All A-Rod talk here
- Thread starter CoRP
- Start date
Here's hoping opposing teams give him plenty more of those 89 mph batting practice strikes.luckiestman said:
The Yankee twitter feed somehow failed to mention ARod's home run, despite sending numerous updates throughout the game.
"In fact, a look back at the Yankees’ account shows that aside from his name being mentioned in the starting lineup, A-Rod hasn’t been cited in any tweet all spring, even when he had a hit in his first at-bat since 2013."
"In fact, a look back at the Yankees’ account shows that aside from his name being mentioned in the starting lineup, A-Rod hasn’t been cited in any tweet all spring, even when he had a hit in his first at-bat since 2013."
Their feed is run by MLBAM and not a team employee, so it would be MLB behind this and not the Yankees. But of course, let's start up a controversy!
cromulence said:
Yeah, it says that in the article. It also says the twitter feed hasn't mentioned ARod all spring except in lineup tweets. So clearly the person running the feed isn't a big fan of ARod. DIdn't mean to imply it was Yankees ownership doing this.
Well, MLBAM is HQ'd in NYC and they also run the YES Network website so let's not pretend like there isn't a client/vendor relationship between the two entities.
Conspiracy theories aside, it is really weird there was no mention of Rodriguez' home run. I saw it live and it was a damn nice swing.
Conspiracy theories aside, it is really weird there was no mention of Rodriguez' home run. I saw it live and it was a damn nice swing.
I forgot how talented the SOB is. He walked and singled today, made a backhand 3-1 play at first base. First game on the other side of infield. Played four innings. Third game in three days.
Lots of talk so far about who ARod looks much better than everyone expected. He's handled 1B pretty well with almost no experience and his slash line of .250/.357/.458 (129 wRC+) looks pretty good. However, his peripherals don't exactly offer encouragement. He's rocking a .417 BABIP, a 39.3% strike out rate, and a swinging strike rate of 15.7%. Obviously it's April and he only has 28 PAs, but his these rates are certainly something to watch going forward.
Yeah he was adequate but definitely didn't seem very comfortable. He'll probably be fine filling in once in a while but he's no Tino, Mattingly or Giambi.
A-Rod's first HR tonight was the longest in MLB so far this year (471 feet) and his second was the hardest hit of the year (115.3 MPH exit velocity).
His game-winning single in the 8th was just as impressive, a tough seven pitch AB against a pitcher he was 0-8 for before (Jepsen), ending with a cleanly lined hit to right-center to score the go-ahead run with two outs.
He is 5th in the AL with a 1.214 OPS, just ahead of Miguel Cabrera. Safe to say no one expected this.
His game-winning single in the 8th was just as impressive, a tough seven pitch AB against a pitcher he was 0-8 for before (Jepsen), ending with a cleanly lined hit to right-center to score the go-ahead run with two outs.
He is 5th in the AL with a 1.214 OPS, just ahead of Miguel Cabrera. Safe to say no one expected this.
jon abbey said:
I'm sort-of enjoying A-Rod's good start. As a Sox fan, I'm glad I don't have to root for him, but I'm sure he's making Hank and Hal uncomfortable. I hope they are forced to pay him some of his milestone bonuses if he has an awesome year.
I believe he's only a couple away from a $6 million bonus.
If press reports are to be believed, the Yankees will withhold the bonus and litigate the matter. So the ARod circus will provide endless entertainment no matter the success of the Yanks.
If press reports are to be believed, the Yankees will withhold the bonus and litigate the matter. So the ARod circus will provide endless entertainment no matter the success of the Yanks.
If he is this good without (we presume) PEDs, at age 39, why the hell did he think he needed them in the first place? It's not like Lance Armstrong, who rose to another level with his usage. Alex is similar to Bonds, a HOF player who turned to PEDs for reasons of ego.
The guy is a mystery forever. And he's probably giving a urine sample this afternoon.
The guy is a mystery forever. And he's probably giving a urine sample this afternoon.
Definitely a mystery! I wonder whether the year off gave A-Rod the chance to rest his hips and fully heal. Of course, he's not much of a fielder right now, but he can definitely hit.
terrynever said:
Let's see how long it lasts. This could be just shades of Tino Martinez's 2005.
He could be gassed by June.
He has a .438 BABIP, a 40% HR/FB rate, and he's striking out almost 33% of the time. My guess is these are the salad days, and some day soon the dressing will run out.
Is it possible that even clean, years of PED usage have left him in better shape than he would've been otherwise?
Why do we presume he is without PEDs? He never failed a test, did he? And yet they got evidence of his use. Also, as suggested above, I have seen some doctors arguing that PEDs linger in the body for years. Nellie Cruz, anybody?terrynever said:
I think it is very unlikely that ARod is still using. He wants to get paid. Why risk that? His legacy is already tarnished and he is on his last contract.
