shawn306 Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2007/03/15/2007-03-15_greed_between_the_lines-4.html Greed between the lines 'Loyal' A-Rod just after cash BY BILL MADDEN DAILY NEWS SPORTS COLUMNIST Thursday, March 15th 2007, 4:00 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAMPA - Just when we thought the circus might finally have left Yankee spring training and been replaced by a tranquil, business-like routine, Alex Rodriguez manages to get himself all over the back pages again - and for all the wrong reasons again. Rodriguez, who can't seem to shut up - at least when it comes to talking about himself and all his travails and options - was at it again as a willing guest on WFAN'S "Mike and the Mad Dog" show on Tuesday, and, as usual, every time A-Rod opened his mouth, Scott Boras' words came out. As with just about all of the Avenging Agent's clients, it is always about what's good for them and never about what's good for the team. A-Rod says he wants to forever remain a Yankee in the context of discussing the opt-out clause in his contract at the end of this season. He challenges the fans and the Yankees to make it worth his while to stay here, to always remain a Yankee, after this season. But even when he says he wants to remain a Yankee, it is with the understanding that he will still exercise that option so the Yankees can bestow even more riches upon him in the form of an eight-year extension and another $160 million-170 million. Otherwise, he won't remain a Yankee forever. No, what this is, is the initial A-Rod/Boras push for a contract extension. This for a guy who has never won anything here, or anywhere else for that matter. Boras' entire career as baseball's most successful agent has been built on what White Sox chairman of the board Jerry Reinsdorf dubbed the "one dumb owner" theory and, in this case, they are banking on the Yankees stepping up and assuming that mantle. Before Rodriguez wheedled his way out of Texas - where it took him just three years to discover that the $252 million the idiot owner gave him there couldn't buy championships or happiness - A-Rod/Boras played the same me-first ("I want to stay here, but...") mind game with his first major league employer, the Seattle Mariners, and their fans. Now, seven years later, A-Rod professes to have been happiest during his days in Seattle with Lou Piniella as his manager. That, in case you missed it, was last week's "all about me" A-Rod back page. What for next week? Another sunbathing beefcake photo shoot, this one perhaps at Busch Gardens instead of Central Park? A-Rod's problem, from the moment he signed with Seattle as the first pick in the 1993 draft, is that he has never allowed his talent to do his talking for him - as, say, Derek Jeter has. Rather, if there has been one overriding aspect about him, it's his insecurity, and Boras has preyed on that. All that stuff about Jeter "not being the guy you worry about" in Esquire Magazine in 2001? A product of Boras forever telling A-Rod how great he is and how much money he's worth. And, with Boras, it is always about the money. God forbid any of his clients should take less money to go to a team with a better comfort zone - the latest example being J.D. Drew, who had the same kind of opt-out clause in his contract with the L.A. Dodgers last year and exercised it, leaving $33 million on the table only to - surprise of surprises - get a five-year, $70 million deal from the Red Sox. Although that deal reeked of tampering, the Dodgers decided not to press the issue, probably because they had had their fill of Drew's penchant for getting hurt and being what Tony LaRussa called "an 80%" guy. Drew's style was perfect for laid-back L.A. but isn't going to play well in Boston. As part of his "loyalty pledge" to the Yankees on Tuesday, A-Rod also dropped the line that "five or six clubs" were acknowledged to have interest in him. Presumably, he was basing that on rumored trade feelers Yankee GM Brian Cashman got for him this winter. Considering we are only 3-1/2weeks into spring training and A-Rod has been on the back page three times, all for the same sort of "all about me" issues that have made him the outsider and a divisive force in the Yankee clubhouse since he got here, you wonder if Cashman might now have some second thoughts about not pressing A-Rod/Boras harder about trading him last winter. Because this isn't going to end. Just like in Texas - where it was forever A-Rod-plus-24 and in the end the Rangers couldn't wait to get rid of him - he is going to continue to be a source of unwanted controversy here. He is what Boras has made him to be, an entity unto himself. Of the "Mike and the Mad Dog" interview, Rodriguez said: "They were asking crazy questions....I don't know what I said." Right. He wanted the attention. It had, after all, been almost a week. "At some point New York is going to say 'I've had enough of this guy and get him the hell out of here,'" A-Rod said in referring again to the option. You know what? New York may be very close to that point already. He's been here three years