Yankees and A-Rod
 

OK, I hate to start a Yankees/A-Rod thread, but this is ridiculous.

All I've heard the last week or so on BBTN is about how the Yankees "need to trade A-Rod". Tonight it was H.R. and the GENIUS BASEBALL MIND of Steve Phillips who were advocating a trade of A-Rod.

The guy is having a sub-par season, BY HIS STANDARDS ONLY! Some idiotic Yankee fans are going to run one of the most productive players in the game out of town because they are inconsiderate dooshes.

Hilarious. They've got a roided out freak playing first who they love, and they boo A-Rod. Somebody PLEASE explain this to me. Who is going to replace him? Morgan Ensberg!? LOLROFL. IIRC, the Yanks are only paying like $16M of his $25M per year deal, which makes A-Rod a bargain, even when he's having a "bad year".

Brian Cashman: Please trade A-Rod to the Astros for Morgan Ensberg. And while you're at it, pick up $4M per year of A-Rods contract. I know this deal sounds too good to be true for Yankee fans, but please, please do it! You can even throw in a couple pitching prospects if you want! Just think! Less boo's at Yankee Stadium! Ensberg will be a True Yankee in no time!

F*** A-Rod and his 400+ home runs and his non-True Yankee face! He's no JETER ZOMG!!!!11!! JETER KAN PLAYE BOTH THURD AND SHORT TOPS AT SAME TIME AND DO BETER BEKUZ HE JETER MISTUR NOVEMBER DECEMBER AND JANUARY THRU MARCH.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Switch to decaf

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

as a red sox fan, I think this is great. But there's is no way Cashman can be stupid enough to actually listen to NY's dumb frustrated fans who boo their own players at home.

Why do yankees fans hate A-rod so much, do they just have huge expectations for the guy because of the hype and his contract, or are they waiting for post season Jeter magic from him, (which doesn't really exist anyway.)?

It just seems every error of his or every 0 for X night of his is magnified 1000 times.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

This coming from a guy who thinks Ensberg is horrible and Huff would be better as the Astros 3B?


Weird.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

trust me you're just preaching to the choir for most yankee fans on 2p2

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

That's what happens when you're a super duper star and hit .321/48/130 last year - there's nowhere to go but down. This year (up to today) he still leads AL 3B's in OPS, R, and RBI, and he's 2nd in HR and 3rd in SB.

His 'off year' pace is .277/36/121 with 114R and 15SB's. Most players have never had a year that good. Just goes to show you that most baseball analysts and A-Rod booers are pretty much retarded.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
trust me you're just preaching to the choir for most yankee fans on 2p2

[/ QUOTE ]

I certainly hope so, Jesus... this guy could perform at 60% capacity and still be an above-average 3rd sacker. I just don't get it at all.

ESPN is wasting like 5 minute segments actually talking about why he needs to be traded. I think if it keeps getting worse, he would need to be traded. But it should never come to this. It is going down a bad path. Yankee fans are going to keep doing this until he either asks for a trade, or is traded. It's absurd.

I'd love to see like a Beckett + prospects + cash for A-Rod trade. ManRam, Ortiz, A-Rod trio would be unbeatable. They could just bring up AAA pitchers to fill out the roster. A-Rod would hit about 60 doubles off that stupid wall.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

I agree with OP, A-Rods treatment in NY bothers me as a Jays fan. If we had A-Rod there'd be people lining up to wipe his ass.

Also, he'd play SS.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

I think this Gay-Rod trade stuff stems from a Steinbrenner policy to not have spouses working together, much less on the same side of the infield...

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Arod for Prior, Neifi Perez, and Aramis Ramirez

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
I agree with OP, A-Rods treatment in NY bothers me as a Jays fan. If we had A-Rod there'd be people lining up to wipe his ass.

Also, he'd play SS.

[/ QUOTE ]

But wouldn't Glaus have been there longer?
Glaus is a leader.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

This is true. Maybe we could platoon A-Rod with Hill at 2B.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

A-Rod is the best player on the Yankees and one of the best in the game. Any team would go nuts if they could get him.

All the noise from Yankees fans is just them being their notoriously fickle and classless selves. It's their nature and they do it with everybody.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

I would be interested to see what Glaus's UZR/other defensive metrics at SS compare to Jeter's.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

I'm pretty sure A-Rod would veto every trade except for to the Red Sox.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure A-Rod would veto every trade except for to the Red Sox.

