Just a quick open note to ARod:Dearest Alex:
It's been quite a 2009 for you, hasn't it? You admitted using PED's back in your Texas days. You had a tell-all some book come out as well, though it clearly flopped due to a lack of interest (or facts). You returned to your team only to hit a dramatic home run in your first at-bat. Since then, your presence in the lineup has been a boon for Mark Teixeira but your struggles have only gotten worse.
I'm OK with you not being your typical "ARod self" on the field; heck, you are still recovering from hip surgery. I have enjoyed the fact that you have been here so far and there has been no news about you. You got back to playing and that's great. Just as you promised.
You've been struggling the last few weeks and recently ended an 0-16 slide. It happens. Your manager gave you two days off so you could rest up from fatigue. This is totally reasonable as you have played every game since your return. Here's my problem, Alex: If you are given a few days off to rest, please rest. Partying like a rock star with actresses in South Beach*, while fun (just a guess), only serves to highlight your narcissistic ways. Focus on the team and only the team. Please. There's an off-season to party your tail off.
This team needs you to be a reasonable facsimile of your previous self if it's going to contend for the post-season. When your manager gives you a few days off, rest up. Your team will thank you. So will Yanks fans.
Best wishes,
Jason
* Here's the lowdown on ARod's night out:It's not surprising that A-Rod is feeling a bit sluggish -- the wilting all-star was caught partying in South Beach with [Kate] Hudson, his main squeeze, in the wee hours yesterday morning.
The third baseman was seen leaving an exclusive party with the actress at around 2:30 a.m.
An update can be found here: Following up on ARod and his "fatigue"
Monday, June 22, 2009
Can you NOT do that right now?
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14 comments:
Forgive me, Jason, but suggesting that A-Rod was doing his best David Wells impression by leaving that party at 2.30am is over-the-top. If I am not mistaken, the Yankees played a night game on Saturday, meaning that he would have arrived at any event at or after midnight, and a late afternoon game on Sunday, meaning that there was plenty of time to rest before reporting to Dolphins Stadium.
JE:
No matter how much any David Wells reference makes me smile, I am not going to wink-wink it away merely because he had a late afternoon game the next day. Not when you are benched for "fatigue".
If it was a scheduled day off, fine. But when you are benched because you are "fatigued", then rest up.
Jason, you clearly have no idea about Kate's therapeutic powers! I know how even stopping by a party in South Beach looks for a guy benched for "fatigue", but, unless there is evidence that A-Rod was inebriated, then I cannot get too excited about the sighting.
JE:
I don't need a breathalyzer test result. While we're joking around about this, to me, the fact remains that he should have exercised a bit of common sense and simply skipped the night out. If Hudson is so therapeutic, she could have paid him a visit in his suite.
But to be seen leaving a party at 2:30am after benched for fatigue.... not good in my book.
You and I will agree to disagree then. For whatever it's worth, though, I got the dates wrong. Since the "incident" happened on a Saturday morning, then there was no game until the following evening, a game in which he was not going to start.
And here is Craig's take, by the way:
"Here's a comment: when your workday lasts from roughly 4pm-11pm like A-Rod's does, being out at 2:30am is the equivalent of you or me being out at 9pm or so. Why is this a big deal, especially given that it had already been announced that he wasn't playing on Saturday? I'd have a much bigger problem if he was spotted doing the hustle with his bum hip, but I'm guessing he just spent the evening sipping Courvoisier and lying to Hudson about how much he enjoys her films."
http://bases.newsvine.com/_news/2009/06/22/2955898-shocker-ballplayer-out-a-few-hours-after-work
The batter hitting behind Tex has no measurable influence on Tex's performance. This so-called "protection" effect, one of the favorite bromides of dipwad baseball announcers, was destroyed by careful statistical analysis twenty years ago. Consider Albert Pujols. The poor guy could have had a career if he'd only had someone hitting behind him to keep the pitchers honest.
Then why did Barry Bonds walk 100,000 times in his last 10 years?
Certainly not because any pitcher was worried about the guys hitting behind him.
I love it when people say something has been proven by statistics. Stephen Hawking just retracted his biggest theory, becasue the numbers proved it was wrong. Even thogh the numbers proved it was right.
You're absolutely right, why should you take my unsupported statement on faith? Chapter and verse of the research by Bill James and others are buried in boxes in the attic and it's too fricking hot to climb up there. In his first study, if I remember correctly, Bill James used Dale Murphy as one of his subjects, a guy who had indifferent "protection" during most, but not all of this best years in Atlanta. If you truly care the correctness of your views you'll do your own attic rummaging. It's too hot in these parts for me to do it.
And why wouldn't Barry Bonds walk ten gadzillion times? The only reason the opposing team would have pitched to him during his hat size 16XXX run is if there were a Doppelganger Barry Bonds with an equally large onion hitting behind him. Neither Tex nor Gay Roid ever was or ever will be equal to Barry Bonds.
Something not included in the A-Rod discussion is the fact that he was attending a private party that had been planned over a month in advance to celebrate the Yankees being in Miami to play the Marlins.
I view that as a little different than just heading out to a club to get your party on.
Being the guest at a private party with friends and associates for a few hours sounds more relaxing than fatiguing to me.
There was no mention of it being a "planned party" in the 2 paragraph blurb.
If my boss told me to stay home for 2 days because I was legitimately fatigued, I'd heed his/her "suggestion" and rest up. But that's just me.
Not being mentioned in the 2 paragraph blurb doesn't mean I'm not right.
Planning a Yankee/Marlin private party was mentioned on Twitter over a month ago.
It was to be held in the Blade Lounge in the Fountainbleau Hotel that is owned by a friend A-Rod's.
It was scheduled for after the game on Friday night a month before A-Rod knew he was going to be sitting out the game with "fatigue".
Anon:
Of course it doesn't mean you're not right (sorry for the double neg). But I did not have that tidbit handy when I write this this morning.
And I still maintain, if it was truly "fatigue" as opposed to a benching, then he should have begged out of the event. Then again, I don't get invited by starlets to VIP parties, so what do I know.
"Then again, I don't get invited by starlets to VIP parties, so what do I know."
Now, THAT'S news!!! ;-)
It "appears" a bad move because people allow themselves to have knee-jerk reactions to media whose job is to stir the pot.
I think if we're going to talk about PR gaffes then I guess the players who went out before a game they knew they were playing in should be the real PR gaffe, especially since they lost the game.
If I had the choice of who should go hang out, players who aren't playing and players who are, then I'm choosing the ones who aren't.
Now in reality it doesn't bother me that any of the players went out since the game starts at 7.
Even the harshest A-Rod critics have never doubted his dedication to preparation for the game.
So until he comes to the ballpark unable to play because he's too drunk, hungover or tired I'm going to go with the idea that he knows how much rest he needs.
And his fatigue is more about hip fatigue and not "he needs bed rest" fatigue.
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