I'm minding my own business watching the Blue Jays lose my wager on them when Alex Rodriguez once again shows what a punk he is. Two out, top of the ninth, A Rod on first and Matsui is on third. Posada skies a routine fly ball in between short and third. As Rodriguez rounds second, he splits John MacDonald and whoever the hell is playing third for the Blue Jays. The third baseman is in position to make the catch, when all of a sudden he backs off it and the ball drops. Run scores, everybody safe, Yankees up 8-5.
John MacDonald is furious and gets in Rodriguez's face, and A Rod gets that indignant "You have the nerve to question me?" look he does so well. Turns out Rodriguez yelled "I got it" when he ran behind the third baseman, and that's why the ball dropped. Legal? I guess, but it's really a first class p-u-n-k PUNK play all the way. The football equivalent is if you were on special teams and blindside a guy 35 yards away from the play while the whistle is blowing. Is it legal? Yeah, but you better watch your knees next time down the field.
What is it about that guy that makes him seem so classless and cheap? It can't help that he plays next to his baseball opposite in Derek Jeter. Jeter makes the clutch hits, competes hard, and finds a way to win within the spirit of the game. A Rod pulls crap like tonight, never seems to get a hit in the clutch, and blames everyone else when it all goes wrong. Remember when he ran out of the base path in the ALCS against Boston and knocked the ball out of the first baseman's glove? He had that same "Who me?" look that time too. His stats may look great at the end of the year, but I always think of these cheap little plays he makes that obscure everything else. Why do you think Yankee fan is so quick to boo him at the drop of a hat?
Random Note: It's worth taking a flier on the Cavs to win the East at 2-1, and the whole ball of wax at 10-1. I think the Cavs win the series vs Detroit, and I'll take 10-1 all day long. Hell, I think they won the season series vs San Antonio this year.
Another cheap play from A-Rod last week happened when he tried to break up a double play coming in to second. Instead of one of those slides wide of the bag or even high spikes that are legitimate plays, he breaks up the throw after reaching the bag by springing up from the slide and checking the shortstop with his shoulder.
ReplyDeleteMoney doesn't buy class.
ReplyDeleteAlex Rodriguez is a sneaky little punk.
I checked into it and the game that A-Rod threw that shoulder check was on May 22nd versus Boston. From ESPN:
ReplyDeleteBoston second baseman Dustin Pedroia was upset after the game because he thought Alex Rodriguez hit him with an elbow while breaking up a double play in the eighth.
"He went in late and threw an elbow, but it's no big deal," Pedroia said. "I know now that when he's going in, my arm slot drops to the floor. Some people play like that, and some people come in with hard, clean slides."
All I know is that A-rod and his $250 million cost my buddy his spot in the bigs. George Glinatsis got his first start in Seattle and pitched well, but didn't get a result as the M's beat the Orioles to snap a long losing streak.
ReplyDeleteNext start vs. Roger Clemens in Seattle, but then the tiles fell from the roof, so now he starts against Clemens in Fenway. Suffice it to say the original crack head Otis Nixon hits a routine two hopper to rookie shortstop Ass-Rod, who boots it, but still has time even with the speedy Nixon, so he promplty throws it into the dugout. Nixon on second, my buddy George is rattled, doesn't get out of the first and never makes it back to the show.
So, no love for the idiot who takes a broad out on the town like the mrs. wouldn not know. Check out the Toronto Sun for good picks of it and the fans giving the jerk the business. This is when baseball is good.