As far as PEDs helping players years after they stopped using, that sounds plausible, assuming muscle mass is easier to maintain than build. Build mass with PEDs and maintain without.
Don't know if that assumption is correct though.
As far as PEDs helping players years after they stopped using, that sounds plausible, assuming muscle mass is easier to maintain than build. Build mass with PEDs and maintain without.
Don't know if that assumption is correct though.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's using something, hitting his longest HR in 9 years when he is 40 seems at least a bit odd. To be fair, I also wouldn't be surprised if almost anyone else in baseball was using.
What's the status of baseball testing for HGH?
What's the status of baseball testing for HGH?
Just wait until A-Rod is the obvious pick as the MFY representative at the All-Star Game! Heads will explode...
I'm not surprised that he's hitting well. He's always been a great hitter. I'm mostly surprised that he's playing at all. With all of the cheating, lying and ridiculous behavior in general I don't know why any team would want him around. I can't imagine that the other 24 guys are psyched that he's in their clubhouse.
glennhoffmania said:
My impression is that he's much more disliked by management and fans (and of course opposing fans) then by other players. Guys like Cano and Melky always seemed to look up to him and he was even good friends with Ortiz before he specifically sold him out in 2013. It's not a Barry Bonds situation, where his teammates all hate him, I think anyway.
From what I've read (and I'm on my phone so I don't have the patience to find links right now) he was disliked by his teammates in Seattle and despised by his teammates in Texas. Jeter's feelings for him are well known and didn't some of the Biogenesis guys think he was at least partially to blame for them getting exposed?jon abbey said:
Maybe guys in NY like Cano and Melky liked him a couple of years ago but how do his current teammates feel after the soap opera crap over the last year plus?
Most of the new guys are younger guys and probably are in awe of the media icon he is and weren't around for most of his drama. Plus he's a pretty good ballplayer. That being said, the season is young and A-Rod can't help himself most of the time. Don't expect smooth sailing!glennhoffmania said:
did anyone besides me almost get physically ill after reading the above post with quotes from A-Rod and Bonds?
"it's amazing how smart he is" A-Rod
Barry teaching A-Rod how to pass drug tests???
"but when Alex hits No. 660, I'll be happy for him. Willie will be happy for him. Everybody should be happy for him" ugh
Bonds telling us how we should feel about A-Rod's fraudulent accomplishments
spare us
"it's amazing how smart he is" A-Rod
Barry teaching A-Rod how to pass drug tests???
"but when Alex hits No. 660, I'll be happy for him. Willie will be happy for him. Everybody should be happy for him" ugh
Bonds telling us how we should feel about A-Rod's fraudulent accomplishments
spare us
Barry's ability to make folks froth at the mouth no matter what he says is one of his greatest gifts.
So according to the "scroll" on ESPN's sportscenter, as long as the Yankees choose to not market his HR milestones, they owe him nothing. A-Rod would have the right to file a grievance but NY does not expect him to.
Well that solves that then. Sonuvabitch.
Well that solves that then. Sonuvabitch.
This is the most recent article I can find, maybe ESPN has new news, but this piece doesn't seem nearly so clearcut. I am sure that A-Rod doesn't want to take the stand and risk perjury about specifics that have yet to emerge:
http://nypost.com/2015/04/23/inside-details-of-how-a-rods-660-fight-yankees-will-play-out/
http://nypost.com/2015/04/23/inside-details-of-how-a-rods-660-fight-yankees-will-play-out/
Thought this was a good article on ARod. http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-baseball-alex-rodriguez-new-york-yankees-american-league-seattle-mariners-texas-rangers-steroids-peds-cheating/
ESPN's scroll is simply what the Yankees are claiming. Arte Moreno made a similar claim about voiding Josh Hamilton's contract. How's that working for him?StuckOnYouk said:
The Yankees may try to bluster their way out of this one, but I don't expect it to work. I do expect them to make A-Rod litigate the issue, because why the fuck not?
1 more HR until the legal fireworks start.
Here's what I'd love to see this weekend...
Sox cruising along tonight with a 7-1 lead in the top of the 8th. A-Rod hits a solo shot. The Sox stop the game and present A-Rod with a plaque commemorating the occasion of tying Mays, including a video compilation of his big HRs. At the shops inside the stadium and across the street, commemorative T-shirts are sold for this "marketing opportunity." Sox win the game 7-2.
Other AL teams join in on this and the NYY are embarrassed into acknowledging the event and are "forced" to cough up the $6 mil to A-Rod.
Sox cruising along tonight with a 7-1 lead in the top of the 8th. A-Rod hits a solo shot. The Sox stop the game and present A-Rod with a plaque commemorating the occasion of tying Mays, including a video compilation of his big HRs. At the shops inside the stadium and across the street, commemorative T-shirts are sold for this "marketing opportunity." Sox win the game 7-2.
Other AL teams join in on this and the NYY are embarrassed into acknowledging the event and are "forced" to cough up the $6 mil to A-Rod.
