It's like my dad always said, "life's not fair."jon abbey said:Start the celebration, guys.
It's like my dad always said, "life's not fair."jon abbey said:Start the celebration, guys.
NJ Fan said: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.
glennhoffmania said:Heyman summarizes the marketing agreement dispute nicely here.
jon abbey said:The Heyman article linked on the last page explains NY's thinking:
In an interview with CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann, Posada said players who were known to have used steroids should not be inducted into the Hall of Fame, including former teammate Alex Rodriguez.
"I don't think it's fair. I really don't. I think the guys that need to be in the Hall of Fame need to be a player that played with no controversy," Posada said.
Posada said he has not shared that with Rodriguez, and Rodriguez would be surprised to hear it.
He also said he resents players who didn't play clean and got records he could not get.
"The only thing that I can think is 2003. You know, I was close to the MVP. Didn't happen. Alex won the MVP and, you know, I think second, either Carlos Delgado or David Ortiz, I don't remember. But you know, I was almost there," Posada said. "You know what could have happened if, you know it's tough. It's really tough."
jayhoz said:"I don't think it's fair. I really don't. I think the guys that need to be in the Hall of Fame need to be a player that played with no controversy," Posada said.
jayhoz said:
“I tried to text him yesterday,” Posada said of Rodriguez. “I feel like I was cornered into this answer. I know better. I was really caught off-guard.”
Posada said he's been fielding tough questions while on tour to promote his new memoir, “The Journey Home: My Life in Pinstripes.”
“The thing is, the book is not a controversial book,” Posada said. “And the questions that have been asked from the get-go are very controversial.”
I almost gave up rooting for the Yankees over A-Rod. But the game and all the youthful memories of rooting for one team brought me back. I guess I can see how Yankee fans in attendance at home games are openly rooting for him. In my case, sitting at home, I can root for A -Rod again because he is keeping this team in a pennant race. And after all the ball washing of Jeter last year, A-Rod's feats must be saluted, even if they are tainted.glennhoffmania said:I agree with Jon. Both are very impressive but one is clearly rarer. That being said, I really don't see how people can be celebrating it. Even if you want to argue that he would've done it without PEDs, he's shown as little integrity, character and honesty as any athlete during my lifetime. Nothing he does should be celebrated.
rembrat said:So? 3,000 hits is still a monumentous accomplishment and his character has nothing to do with his on-field performance.
I know this is between you and Rem but I am curious about how we Yankee fans handle this. The diehards are going to cheer him on, no matter what. I am glad they are cheering him because it would be ugly to see 3,000 hits ignored, or 661 dismissed, as team ownership wished. Every franchise needs diehard fans who will defend their team and its players to almost all ends. But for those of us who have become cynics over the years, it is a tougher call. We have spent 12 baseball seasons with A-Rod in pinstripes. He played in Seattle for five years and Texas for three but will always be viewed as a Yankee. He is ours, for better or worse. I still feel sympathy for him over the Jeter business. I respect his output, and suspect it, too. What a great shitfest this has been for a dozen summers. Surprisingly, I kind of like the 2015 version. Maybe they should have banned him for a year in 2004!glennhoffmania said:Ok fair enough. I just meant that his accomplishments are clearly noteworthy but he personally doesn't deserve favorable treatment because of them.
I despise A-Rod. The very sight of him turns my stomach. The way he runs, almost as if he has a miniature baseball bat stuck up his ass which makes his strut up and down, annoys me to no end.terrynever said:I know this is between you and Rem but I am curious about how we Yankee fans handle this. The diehards are going to cheer him on, no matter what. I am glad they are cheering him because it would be ugly to see 3,000 hits ignored, or 661 dismissed, as team ownership wished. Every franchise needs diehard fans who will defend their team and its players to almost all ends. But for those of us who have become cynics over the years, it is a tougher call. We have spent 12 baseball seasons with A-Rod in pinstripes. He played in Seattle for five years and Texas for three but will always be viewed as a Yankee. He is ours, for better or worse. I still feel sympathy for him over the Jeter business. I respect his output, and suspect it, too. What a great shitfest this has been for a dozen summers. Surprisingly, I kind of like the 2015 version. Maybe they should have banned him for a year in 2004!
The plate umpire, Ed Hickox, coincidentally was behind the plate for Rodriguez's first hit, as an 18-year-old with the Mariners in 1994.
It's not his character but his PED use that taints his numbers. It's arguable that he wouldn't have 3000 hits if he hadn't augmented his physique with drugs on the banned list. Nobody cares if an athlete is a prick, but some of the players themselves (e.g., Posada) resent his being celebrated for what they see as ill-gotten gains.rembrat said:So? 3,000 hits is still a monumentous accomplishment and his character has nothing to do with his on-field performance.
1:1BoredViewer said:What's the conversion rate for PED hits to non-PED hits?
Only if you truly believe PEDs makes you a better hitter which I do not believe.InsideTheParker said:It's not his character but his PED use that taints his numbers. It's arguable that he wouldn't have 3000 hits if he hadn't augmented his physique with drugs on the banned list.
rembrat said:Only if you truly believe PEDs makes you a better hitter which I do not believe.
In 100 years when we know more about the effects of steroids (they're awesome) and everyone is on them people are going to look back at us and judge us harshly for these witch hunts.
The MLB keeps umpires until they're half blind. Christ, Tim McClelland just retired last year and he was the ump who threw George Brett out during the pine tar incident in fucking 1983.ThePrideofShiner said:According to the Detroit News:
That's pretty random.
jon abbey said:I still think it's hilarious that the Yankees pretended like the 660 HR milestone in his contract didn't exist, but then it seems like they've been marketing the shit out of the run up to 3000, because there's no bonus clause for that in his contract. I would think that would hurt their legal case about the HR clauses severely when it's heard this offseason, but I have no legal background so really I have no idea.
rembrat said:Only if you truly believe PEDs makes you a better hitter which I do not believe.
In 100 years when we know more about the effects of steroids (they're awesome) and everyone is on them people are going to look back at us and judge us harshly for these witch hunts.
Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees are talking about a compromise for his famous milestone home run clause, whereby the Yankees would pay some part of the $6-million milestone bonus for topping Willie Mays' 660-homer mark to the charity of A-Rod's choice.
One person familiar with the discussions said at some point they were involving a scenario whereby they'd "split the difference," a suggestion that the Yankees would pay about $3 million. That seems like a wonderful way to solve the dilemma of what to do about the milestone money the Yankees didn't want to play due to Rodriguez's steroid link.
Assuming, almost certainly. But hoping? I think everything that comes along with ARod performing well is a problem the Yankees are happy to be dealing with.I don't know when the convos with ARod really started about the bonuses, but I think the Yankees were hoping/assuming the ARod would be a bench player batting .200 throughout the season and they't really have a case against him and not marketing any of these milestones.
Much like Josh Hamilton and Arte Moreno, A-Rod is in their heads.rembrat said:Nice. Now if Rodriguez refuses the "compromise" he catches shit for denying a charity "some part" of $6MM.
Why don't they just pay the man his money? It's a shitty relievers salary.