now and all three years the Yankees have crapped out in the postseason, in no small part because of his failures. Only Boras - knowing full well there probably is another dumb owner out there - would have the chutzpah to maintain that that deserves another $80-90 million for A-Rod. A-Rod can say all he wants out of one side of his mouth about wanting to be a Yankee for life, but make no mistake - he is absolutely going to exercise that opt-out clause, leaving three years, $81 million on the table as Drew did. And when he does, the Yankees should remember all the divisiveness and distractions he has brought to Joe Torre's clubhouse, and gladly send him on another mercenary venture into the free-agent market. Scott Boras wouldn't have it any other way. bmadden@nydailynews.com It only takes one Alex Rodriguez and Scott Boras just need "one dumb owner" to make opting out of his Yankee contract worth their while. Here are a few suckers, er, candidates, A-Rod and Boras can turn to: Arte Moreno, Angels He Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFJF Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I can't wait for the day when this guy is out the door. Please exercise that out clause Alex...PLEASE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Newsflash A-Rod: Most Yankees fans have wanted you gone long before this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nyjunc Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 All he has to do is come through in october and all will be forgiven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I've really tried to be an Arod fan. I want him to do well. I believe he could carry the team for periods of time, as the really good players do. I'm getting tired of waiting for him to do it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L.I.MikeBleedsGreen Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 The Cancer has begun to spread to the hearts of the spankee fans. Looks like were losing them "Get the paddles" CLEAR....(Zap)....CLEAR Cancer seems to be headed for the Stomach were it's Stirring Sh!t up. GO C-Rod GO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barton Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 The guy just doesnt understand - SHUT THE FACK UP Go out there, play your 3rd base, go up to bat etc etc. Just STFU and stop talkin about yourself, you ****. If we dont win the WS, he's out of here, and all those who said I was a tool for wanting him traded this past offseason will shut their yaps. We probably should have gotten rid of this dumba## when we had the chance - who knows, maybe we unload him at the AS break if this saga continues, does he have a no trade clause? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbn007 Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 All A-Rod has to do is play up to his talent. For a guy with all his Baseball "gifts", he seems incapable of doing so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BP Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 All he has to do is come through in october and all will be forgiven. NO..All he has to do is have some productive outs in October and all will be forgiven..that's something he can never do in big spots where all we need is a fly ball or move the runner over..he strikes out way too much in crucial situations..and hardly ever has productive outs..it's all or nothing..that's why he gets booed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GimmeShelter Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 The guy just doesnt understand - SHUT THE FACK UP Go out there, play your 3rd base, go up to bat etc etc. Just STFU and stop talkin about yourself, you ****. If we dont win the WS, he's out of here, and all those who said I was a tool for wanting him traded this past offseason will shut their yaps. We probably should have gotten rid of this dumba## when we had the chance - who knows, maybe we unload him at the AS break if this saga continues, does he have a no trade clause? Yes he has a no trade clause. If he leaves it will be for $$$$ as a free agent next winter. The sad part is that barring a monster season, which I believe he will have, the Yanks will get nothing should ARod opt out of his contract. That clause is not Cashman's fault as it was part of ARod's Texas contract. I wonder if Soriano chuckles when he sees the ARod situation as he too was given some grief by Yankee fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbn007 Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Yes he has a no trade clause. If he leaves it will be for $$$$ as a free agent next winter. The sad part is that barring a monster season, which I believe he will have, the Yanks will get nothing should ARod opt out of his contract. That clause is not Cashman's fault as it was part of ARod's Texas contract. I wonder if Soriano chuckles when he sees the ARod situation as he too was given some grief by Yankee fans. Sori is busy counting the money the Cubbies dumped on him. He has no time to worry about others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.