Here we go again!! Alex Rodriguez is going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer once his career ends, ring or no ring. I cannot stand how low the Yankees have gone to bashing a player like ARod who has done nothing but try his best, even in one of the worst slumps of his career. He goes into a "slump" and is basically dismissed. Jason Giambi was taking steriods and ended up giving a half-assed apology, while never admitting anything, and this guy is welcomed with open arms. Give me a break, people may say that ARod didn't have a great season but here's a guy that's hitting .286 has 34 home runs with 101 RBIs and 106 runs scored. ARod has put himself in a class all of his own. A player that even with a line like that, is not playing up to snuff. But as I recall, didn't the Yankees still win the A.L for the 9th straight year and may have home field advantage? My Mets won the N.L. for the first time since 1988 and by no means are we taking this for granted unlike the Yankees, that have taken for granted having a player that will most likely, if he keeps the pace that he's on, finish his career with at least 800 home runs. How can, as a fan, knowingly having the one of the greatest baseball players on your teams, be this spoiled? DAMN YANKEES!!!
Sh*t. The Rod had thought he had been hated on in every possible way. "You're not clutch, Rod." "You strike out too much, Rod." "You suck in October, Rod." The other day the Rod ordered a turkey sandwich in a deli, and the counter guy said, "Pfft. A true Yankee would have gotten the pastrami." But losin' your sh*t 'cause a cat's wearin' a suit at 1 AM? Let the Rod ask you a question: the Rod hears a knock on his hotel door after midnight. Who is the Rod gonna assume it is? That's right: B*tches. Now, the Rod didn't remember orderin' no b*tches, but it has been known to happen that ladies have been known to find their way to the Rod's hotel room without him even asking for them. This is one of the reasons the Rod loves America. So, anyway, when some b*tches knock on the Rod's door, he feels that it's his obligation to look his best. The Rod used to answer the door for ladies wearing the best-looking, most valuable suit he owns: the one he was born in. But then there was that time when the Rod forgot that he ordered room service, and that was just uncomfortable for everybody. (The Rod don't mind people gettin' a look at the Staff, but if you just charged him $22 for a cheeseburger and fries, he don't feel like givin' you anything extra.) So after that, the Rod always wears an Armani (herringbone or checked, usually--no pinstripes) under his pajamas for just such an emergency. But the Rod definitely didn't expect to have no baseball executives knockin' on his door. Actually, the Rod at first figured this kid was some high-schooler whose girlfriend the Rod had banged--the Rod gets into these confrontations more often than you'd believe--so he was ready for trouble, but they told me, no, he was general manager of the Red Pants, or whatever. (The Rod can barely keep track of the team he's on; you can't expect him to remember all these other teams they keep makin' up all the time.) The Rod doesn't know when they started giving out baseball teams as graduation presents, but okay. Still, though--the Rod ain't expecting to have to deal with baseball business after midnight. The Rod ain't a doctor or something, where you gotta be on call 24/7. Nobody calls up the Rod in the middle of the night and says, "Rod, it's an emergency, we need you to get out here and hit some line drives." As for the rest of this sh*t--last time the Rod checked (which he does every ten minutes), he had 116 RBIs. Fifth-most in whatever league the Rod plays in. Most on his team, matter of fact. Now, the Rod remembers when he was growin' up, how RBIs were supposed to be better than Jesus combined. "George Bell's got an assload of RBIs--course he's the MVP." "Look at Joe Carter's RBIs! He's the best player in baseball!" RBIs would heal the sick and raise the dead. Why, when the Rod was in fourth grade, most of his friends discovered jerkin' off by spankin' it to Don Mattingly's RBI totals. True story. (The Rod didn't get into that, since he was already bangin' two college girls and an underwear model by that point.) Even the past couple years, all the Rod heard was, "Oh, David Ortiz kicks the Rod's ass--check out all the RBIs he's got." But now that the Rod's got more RBIs than most every other motherf*cker, all the haters are like, "Oh, those RBIs are all meaningless runs. The Rod isn't clutch. RBIs aren't a good way to measure his production." Riiiight. Anyway, now the Rod's got a ready made response to all the hatin'. Somebody tells him, "Rod, you suck!", he'll just come back with "116 RBIs, f**kbag." "But you're not clutch--" "116 RBIs." "But I--" "116 RBIs." "You--" "116 RBIs." In fact, from now on, that's all the Rod's gonna say. "Hi, I'm the Rod, nice to meet you, 116 RBIs. I'll have a turkey sandwich, no mayo, 116 RBIs. Hey, nice implants, here's the Rod's room key, 116 RBIs." If people don't like that, well, they can just get down on their knees and suck the Rod's big 116 RBIs. That's all the Rod has to say for now, 116 RBIs, but he'll be back next 116 RBIs. Have a nice 116 RBIs.
