winning baseball games, it's about having control. What about when Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, or Curt Schilling brush you off with chin music, that's classy?! Maybe you're right that no player should be doing that, but your argument takes way too many turns, and you fail to realize other aspects of the game that get over-looked. Everyone ni this world is an A-Rod hater, and truthfully, it's annoying. Everyone needs to get over themselves, and realize this is baseball. Live with it. (Probably too long to post, but I hope you read this.)
Jayson Stark: I recognize there are lots of permutations to this debate. And you bring up some good ones. Look, is it logical that so many forms of gamesmanship are accepted as OK and others aren't? No. But I've seen a lot of pop-ups head for the sky, and I can never recall seeing this. So how can he claim it happens three or four times a week?
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A-Rod
Jun 1, 2007 12:32:40 GMT -5
Post by sinctybldh on Jun 1, 2007 12:32:40 GMT -5
greg (toronto): What do you make of Arod's play: bush league or smart?
Jerry Crasnick: (1:08 PM ET ) Greg,
Judging from the way John McDonald and the Jays reacted, I lean more toward "bush league.'' A-Rod is a great player. But every time he tries to play the gritty, I'll-do-anything-to-win role, he just embarrasses himself.
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A-Rod
Jun 1, 2007 17:13:51 GMT -5
Post by pemoco on Jun 1, 2007 17:13:51 GMT -5
More proof that culturally Boston is closer to the Third World than the first: PRO BASEBALL: Light’s on, but nobody’s home By MIKE FINE The Patriot Ledger BOSTON - I know a lot of you don’t speak Yiddish, but whenever I hear the word ‘‘schlemiel,’’ I immediately think of Alex Rodriguez. See, A-Rod’s gotta be one of the biggest schlemiels in the history of Major League Baseball. He’s ‘‘a dolt who is a habitual bungler,’’ according to Dictionary.com. No, they didn’t write that definition with him in mind. It’s a shame, because A-Rod is also one of the greatest players to ever step foot on a baseball field, a two-time MVP who had the misfortune of signing the biggest contract ever, $252 million, courting the stares of zillions of people - and hundreds of strippers, apparently - and took on the onerous burden of becoming a New York Yankee at a time when their unquestioned dominance had begun to wane. That he couldn’t carry the Yankees on his back will be the bane of his existence. That he lives in an almost Barry Bonds-like fairy tale world, where he thinks all his teammates love him, makes you wonder if he’s all there. You’ve gotta wonder, anyway. This is a guy with all the tools, including a career .305 batting average and 483 home runs, and he can’t seem to catch a break. Even the smallest things on the field are magnified and thrown back at him like he’s an ax murderer rather than just a major leaguer who busts his butt and pays the price for an occasional dimwitted action. Like a car wreck, Sox fans will be watching him when he comes to Fenway for the weekend, hoping he does something, well, stupid. So we go back to Game 6 of the ALCS in 2004, when A-Rod is facing the Red Sox with one out and good buddy Derek Jeter on first base, a run having scored to pull the Yankees to within 4-2. A-Rod hits a weak grounder up the first base line. Bronson Arroyo fields the ball and tries to tag the runner, but A-Rod swats the ball out of his glove, a clear violation of the rules. But umpire Randy Marsh’s view is blocked by first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, and he rules that A-Rod is safe - even though he never touched the first base bag. The umpires huddle after Sox manager Terry Francona goes berserk, and they reverse their ruling. A-Rod is called out, and Jeter, who’d scored from first, is sent back. So this sets off Yankees manager Joe Torre, not to mention 55,000 Yankee Stadium fans, who begin showering the field with debris. Security people, including New York City police officers in riot gear, have to be called out and placed by the stands. The Red Sox win the game, 4-2. All A-Rod was doing was playing on instinct, and he almost set off a riot. ‘‘Junior high school baseball at its best,’’ said Curt Schilling at the time. ‘‘People in the media and fans don’t get the look that we get on the field.’’ Schilling said later, ‘‘There are things he’s done and said that I’ve heard, I’ve seen, that I have a huge problem with, and I think other guys do, too.’’ The taunting went on into the following spring training, when Trot Nixon picked up the banner and hurled it back at the Yankee third baseman, calling him ‘‘a clown.’’ Of course, A-Rod had some practice with these situations. Two months earlier, on July 24, in a heated game at Fenway Park, with players already frazzled because of a lengthy pre-game rain delay, A-Rod was hit by an Arroyo pitch in the third inning and had some words with catcher Jason Varitek. The two began a wicked nasty tussle by the plate, emptying the benches and setting off a full-fledged Tong war, Yankees pitcher Tanyon Sturtze had a choke hold on Gabe Kapler and David Ortiz took a whack at Sturtze, cutting his face. And, oh, by the way, the Red Sox won that game, 11-10, on a Bill Mueller two-run walk-off home run in the ninth. Fast forward to last week at Yankee Stadium, when A-Rod came into second base hard, trying to disrupt Dustin Pedroia’s double-play relay. Instead, he veered to his left and threw an elbow at Pedroia, spurring the soft-spoken rookie to criticize the veteran. Less than a week later, Rodriguez stepped in it again in Toronto, where he apparently said something as Toronto infielders Howie Clark and John McDonald let a popup fall to the ground. ‘‘All I said was, ‘Hah,’’’ A-Rod said after the play set off yet another firestorm. Funny thing is, this shouldn’t have been such a big deal, but this is Alex Rodriguez, y’know. A-Rod hasn’t even endeared himself to his own fans or teammates, none of whom backed him on that infield play Wednesday, most claiming playing the no-see, no-hear card. And his own home fans surely have been all over the guy for some bad stretches during the 2006 season, but to pin all the Yankees woes on one player, overpaid as he is, is a bit of a stretch. It’s just that the guy brings it on himself, and his mouth doesn’t help. ‘‘I’ve done a lot of special things in this game, and for none of that to be considered clutch, it’s an injustice,’’ he said a year ago. ‘‘I don’t take anything personally; I enjoy it, it motivates me and I think it’s comical. I think [for] anyone that drives in over 130 runs numerous times in his career, it’s impossible not to be clutch.’’ And this: ‘‘When people write (bad things) about me, I don’t know if it’s (because) I’m good-looking, I’m biracial, I make the most money, I play on the most popular team.’’ Sometimes, you just want to tell the guy, ‘‘zip it.’’ Sometimes, too, you’ve got to wonder what’s going through his head, like when he sunbathes in Central Park, when he spills his guts about his meetings with a psychologist, and especially when he’s seen entering a strip club and a hotel with a woman who is not his wife. To think the Red Sox were hot on the man’s heels, thinking they had a deal to sign him in Dec. 2003, before it fell apart thanks to the Players’ Association’s objections. It’s none of our business, all this personal dysfunction, but this is Alex Rodriguez. He’s kind of like some nutty character on ‘‘The Simpsons’’ (Troy McClure?), a cool, talented dude who really doesn’t have a clue. Yeah, a real schlemiel. ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2007/06/01/sports/sports01.txt
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A-Rod
Jun 2, 2007 12:43:58 GMT -5
Post by jumbo on Jun 2, 2007 12:43:58 GMT -5
Truth & RumorsClose MLB for Saturday, June 02 P Torre: A-Rod shouldn't have shouted Posted: Saturday June 02, 2007 06:46AM ET Politically, it would have been easy for Yankees Manager Joe Torre to defend Alex Rodriguez for distracting a Toronto fielder by shouting as he ran past him on the bases Wednesday night. But with two days to think about it, Torre admonished Rodriguez on Friday. "It's probably something he shouldn't have done," Torre said. --New York Times
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A-Rod
Jun 2, 2007 13:11:03 GMT -5
Post by philinla on Jun 2, 2007 13:11:03 GMT -5
Torre must have gotten dizzy after he got tossed last night. He went right back to being a pussy.
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A-Rod
Jun 2, 2007 16:18:29 GMT -5
Post by jumbo on Jun 2, 2007 16:18:29 GMT -5
I'm not concerned about how Joe views ARod's actions of Wednesday night. I am concerned that it took him two days to formulate an opinion.
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A-Rod
Jun 2, 2007 16:33:53 GMT -5
Post by stevej on Jun 2, 2007 16:33:53 GMT -5
I am really tired of the Arod soap opera.
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A-Rod
Jun 7, 2007 22:38:18 GMT -5
Post by philinla on Jun 7, 2007 22:38:18 GMT -5
He better retire as a Yankee!
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A-Rod
Jun 8, 2007 8:51:10 GMT -5
Post by The Other Mike T. on Jun 8, 2007 8:51:10 GMT -5
I wonder how long it will be until someone says A-Rod wouldn't have to hit all these 9th inning grand slams to win games if he was clutch!!1ll1!!11!! in the earlier innings.
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A-Rod
Jun 10, 2007 16:14:10 GMT -5
Post by philinla on Jun 10, 2007 16:14:10 GMT -5
"I'm taking my walks" ARod 6/10/07
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A-Rod
Jun 10, 2007 18:48:00 GMT -5
Post by David Goodman on Jun 10, 2007 18:48:00 GMT -5
Loved the obp. It helped that Matsui was good today too.
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A-Rod
Jun 10, 2007 19:22:15 GMT -5
Post by daveinbayonne on Jun 10, 2007 19:22:15 GMT -5
He's been walking and hitting HRs lately. That's a deathly combination for the opposition. MVP?
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A-Rod
Jun 10, 2007 19:52:32 GMT -5
Post by David Goodman on Jun 10, 2007 19:52:32 GMT -5
He's been walking and hitting HRs lately. That's a deathly combination for the opposition. MVP? No doubt in my mind.
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