It looks like former New York City mayor and presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani is rooting for the Yankees, after he felt it was prudent to root for the Red Sox in the World Series.
Now, it looks like he's back to being a Yankee fan.
Asked Sunday how he feels that the New York Yankees and third baseman Alex Rodriguez are on the cusp of finalizing a $275 million, 10-year contract, the Republican presidential candidate broke into a wide smile and said he was thrilled.
"My take on A-Rod? I'm glad to have him back," Giuliani said before watching NASCAR's season-ending Ford 400. "If you give up a player like A-Rod, you've got a lot of rebuilding to do."
Giuliani's affinity for the Yankees is no secret.
and...
So on Sunday, it wasn't exactly a surprise that amid questions on oil prices and push polling, a conversation with Giuliani turned to Rodriguez's pending deal.
"Negotiations are complex in baseball and everyplace else," Giuliani said. "I'm glad it's going to work out the right way. I'm very glad to see that as an American League fan, as a Yankee fan, that we're keeping him in the American League and keeping him on the Yankees. ... Maybe next year he'll have 62 home runs."
Good to know a guy like Rudy knows where his loyalties lie...
Alex Rodriguez may be the object of scorn and generally disliked amongst baseball fans right now, but he's sure not a dummy. In fact, a special friend might have saved face for him.
According to the AP, Warren Buffett advised Alex Rodriguez to approach the New York Yankees and go around agent Scott Boras, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.
"A-Rod really loves being a Yankee," Buffett was quoted as saying. He wouldn't comment on the substance of any discussions with the player.
The two became friends several years ago.
Rodriguez, on Boras' advise, opted out of the final three seasons of his record $252 million, 10-year contract on Oct. 28. The Yankees had said many times that if he opted out, they wouldn't negotiate because they would lose $21.3 million from Texas for the final three seasons that was agreed to at the time of the 2004 trade, money to offset the $72 million New York owed from 2008-10.
Upset with developments after he opted out, Rodriguez contacted Buffett, and the investor told him to approach the Yankees without his agent, the Journal said.
After speaking with the investor, Rodriguez contacted a managing director at Goldman Sachs that he knew, John Mallory, who then got in touch with Gerald Cardinale, a Goldman Sachs managing director who has worked with the Yankees and their YES Network.
Wow.
A-Rod has some very smart friends...
***
As if Scott Boras didn't need any more bad news, here's more. Now, the Gambler, free pitcher, Kenny Rogers has sent Boras on his way.
Kenny Rogers is representing himself as a free agent, the Detroit Tigers confirmed Saturday.
The move seems to be a sign that the left-handed pitcher is closer to returning to Detroit and not letting agent Scott Boras shop his services to the highest bidder.
"I still hope to be in a Tiger uniform in 2008," Rogers wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press earlier this week before reports surfaced that he fired agent Boras.
As each day goes along, Alex Rodriguez is becoming further disliked not only amongst baseball fans, but many of those who follow sports in general. If opting of his contract and wanting oodles of money was not enough for you, get a load of this:
From ESPN's Buster Olney: Before Alex Rodriguez opted out of his contract with the Yankees earlier this week, the team was told that it would not be able to meet with the third baseman unless it presented an offer of at least $350 million, sources say.
The Yankees had hoped to meet with Rodriguez this week, and would have presented him with an extension offer close to five years and $150 million, to begin at the conclusion of his 2008-2010 contract, through which he would have earned $81 million. Through the Yankees' proposal, then, Rodriguez would have made about $230 million over eight years, and during the last five years of the contract, sources say, he would have earned the highest annual salary in Major League Baseball history.
But team executives were told, sources say, that in order to arrange a meeting with Rodriguez, they would have to be prepared to make an extension offer that would take the third baseman's deal up to a total value of $350 million. That means that the offer the Yankees intended to propose would have been more than $100 million short.
Ok, you are f**king kidding me. Like I said previously, NO PLAYER is worth that much money. I don't care if it is A-Rod, or whomever, if I were a GM, I would spend that money and sign 3-4 players and hope 2 of them pan out in the long run.
