After what's been a disappointing and frustrating season for ARod, on and off the field, could there actually be a scenario where ARod finishes his 10 year contract? If you like and believe Ian O'Connor, then there absolutely is a chance he is in Los Angeles within a few years. (Remember, O'Connor predicted ARod-to-the-Yanks long before it happened)Alex Rodriguez will be a member of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by the start of the 2011 season.
OK, maybe not the Angels, and maybe not 2011. But the point is, he won't be a Yankee for the duration of his 10-year, $275 million contract, not even close.
A-Rod has nine years to go on a deal that could clear $300 million if he breaks the career home-run record, a milestone he'll need about five healthy seasons to own. At the time the Steinbrenners forgave Rodriguez for his embarrassing cop-out of an opt-out in the middle of the World Series, they were quite interested in finally getting the Babe's old record back in pinstripes.
But the Yankees missed the playoffs this year for the first time since 1993, and Sunday night sure sounded like the beginning of A-Rod's end in the Bronx. During Yankee Stadium's closing ceremony, a moment for players past and present to be celebrated like never before, Rodriguez was the one Yank to draw some boos from the crowd.
No, it wasn't a full-throttle boo; the cheers slightly beat out the jeers. Only on this night, a night reserved for those who contributed to the 26 World Series titles, Rodriguez was cast as an outsider. If A-Rod has more talent in his non-throwing pinky finger than Scott Brosius has in his entire body, Brosius — a three-time champion — was still the third baseman showered with unmitigated love.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
ARod: Will he finish his career in NY?
Pretty interesting stuff. That's a higher profile writer going out on a limb and that's not all that common. I totally dig it.
Although, I can't see how it happens. Will the Angels be able to digest his contract? How much freight would the Yanks have to pay? Will the Yanks even want to send him to another AL team?
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I think the one factor that could lead to his being traded is this - what do they do with Jeter when he can no longer play shortstop? The logical move is to shift him to third, but then what of ARod? I know there has been mention of moving Jete to the OF but I just can't picture it.
Another factor is what happens in the next few years. Obviously, they are going to make a very VERY big and expensive push to win it all in the new stadium ASAP. So it stands to reason that they will be picking up some other stars, such as Mark Texeira (no time to look up the correct spelling!) which might ease the burden a bit. I know ARod will still be the lightning rod regardless of who else they get, but you just know that if they are winning, his failures won't be magnified as much as they've been over these past few years.
I kind of have a 'soft spot' in my heart for ARod, probably because I was saying that the Yankees ought to get him for close to a year before they did.
While he appears to be a fairly selfish player, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Man...Man...oh, I can't say his name but you know that guy who is always being himself...has shown. A selfish player can shoot for stats and, at the same time, help his team win. A selfish player can, on occasion 'put the team on his back'. And, a selfish player can have one of those 'big moments' in a key post season game that will make him a fan favorite.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not generally in favor of selfish players...I usually loathe them. My ideal player is, and always will be, Derek Jeter (embarassed by awards and big stats, only wants to win, plays 110%, etc.). HOWEVER, sometimes there are exceptions, as in all of life. And guys considered in the conversation of the best players in history are on that short list. He (generally) says the right things, works hard and understands the fans' perspective (eg "I'd boo me, too" and "When I perform they cheer, when I don't they boo...I know how it works."). Yankee fans LOVE our 'scrappy achiever' types, but we do understand baseball and won't hurt our chances by throwing away the best player in the game.
Personally, I have a feeling that he's going to have one of those moments and everyone will finally get off his back. Of course, he has to get off of his own back in order for that to happen, but I think it will. Hey...maybe in '09, it IS an odd number year!
I keep rooting for ARod but it's tough. I know many folks jab Yanks fans because we boo ARod, but you have to watch him day in, day out to both appreciate his skills and be frustrated by his failings.
He's too honest. He tries too hard. He cares about stats too much. He colors his hair too much. He defers too much.
He carried the team last year, almost singlehandedly. To the Playoffs. Not IN the playoffs. And however cruel and unfair that is, it is the barometer for which all Yanks are judged.
Yes, you can almost bet that there will be an MVP-worthy year next year (it being an odd year and all) for ARod.
A-Rod-hating is like wearing Crocs. Everyone with half a brain knows it's a bad idea but there are enough people too lazy to wear big-boy shoes to make it look quasi-legitimate.
A-Rod is currently having an MVP-caliber season but he puts up video game numbers so often that he's taken for granted (Pujols Disease). A .966 OPS should raise eyebrows no matter how highlighted your hair is.
Nobody is going to touch his contract in 2011 at the age of 35. O'Connor is out of his gourd.
"A-Rod-hating is like wearing Crocs"!?!?! The quote of the week, hands down!
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