Which one of us just had the aneurysm?
BornIcon: I'm guessing you didn't notice I linked to that "the Rod" comedy bit back here. And if you are going to repeat someone's comment from another website, you should really give them credit.
They are jocks and they are rich, a bad combination almost always when it comes to social skills. Leave him alone, he is only being consistant with the basic "jock" stereotype. I'm guessing you haven't read a single thing about ARod if you think he meets the "jock" stereotype. He's polite. He's well-spoken. He doesn't bad-mouth his teammates. He doesn't swear at the media when they get on him about a slump. He doesn't speak about himself in the 3rd person.
Which one of us just had the aneurysm? The correct answer is D. Everyone
Part of the problem I see with Alex Rodriguez is that he is always in the lineup against the Twins. I think the solution to many of the problems, criticisms, and accusations leveled at him is for him to not be in the lineup when the Yankees play the Twins. Yeah, I bet things would be a lot easier for him, he would be more accepted and understood if he was not in the lineup on those Yankees-Twins days. That is really all he has to do to make things better: not play when the Yankees play the Twins.
last time the Rod checked (which he does every ten minutes), he had 116 RBIs. Fifth-most in whatever league the Rod plays in. Perfect......I think that sums it all up.
I think the worst you can say about A-Rod is that his hits and breakout games come when the team does not need it as much. This fits in perfectly with the premise of the article. He's more relaxed in blowout situations, and is thus more effective. He thinks too much and tries too hard in clutch situations, and thus strikes out.
Here is a response to the article from a writer at the NY Sun.
I think the "24 kids" (at least how I took the comment) was meaning that he expected Texas to bring in a lot more veteran, proven players around him in an effort to win immediately. Right. At some point in the negotations around a quarter of a billion dollars, it's likely A-Rod and Boras discussed the future direction of the team. Agreed. And I also know that young players are referred to as "kids" in a good-hearted nature. But when you couple it with the quote I posted earlier about having to go back to the losing, it comes off as Arod not wanting to waste his time with a bunch of youngsters. Did he think that was beneath him? And as for the accuracy of Rodriguez's claim, it's bullshit. 2001 (finished 73-89) -- ARod, IRod, Rafael Palmeiro, Andres Gallaraga, Ruben Sierra with Ps Kenny Rogers, Rick Helling and Darren Oliver 2002 (finished 72-90) -- IRod, Palmeiro, Juan Gonzalez, Carl Everett with Ps Kenny Rogers, Chan Ho Park, Ismael Valdez and Dave Burba 2003 (finished 71-91) -- Gonzalez, Palmeiro, Everett with Ps John Thomson and Park (injured). This team also included Mark Texiera (26-84-.259), Michael Young (14-72-.306), Hank Blalock (29-90-.300) Now, here's the next year without Rodriguez: 2004 (finished 89-73) -- Texiera, Blalock, Young, Kevin Mench with Ps Kenny Rogers, Ryan Drese (in the organization in 2003), Park and Francisco Cordero (in the organization in 2003). It also included Alfonso Soriano, but it's not fair to count him. I think it's pretty clear ARod did have veterans around him for two of his three years and they sucked anyway. In the third year, the Rangers moved toward a youth movement which paid off big-time in 2004 -- right after Alex couldn't stand being with "24 kids" and "the losing" and had to get out. To be fair, Tom Hicks was anxious to move him after signing him to such a ridiculous contract, but still, Rodriguez is the one who opened his mouth and said these things. Did ARod have a better chance at a ring going to the Yankees? Of course he did. Did he need to slag his former teammates on the way out? No, he didn't. On preview: I pretty much agree with Grum's linked article, although for better or worse the media has become a tool used by teams to motivate sluggards and malcontents. If Giambi and Torre had already said all this stuff to his face, and it still wasn't sinking in, maybe this is their last-ditch effort to light a fire in ARod's britches.