[/ QUOTE ]

Which would never happen

Also he was recently quoted as saying 'I'd rather die on the baseball field than end my career anywhere but the Yankees'

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Yankee fans just want someone to blame for not having won the WS...in the last 5 or 6 years...Arod is a easy target. Whats funny is that Barry Bonds is hated by the majority of the country...but the fans in San Fran still love him.

I just worry that Arod might start to make his physical problem...the poor mechanics with his throwing arm...become a mental one. Not wanting to make a mistake ever. Buster Olney discussed him and CK a bit in his blog.

From Buster Olney http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog...uster#20060723
The other Yankees laughed the first time Chuck Knoblauch threw a ball away. It was in Knoblauch's first spring training with the team in 1998, and Knoblauch was a star, a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. So when he flipped a throw high over the head of Tino Martinez and into the home dugout at Legends Field in Tampa, I can remember seeing some Yankees chuckling. It was an exhibition game, it was one wild throw from a second baseman who had just won a Gold Glove, it was no big deal.
As it turned out, it was a symptom of a larger problem. Knoblauch had started to become afraid of making a mistake. That's what I'm seeing in Alex Rodriguez right now; he looks like he's thinking more about the ramifications of what he's doing, rather than simply playing with competitive arrogance that most stars possess, that A-Rod has possessed for years -- the assumption that he will succeed.
No matter how it happened, the effects are undeniable at this point; Rodriguez's once-sturdy confidence is badly shaken. You can see it in his at-bats, you can see it in his fielding. Going forward, the Yankees' biggest concern is that these seeds of doubt don't eventually wreck A-Rod the way they infected all parts of Knoblauch's play. I don't know how they do that. Perhaps moving him into the No. 2 hole in the lineup, a place where he thrived last year, could be a start.
But in retrospect, it is evident that Knoblauch's problem wasn't limited to his throwing. He stopped stealing bases, as well. The year before the Yankees traded for Knoblauch, he had 62 steals in 72 attempts, and with the Yankees, his steal total was immediately cut in half. Members of the coaching staff wondered why he wouldn't run, and at times, Knoblauch would be given the must-go sign, and wouldn't go; I couldn't get a good jump, he would explain. Some teammates noticed that when Knoblauch was thrown out, even on a play when he was arguably safe, he would immediately get up and sprint off the field -- almost as if he didn't want anyone to notice that he'd been thrown out.
At age 34, Knoblauch, with complete physical health, dropped out of baseball for good.
Rodriguez is not anywhere near where Knoblauch ended up. He won the Most Valuable Player Award in 2005, and will drive in more than 100 runs again this year. But he is spooked. Torre is trying to help him, just as he tried to help Knoblauch. After Rodriguez made another bad throw Friday, Torre used him as the designated hitter, and A-Rod responded with four horrendous at-bats, whiffing in each.

Steve Phillips is a complete douche....kind of surprised though that HE is agreeing with him.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I'm pretty sure A-Rod would veto every trade except for to the Red Sox.

[/ QUOTE ]

Which would never happen

Also he was recently quoted as saying 'I'd rather die on the baseball field than end my career anywhere but the Yankees'

[/ QUOTE ]

What a drama queen... he'd give anything to go back to Texas and play 162 meaningless games...

NT

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

btw i bought an a-rod jersey-shirt today, so that should tell you what i think of him and how long he'll stay with the yanks

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Charlie,

Interesting! It also shows that while some players thrive under the spotlight and expectations of NYC, others wilt underneath it.

I've always thought that Homosexual_Rod was way too much of a delicate flower to succeed in NY, but his talent may help him overcome the press for at least a few seasons. There was an article in the NY Times last week about his pretty boy-ness being a distraction to the team, and while I thought it was overkill, I'm also not nearly close enough to the subject to make an educated assessment...

-- tuq

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Yeah, Harold Reynolds also was advocating a trade. Trading A-Rod would be galactically stupid, unless they could get Albert Pujols.

Even if he continues in the "funk" he's been in this year, he'll hit 36 home runs, score 114 and drive in 121. He leads AL third basemen in OPS, RBIs and runs scored.

Sheffied is out. Matsui is out. Cano is out. And the solution is to trade A-Rod?

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
Sheffied is out. Matsui is out. Cano is out. And the solution is to trade A-Rod?

