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I understand the fishbowl of NYC; the Yanks, the fans, the media. It's a tough place to play and yes, A-Rod needs to be tough. I understand he's a perennial All-Star and last years' MVP. Now that that has been said, it's only July. There's plenty of season left. His numbers aren't A-Rod like, but he still leads the Yanks in runs scored and has driven in 72 runs - it's not like he's not producing at all. This is in a makeshift lineup as well, with injuries and missed time to just about the entire starting lineup at one point or another in the season. There's no Sheffield hitting in front of him and Matsui hitting 2 spots behind to take some of the pressure to produce off of him. His strikeout numbers are bad, doubles numbers down, and his errors are high. So what? He has to just play through them and work through them.
As for the brilliant minds that want to trade him, let start with the easy one first.
1. He has a no trade clause in the contract, meaning he would have to agree to be moved. Not going to happen. He wants to be the best in the league in the biggest market on the winningest team in baseball history.
2. Who could afford him? He's still got the $25 million a year thing going on. The Boss can afford it; few others could absorb that and still field a viable team around him.
3. Who do you trade him for? He's one of the top 3 players in the game today and it's just silly to even begin to think of giving away one of the top 3 talents in baseball, but if you were to do it what could you get that would be equal compensation? Mind you, you play with fire when you try to do one of those 4-5 players for one deals - the league frowns on it and if it takes you 4-5 players to make up for one, you messed up by getting rid of him in the first place. No team would give up that many players during the regular season either. The only person of more talent currently is Pujols - think he's leaving St. Lou? Doubt it. Yanks need pitching, but A-Rod for Johan Santana? Not happening. Zito? Not even a close trade - Zito and Swisher isn't even fair.
So put the trade rumors to rest, calm down with the rhetoric and the boos. A-Rod will be back, like Tiger, and people will have to swallow their words...

I have to agree that they should lay off of him, and that he won't (shouldn't) be traded. But for the number 2 reason, plenty could afford him. The Texas Rangers already pay a large amount of his salary, and if he were traded, then the yanks would pick up another part. He would actually be pretty cheap (for a player of his standards)

Boo him every chance you get.

1. He has a no trade clause in the contract, meaning he would have to agree to be moved. Not going to happen. He wants to be the best in the league in the biggest market on the winningest team in baseball history.

A Rod would walk to whomever would trade for him. This is a prime example of bad fans. You have the second best player in baseball but you make him feel like an outcast! Anyone remember Chuck Knoblauch????????

I've been a Yankees fan all my life, although not a rabid one. I don't live and die with their performance. I wasn't high on Arod when the Yankees got him, but since he's been on the team he's done a few things that irk me.

He got into the scuffle with Varitek of the Red Sox a few years ago and woke them from their "slumber." After that game, which they eventually won, they began playing some of their best baseball.

But, for the most part he's aquitted himself pretty well on and off the field. He doesn't cause much controversy (except for playing Poker), he's not a bat thrower or an ump-baiter. He hustles in the field. Until recently he's played a pretty stellar 3rd base and has a gun for an arm (which may need a minor "aiming" adjustment now). He was last year's AL MVP.

I could care less how much money he makes - that is his business and its not coming out of my pocket. I don't go to the Stadium and contribute to Mr. Steinbrenner. What does get my goat is when I constantly hear he's the best player in baseball, a sure-fire 1st ballot HOF'er, has the most natural ability of anyone in the game, is going to break Henry Aaron's HR record, etc... All I want from the guy is a clutch base hit! I see Ortiz on Sports Center almost every night winning a game in the 9th inning with a clutch HR or base hit. I want to see Arod on Sports Center winning a game!

As much as he frustrates me I refuse to boo him. I think the effort is there, just something is out of synch right now.

Here is a GREAT related column by one of our local sports radio show hosts!

http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSo...ticleid=149971

I love it!!!

Don't know how any Red Sox fan, writer, or anyone affiliated could DISlike the concept of A-Rod hitting ball after ball over the Green Monster. That short porch would be heaven for him and the team.
No one could predict any of this, so this article is purely homer speculation, and that's cool. Fact remains that while A-Rod is struggling and people are booing and he's not clutch this season, who is in your top 3 baseball players in the game today? And how do you just give up on that talent? The booing is New York; and while it's ridiculous, I understand New York - it's not ungrateful fans (like in Philly,apparently...), it's NYC and the Yanks and more is expected, especially at that price tag. The booing doesn't help but it's the only way they know there. Last season, A-Rod struggled coming out of the gate. Through May he was not hitting well. Then he hit his stride and came up large through the rest of the season. It's just happening later and following him onto the field now. They need a long road trip and he'll come back strong.
I don't know that the scuffle with Varitek woke up the Sox 2 years ago, but saying that's why they won is like saying the Bartman kid (foul ball incident) in Chicago is the reason the Cubs lost (don't forget Gonzalez with the nice E after that), or that Buckner is the reason the Sox lost in '86 (while that has some legs, they had another game to play. If they as professionals couldn't pick back up and do their jobs, they shouldn't be in the game). The Yanks lost 4 consecutive games in the ALCS. That's why they lost; that's unfathomable and inexcusable and has as much to do with their pitiful pitching situation that lingers still as anything. Why can't they find a single pitcher who can consistently win 16-20 games a season with that offensive lineup? Also when do they decide that Sheffield is done? Nice offensive pop, but not for 60 games a season at that salary. There are too many Grady Sizemore's and Alex Rios's out there to waste more time and money on guys whose time has passed.

