Baby You're a Rich Man
by Brian
Alex Rodriguez has put up astounding numbers throughout his 13-year career, totaling 464 home runs, 1,347 RBIs, 2,067 hits, and a .305 batting average. In his early days as a member of the Seattle Mariners, sportswriters and fans alike swooned over the phenomenal potential he possessed. After three consecutive seasons of at least 41 home runs and 111 RBIs, he became a free agent and signed an astronomical $252 million, 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers to easily become the highest-paid player in all of baseball's history. After three seasons in Texas where he averaged 52 home runs and 132 RBIs, the New York Yankees who had lost infamous third-baseman Aaron Boone to a torn ACL, traded possibly their brightest young star, Alfonso Soriano, and others to acquire Rodriguez and his massive salary. Now entering his fourth season with the Yankees, he has amassed a total of 119 home runs, 357 RBIs, and a .299 batting average.
This being said, it is clear that A-Rod is one of the all-time great players and at only age 32, will go on to accomplish feats that we may not have ever seen before. However, if not for Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez has been one of the most highly-criticized and debated player in baseball, and has been subject to the wrath of boo-birds at his home of Yankee Stadium. How is it that such a spectacular player with great numbers in one of the biggest media markets in baseball is being booed by his own home fans? Perhaps the numbers 3, 8, and .221 have something to do with it. Respectively, these are his total home runs, RBIs, and batting average in his 3 postseasons with New York, totaling 20 games. Also taking in mind such incidents as the infamous "slap play" against then-Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo, he has not quite been Mr. October for the Yanks.
The New York Yankees, in terms of World Series championships, are the most successful team by far in Major League Baseball over the last century with 26. Its fanbase expects to be playing in October, and anything less than a World Series title is considered by many a failure. Owner George Steinbrenner is notorious for liberally opening his wallet in order to sign top-tier players for the purpose of winning a championship.
Since the beginning of last season, many experts from ESPN and other sports networks questioned the fans' right to boo Mr. Rodriguez. Numerous Yankee fan forums and blogs say that other fans don't have the right to boo A-Rod, and that they are not "true Yankees fans" for booing him. Being a Red Sox fan, I can say that I don't know what it is like to be a Yankee fan, nor do I know what being a "true" Yankee fan entails. But I do know what it is like to spend money on my favorite sports teams.
When the owner of a team writes out checks the size of the ones they give out to PGA Tour tournament winners to get all-star players, the prices of tickets, concessions, and merchandise among many other things skyrocket in order to compensate. When the owner explains to the fanbase that their ticket prices are going up because of these ridiculous salaries, doesn't this essentially mean that the Yankee fans themselves are indirectly paying the crazy salaries of players like Alex Rodriguez?
The point is this: in a market like New York where players are expected to thrive in big games, paying customers have every right in the world to boo an underachieving player in such situations like Alex Rodriguez, a player who has as big a part in raising the cost of enjoying a baseball game as anybody in history. I'm all for supporting players even through slumps, but it's about time that the baseball universe decides enough is enough, that A-Rod is responsible for his poor clutch play, that no longer should he expect the paying fans to unconditionally support him, and that he can't complain any longer about fans not supporting him. For Alex Rodriguez, he is at the point of no return. He must step up in the big games or else his time with the Yankees is doomed. It's time for A-Rod to put up or shut up.
Alex Rodriguez has put up astounding numbers throughout his 13-year career, totaling 464 home runs, 1,347 RBIs, 2,067 hits, and a .305 batting average. In his early days as a member of the Seattle Mariners, sportswriters and fans alike swooned over the phenomenal potential he possessed. After three consecutive seasons of at least 41 home runs and 111 RBIs, he became a free agent and signed an astronomical $252 million, 10-year contract with the Texas Rangers to easily become the highest-paid player in all of baseball's history. After three seasons in Texas where he averaged 52 home runs and 132 RBIs, the New York Yankees who had lost infamous third-baseman Aaron Boone to a torn ACL, traded possibly their brightest young star, Alfonso Soriano, and others to acquire Rodriguez and his massive salary. Now entering his fourth season with the Yankees, he has amassed a total of 119 home runs, 357 RBIs, and a .299 batting average.
This being said, it is clear that A-Rod is one of the all-time great players and at only age 32, will go on to accomplish feats that we may not have ever seen before. However, if not for Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez has been one of the most highly-criticized and debated player in baseball, and has been subject to the wrath of boo-birds at his home of Yankee Stadium. How is it that such a spectacular player with great numbers in one of the biggest media markets in baseball is being booed by his own home fans? Perhaps the numbers 3, 8, and .221 have something to do with it. Respectively, these are his total home runs, RBIs, and batting average in his 3 postseasons with New York, totaling 20 games. Also taking in mind such incidents as the infamous "slap play" against then-Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo, he has not quite been Mr. October for the Yanks.
The New York Yankees, in terms of World Series championships, are the most successful team by far in Major League Baseball over the last century with 26. Its fanbase expects to be playing in October, and anything less than a World Series title is considered by many a failure. Owner George Steinbrenner is notorious for liberally opening his wallet in order to sign top-tier players for the purpose of winning a championship.
Since the beginning of last season, many experts from ESPN and other sports networks questioned the fans' right to boo Mr. Rodriguez. Numerous Yankee fan forums and blogs say that other fans don't have the right to boo A-Rod, and that they are not "true Yankees fans" for booing him. Being a Red Sox fan, I can say that I don't know what it is like to be a Yankee fan, nor do I know what being a "true" Yankee fan entails. But I do know what it is like to spend money on my favorite sports teams.
When the owner of a team writes out checks the size of the ones they give out to PGA Tour tournament winners to get all-star players, the prices of tickets, concessions, and merchandise among many other things skyrocket in order to compensate. When the owner explains to the fanbase that their ticket prices are going up because of these ridiculous salaries, doesn't this essentially mean that the Yankee fans themselves are indirectly paying the crazy salaries of players like Alex Rodriguez?
The point is this: in a market like New York where players are expected to thrive in big games, paying customers have every right in the world to boo an underachieving player in such situations like Alex Rodriguez, a player who has as big a part in raising the cost of enjoying a baseball game as anybody in history. I'm all for supporting players even through slumps, but it's about time that the baseball universe decides enough is enough, that A-Rod is responsible for his poor clutch play, that no longer should he expect the paying fans to unconditionally support him, and that he can't complain any longer about fans not supporting him. For Alex Rodriguez, he is at the point of no return. He must step up in the big games or else his time with the Yankees is doomed. It's time for A-Rod to put up or shut up.
posted by sportzdudes at 12:26 PM
0 comments