[/ QUOTE ]

well the solution is to clone Jeter 24times, but aside from that happening trading ARod looks like a good back up plan

I love Yankees fans

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

he's not going anywhere.

thread over

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Anyone that trades A-rod is [censored] retarded. And the yankee fans need to quit the booing.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

After reading Olney's blog...was Chuck K really headed towards a possible HOF worthy career?
I never really knew much about him prior to him joining the Yanks and then once he got the yips and turned into a complete mental disaster...he just kind of vanished from baseball all together.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
After reading Olney's blog...was Chuck K really headed towards a possible HOF worthy career?

[/ QUOTE ]

Among AL second basemen, only Robert Alomar could be considered better offensively during the early/mid '90s. His 1995 & 1996 seasons (ages 27 and 28) were particularly impressive.

1995: .333 AVG, .424 OBP, .911 OPS, 11 HR, 34 2B, 8 3B, 63 RBI, 107 RUNS, 46 SB
1996: .341 AVG, .448 OBP, .965 OPS, 13 HR, 35 2B, 14 3B, 72 RBI, 140 RUNS, 45 SB

Knoblauch really looked like he'd be a career .300 hitter with a little pop and excellent speed.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
After reading Olney's blog...was Chuck K really headed towards a possible HOF worthy career?

[/ QUOTE ]

No. He had really only 2 good seasons by the time he turned 27. If he repeated his age 27 seasons a couple times, maybe. His most similar batter at age 27 was Rod Carew... who repeated (and improved on) his Age 27 season until he was 31. That's what Chuck would've had to have done.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
ESPN is wasting like 5 minute segments actually talking about why he needs to be traded

[/ QUOTE ]

I also like the five minute segment about how he went 0 for 4 today at the plate. Clearly the guy's career is over, forget trading him, he should just retire. He's gone eight straight at bats without a hit.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

It's pretty easy to realize why some (idiotic) Yankee fans blame him. I don't know why people keep asking this question, even if it rhetoric.

That said, Reynolds looked like an idiot on Baseball Tonight talking about it - "This is not just a slump - Rodriguez will never be at the top again!"

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Harold Reynolds doesn't even know what the top looks like.

Does anyone else get the impression that the baseball media is almost "proud" of the fact that they are mentally affecting (as they say), one of the greatest hitters of this generation?

It's like they are trying to prove how hard it is to play in New York by going on about how it's "over" and he needs to get out of town. I think they get off on the fact that they think they have a hand in his 0-for-8 slump. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone else get the impression that the baseball media is almost "proud" of the fact that they are mentally affecting (as they say), one of the greatest hitters of this generation?

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a good point and I agree with it. People who hate the yankees are also having fun getting their rocks off by saying "New York fans are [censored] idiots for booing and suggesting trading him, they are the dumbest/worst, etc".

Last year the people criticizing him were beyond insane, but this year he is actually playing terribly. His OPS is down .153 points to .878, and he has become a laugher in the field. He is pretty much down to the bottom decile of PECOTA's projected forecast, he is either hurt or mentally shattered. If I had to guess, I'd say he was hurt and was letting the fact that he is aware of being hurt affect his mindset. When you are playing hurt you don't just lose that physical range of motion or strength, you play worse because you are concious of that weakness.

Obviously trading him is nuts and he'd veto it anyway, but I have no idea what to think of this. I would never boo him, but I'm really pissed of with how badly he is playing. The overall poor condition of the team and the joke status of the 5th starter aggravates arod's problem, when things have not been going well like this week fans are pissed off and he comes up as the first target. He does get held to a different standard than Jeter/Posada/etc when he is slumping, but this time he is playing relatively badly by any standard of measure, not having an OPS over 1.0 but being "unclutch". who knows, I have faith that in the long run he'll go back to being who he is. This whole thing is such a mess, it started from the minute he got here and went to play 3b. That is such a mindboggling move that I basically don't acknowledge that it happened, it will always piss me off.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Speaking of second basemen for the yankees, is there a reason A-Rod isn't playing second? Isn't second more similar to shortstop than third? I stopped playing baseball after Babe Ruth and my freshman year of high school so I could be off here, just wondering why they put him at third instead of second if they felt like moving him was better than Jeter.