My time is up... the soapbox is yours... for now.

There is no doubt that A-Rod is one of the best players in the game, but it is no suprise he catches such a bad wrap all the time.

1. Plays for the "Evil Empire". Majority of people dislike the juggernaught teams with the highest payroll....except for the New York fans and all of your local bandwagoners. (disclaimer!-I don't personally dislike the Yankees.)

2. He is one of the highest paid players in the game. That is scrutiny by itself.

3. New York media/fans can be downright brutal. He could hit 450 for the rest of year and have 10 game winning RBI singles and the fans in New York would think that is what he should be doing all year...no matter what.

4. We have to hear about it CONSTANTLY. Everyday I listen to ESPN, which is East Coast bias anyways, and all you hear is A-ROD, A-FRAUD, blah, blah, blah. If you didn't have an opinion about A-ROD in the first place, they just tattoo how big of a deal its supposed to be directley in your subconcience, till you have an opinion.

5. And that opinion is easily negative because A-Rod is easily disliked by the average sports fan. He is robotic, cold, and is bent on self-perfection. Do you really think he wants to win the World Series for his team. No, it is a personal acheivement he wants for himself more so than anything. Not that there is anything wrong with that....those are the people who are the best at what they do, but he wants to go down in the records books as the best player in the game....ever. That doesn't draw the best emotions out people sometimes.

But hey, more power to him. I personally like a player with ice in veins. I like to see players crush the opposition and savor each gasp of the enemies last breath. He just better find what ever made him that player over the span of his career and apply it soon. That "what ever" seperates him from being one of the best....to the best player in the game. That's all that matters to him.

It's NY. That's just the way it is there. Right or wrong is irrelevant. It's about winners & losers. A-Rod knew the score before he signed the contract. The NY fans booing him is no more right or wrong than him getting paid $25M to play baseball or whatever it is he's getting. If he doesn't like it, he can ask to be traded to a less demanding environment. There is no crying in baseball. Suck it up and get it together or move on. The thing that gets me is I didn't even know about this story until just the other day. We've been pretty occupied, baseball-wise, with the Tigers and their rivals. I knew that A-Rod was not having a stellar year, but until last week I didn't know that his off-year, and the fact that Yankee fans are being mean to him, was the biggest story this side of the Middle East crisis.

I forgot to include this in my last post, but he will never be the equiv to Jeter, no matter how long and hard he plays. He will always be number 2 in New York so he need not worry about "public persona". Just get back to playing so great, that no one can deny you.....Kinda like a golfer I know.

Bring him to the Lou'! We will treat him right! All we have to do is slide Eckstien to second and get Bill Dewitt off of his wallet!

I wouldn't mind that , I don't think it would cost them any more than Pujols gets, with Texas picking up a good portion of the salary, and the Yanks would as well, they might even be able to get by with giving him less than 10 mil (not sure how much the rangers are paying now, but I thought I heard 10 mil, and he makes about 25 total, so the yanks are only paying 15, get them to pick up 8 mil of that, and your down to 7, wishful thinking, and I probably am way off with the numbers cause I don't get that involved in that part of baseball, but it sounds good in my mind )

I'd have to say a lot of it has to do with his contract. A-Rod's was 10 years, $252 million. The guy makes $500,000 a WEEK. Jeter's, by contrast (if you can call it that), is 10 years $180 million dollars.

Personally, if I had been A-Rod, I would have said to Scott Boras (his agent) after Jeter signed his deal, "get me $175 for 10 years, no more." That way you don't have that label around your neck all the time.

I think it stinks for baseball in general that A-Rod got sent to the Yankees - he's the best shortstop on that team. The deal to send him to the Red Sox got nixed because of too much defered money, but the fact that the commissioner's office signed off on sending him to the Yankees is just garbage.

Right, but if A-Rod never went to NYY, we would have never been able to witness THIS...



I laugh like crazy every time I look at that picture. It's almost as funny as A-Rod and his big Hamburger Helper glove trying to cheat his way onto first base by swatting the ball out of Arroyo's glove.

pitching, except for closing , they really need pitching, for the past three years they've needed it. one man doesn't make a team.