And as for the accuracy of Rodriguez's claim, it's bullshit. Wow. That is a bit disgenuous on A-Rod's part. Or at least poorly put. Thanks.
It's true, though, who would ever want to leave a team with Ismael Valdez, Dave Burba, Darren Oliver and Chan Ho Park in it's pitching rotation. Especially since A-Rod was chipping in with 156 homers and 395 RBI (all in meaningless situations, since that's what Texas games always were) through the 2001-2003 stretch. The Rangers have generally always been, and probably always will be, a team that plays .500 during what usually amounts to their good years, and several games below .500 most other times. Their lineup is the epitome of meaningless stats over the years, because you're right. They had young players who put up some big numbers, but as is the case even today, they can't translate that into wins. A-Rod had a chance to go to the Yanks, after almost going to Boston, which are two teams who obviously are usually in the thick of it. People bash a guy like Palmiero who racked up stats on poor teams and seemed to be happy not having to do it for a winning team. A-Rod wants to play for a winner. That's what I like to see in a high-paid athlete.
A-Rod wants to play for a winner. That's what I like to see in a high-paid athlete. I'd rather see a high-paid athlete make a team a winner, rather than go where they are already winning without him.
Uhh....we'll take him. Tom in So. Cal...Halos
Um, with all the argument, we wouldn't mind him in Chicago. The Cubs never mind publicity.
They had young players who put up some big numbers, but as is the case even today, they can't translate that into wins. No, it didn't translate into wins at all the next season when they went 89-73.
Are millionaires' aloud to use the race card?
No, it didn't translate into wins at all the next season when they went 89-73. Good enough for third place in the division, then it was back to finishing under .500 the following year. The Yankees, meanwhile, were winning 101 games. Face it, the Rangers, as an organization, have never, and probably will never, be able to build a team with good enough pitching to win and become a playoff team. Many other teams get into the postseason, but Texas doesn't. Even when they had all that great young talent and A-Rod left, along with his gigantic contract, they still can't find pitching. Maybe they should raid some of the Florida Marlins scouts.
Face it, the Rangers, as an organization, have never, and probably will never, be able to build a team with good enough pitching to win and become a playoff team. Yah, that's a bit silly to say. I'm sure the same thing was said of the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians in the 1980s, or the Blue Jays in the 1970s.
Yah, that's a bit silly to say. Until they prove otherwise, it's not that silly. Dumping A-Rod's contract should have put them in position to fill several needs. They failed, and when they do put a decent staff together, then it won't be such a ridiculous statement.
Good enough for third place in the division, then it was back to finishing under .500 the following year. Third place that year was a whole three games back. What a bunch of losers! Face it, the Rangers, as an organization, have never, and probably will never, be able to build a team with good enough pitching to win and become a playoff team. They have been to the ALDS three times in the last ten years.
ARod's lost speech to his teammates after clinching the AL East title.
They have been to the ALDS three times in the last ten years. But sadly, we are oh-for-the-21st century...