Jared

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

Second base is a pretty physically demanding position. Moving the highest paid player in baseball there would be nuts. They've got the second shortest lifespan of any position player behind catcher. Tons of 2nd basemen just die off after they turn 33 (see Roberto Alomar).

Plus he's got a good arm and it takes a while to get used to the throws, etc. Third base is a lot more seamless, and many shortstops make that transition if they have the arm to.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
but this year he is actually playing terribly. His OPS is [...] .878

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny definition of "playing terribly." Yeah,he's had some fielding problems but jesus, the guy's got a .307 EqA.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
he is either hurt or mentally shattered

[/ QUOTE ]

I do think there are some "mental mismatches" between A Rod and NYC. Just like there are between some guys and Boston. Some people don't mind or thrive under a constant white hot media spotlight, some people are affected by it (which is why I never liked the Bronson Arroyo deal but that's another rant).

I think Yankee fans in particular would respect A Rod more if he stood up and said "[censored] off I'm trying my best out here, if you think you can do better you're a [censored] idiot" and flipped them the bird. instead his sensitivity to the critisicm, or his reaction to it, makes him an easy target.

that said, the panic over his play is a bit overdone. he's still a very good hitter, and this is as bad as it's ever gotten for him.

edited to say: plus Derek Jeter is the best baseball player Peter King will ever see, and A Rod can't live up to that (it makes me sad to see PK say such a stupid thing, b/c I think he's a fun and entertaining writer who actually knows a lot about football. and starbucks and softball)

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
but this year he is actually playing terribly. His OPS is [...] .878

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny definition of "playing terribly." Yeah,he's had some fielding problems but jesus, the guy's got a .307 EqA.

[/ QUOTE ]

By Alex's standards he's having an off year. That's hard to deny.

During saturday's game fox had an update after every one of his k's. It was insane. It's like the media is freaking out, and then doing stories talking about how the media is freaking out. It's like if I went and spat in your face, and then posted on my blog about what a [censored] outrage it was that Dids was running around spitting on people.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

A-Rod is too convenient for people to hate.

98, 99, 00 - all the way
01 - close as hell, pwned by bloop
02 - pwned by those goddamn rally monkeys
03 - the series against the Sox kind've overshadowed the loss
04, 05 - gg

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

He's 30, and it's not demonstrably worse than his first season as a Yank. He's not gonna ever repeat his last year ever again.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

That .878 OPS leads all AL third basemen. (All the terrific third basemen are in the NL this year.) Obviously he's not having the year he had last year, but surely some kind of drop-off would have been expected.

As for the booing, it seems the Yankee fans never boo somebody who came up through the system. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't remember Bernie being booed when he started to decline; was Jeter booed the year he was hitting about .150 after the first month or so? Has Rivera ever been booed?

Seems like the swipe at the ball in the Red Sox series and the double play in the 9th inning in game 5 against the Angels last year were the catalysts in the fans' negativity towards him.

The Yankees' overall fielding is terrible this year. Bernie looks particularly horrible wherever they play him ahywhere in the outfield and they might as well put a statue at first base when Giambi is there. The times I've seen him play it doesn't look like A-Rod's reaction time is slower, but he does look awkward both in fielding and in throwing.

He's 30 years old. This too shall pass. I think he's got a pretty good chance to get to 800 home runs and I'd be surprised if he doesn't finish his career with the Yankees. Maybe for next year the Yankees should think about moving Damon to 1st base (or right field, Sheffield will be 90 next year, won't he?), Jeter to center field, A-Rod to short, and getting a 3rd baseman.

Re: Yankees and A-Rod
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
but this year he is actually playing terribly. His OPS is [...] .878

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny definition of "playing terribly." Yeah,he's had some fielding problems but jesus, the guy's got a .307 EqA.

[/ QUOTE ]

By Alex's standards he's having an off year. That's hard to deny.

During saturday's game fox had an update after every one of his k's. It was insane. It's like the media is freaking out, and then doing stories talking about how the media is freaking out. It's like if I went and spat in your face, and then posted on my blog about what a [censored] outrage it was that Dids was running around spitting on people.

[/ QUOTE ]

Completely agree.

RodGate is getting completely out of hand. The media flames anyone who hates on him and then they show all of his errors and Ks... yeah that's making it better guys. They like to set a fire and be the ones to come with the water to put it out. ESPN has pissed me off so much during this whole ordeal... sometimes I think they tell BBT and SC guys to flame A-Rod.