The official "I hate Alex Rodriguez" thread - Page 6

andyfox · #51 10-11-2005, 12:00 PM

Just 180 innings for 2001-2002 combined, but a fine year in 2003, 211 innings, 2.39 ERA. But when you trade for an old guy (see Randy Johnson) you never know what you're going to get, both health- and performance-wise.

andyfox · #52 10-11-2005, 12:03 PM

That was a great play. He should have gotten away with it. The original ruling was no interference, the umpires had no business overruling a judgment call. And if he gets away with it, it's a great play.

All players try to cheat. Every one of them. When they know they've tried to check up but they've swung, do they start for the dugout? No, they pretend. If a baserunner knows he's out and the umpire calls him safe, does he object? Jeter "sold" a phantom swipe tag as an out the other day and everybody complimented him.

One guy goes 2 for 13 in a five-game series and people blame him for the loss? He had an OBP of .433. Where were the other guys hitting behind him? The leadoff hitter for the Yankees hit .333 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI; the #2 hitter had an OBP of .433. Where does the blame lie for not scoring more runs?

andyfox · #53 10-11-2005, 12:10 PM

"To be a Yankee is to carry yourself with pride, to play the right way, and to play the game with honor. There's a legacy to uphold."

With all due respect: hogwash. See Babe Ruth. See Joe Dimaggio. See Mickey Mantle. See Thurman Munson. All self-centered jerks. I've been a Yankees fan for 45 years and I loved Mickey Mantle. And I love Derek Jeter. But that "pride" and "honor" stuff was 100% PR. Jeter's terrific at handling himself with the press and it shows in their reverence for him. Not that he doesn't deserve it, he's a terrific guy. But he knows how to polish his image.

The Yankees never wanted any blacks on the team, they were one of the last to integrate. And when they brought up a man who did carry himself with dignity and honor and pride (Elston Howard), his HOF manager said of him, "They have all these jungle bunnies coming here now and I gotta get the only one who can't run." Nice.

It's a business and always has been. When Ruth was done, they threw him away rather than pay him. I don't really care what Sheffield and Johnson are like because I suspect that I wouldn't have liked a lot of my heroes had the press been such as it is today without hiding all the old athletes' foibles. Give me wins and pennants and Championships and I don't care what you're like personally.

andyfox · #54 10-11-2005, 12:13 PM

Kevin Brown is one tough dude. A jerk, by all accounts, but I wouldn't accuse him of not trying. He was always a tough hombre. He has had a chronically bad back. He's always tried to pitch through the pain. Bartolo Colon had to come out with back pain last night, and so did David Wells in a World Series game.

mrbaseball · #55 10-11-2005, 12:45 PM

[ QUOTE ]
All self-centered jerks

[/ QUOTE ]

Neon Deion [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Most Yankee fans probably dom't remember this. But in a game against the White Sox Sanders hit a weak popup and didn't even run. Carlton Fisk, catching at the time, proceeded to give him a verbal lashing right there at home plate on the importance of hustle and wearing the pinstripes and being not only a professional but in particular a Yankee.

kenberman · #56 10-11-2005, 12:47 PM

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the umpires had no business overruling a judgment call.

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Hi Andy,
Is that different than unpires over-ruling a disputed home run/foul ball call? I think both of those can be 'judgement calls' (particulary the foul ball instance), but that doesn't mean 1 umpire couldn't have had a better view than another umpire.

imported_The Vibesman · #57 10-11-2005, 12:56 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
All self-centered jerks

[/ QUOTE ]

Neon Deion [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Most Yankee fans probably dom't remember this. But in a game against the White Sox Sanders hit a weak popup and didn't even run. Carlton Fisk, catching at the time, proceeded to give him a verbal lashing right there at home plate on the importance of hustle and wearing the pinstripes and being not only a professional but in particular a Yankee.

[/ QUOTE ]

Had nothing to do with being a "Yankee." Carlton's point was that there is a right way and a wrong way to play the game and Deion was playing the wrong way. Yankees and Pinstripes had nothing to do with it. Just about being a professional.

SomethingClever · #58 10-11-2005, 01:22 PM

Andy, I agree that A-Rod shouldn't be held accountable for the Yankees losing. In fact, it makes me laugh when people blame him for anything on the field. The guy's an incredible player.

However, he is still a d-bag of epic proportions.

ThaSaltCracka · #59 10-11-2005, 02:24 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Andy, I agree that A-Rod shouldn't be held accountable for the Yankees losing. In fact, it makes me laugh when people blame him for anything on the field. The guy's an incredible player.

However, he is still a d-bag of epic proportions.

[/ QUOTE ]hehe, now I get to quote you. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Uston · #60 10-11-2005, 02:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
All self-centered jerks

[/ QUOTE ]

Neon Deion [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] Most Yankee fans probably dom't remember this. But in a game against the White Sox Sanders hit a weak popup and didn't even run. Carlton Fisk, catching at the time, proceeded to give him a verbal lashing right there at home plate on the importance of hustle and wearing the pinstripes and being not only a professional but in particular a Yankee.

[/ QUOTE ]

There's more to the story than this. Sanders used to draw a dollar sign in the dirt near home plate before every at-bat. Fisk told him that he's an embarrassment and Sanders responds with some nonsense about how slavery is no longer legal.