Sorry, I hope he goes unsigned and that teams use some fiscal restraint when it comes to this man...
Some people are just attention hogs to begin with.
Last night, Alex Rodriguez and Scott Boras took that statement to a new level and picked a conspicuous time for their big announcement.
Smack in the middle of Game 4 of the World Series, Boras ended months of speculation and said A-Rod is opting out of the final three seasons of his contract with the New York Yankees.
Oh, and Boras let the Yankees know by leaving a voice mail for general manager Brian Cashman.
"Kind of strange timing," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said after Boston completed its sweep of Colorado.
Red Sox fans sure took notice fast. After their team won the title for the second time in four seasons, they stood behind the visitors' dugout at Coors Field and chanted: "Don't sign A-Rod!"
In a decision that likely ends four tumultuous and unfulfilling seasons with the Yankees, Rodriguez forfeited $72 million he was owed over the final three seasons of his record $252 million, 10-year deal, which he signed with Texas before the 2001 season. The Yankees lose $21.3 million in remaining payments from the Rangers, a subsidy agreed to at the time of his 2004 trade.
Sorry, if I am any team that has the funds to sign this guy, I'd think long and very, very hard before doing so. This man wants the attention and the clubhouse to himself -- is he worth it? He's damn good, but is he worth the trouble?
To Red Sox Nation, if you sign this guy, you all can definitively say now that you are the Yankees.
I would not blame New York for not jumping after him (assuming they stick to their guns), the move reeked of selfishness. There are not too many times I'd agree with the Steinbrenners, but on this one, I do. The Yankees did not win a World Series with him, they can sure win one without him.
“The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good.
Greed is right.
Greed works.
Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.
Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.” - Gordon Gekko, Wall Street (1987)
Before I go any further, everyone say a quick hello to Beatlefnatic, a loyal and great Oriole fan who will be expressing her views on baseball and other topics. Visit her first post on the blog titled, “ALCS and More”.
Since there’s no baseball on the air, I decided to read the news while I was eating dinner and it looks like in light of the Yankees being disposed of in the ALDS, Scott Boras has decided to give us an update on Alex Rodriguez and his contract situation.
Well, if Rodriguez wants to leave New York or perhaps re-sign with them for an even bigger payday, Scott Boras has his own ideas.
And, boy, they are lofty. Alex doesn’t want to talk about his contract right now and has reiterated he wants to stay in the Big Apple; however, Boras has no problem expressing his views if his big fish wants to be freed.
It more or less looks like he has made his intentions known.
Here are some of his thoughts:
"The right of free agency has probably never been more valuable to a single player than it would be to someone like Alex Rodriguez," Boras said during a phone interview with 1050 ESPN New York conducted prior to the Yankees ALDS loss to the Indians. "The reason being is that he is a stature player, a durable player, an iconic player and he has had a historic season. Again, these are decisions that Alex has to make. He is certainly happy in New York and has enjoyed playing there."
also…
“He said he will tell prospective bidders that Rodriguez could play until he is 45, which will allow him to not only become baseball's all-time home run king, but also the all-time hits leader. If those accomplishments are within reach, Boras said he will argue that Rodriguez will be worth somewhere between a half-billion and a billion dollars over a decade to a team's regional sports network.”
also…
"One of the other things that Alex has that some of the other things that Alex has that few players have is he has network value," Boras said. "That means for a regional sports network he has an impact on in that may allow that regional sports network to increase by a half-a-billion to a billion dollars over a 10-year period because of the ratings increase that he will bring. His fan base will subscribe to that network to watch him play and they will sell more advertising. This has certainly been evidenced in New York."
Sorry, I don’t subscribe to that. No one player is worth that much money. Baseball is not like the NBA which is built on star names; it’s built on regionalism, the team concept and familiarity. Throughout modern sports history, there are few names that transcend sports and they are Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
It is nice Boras wants to ensure a huge payday for his client; however, no one in sports is worth the money that he wants for Alex Rodriguez unless they are solely in an individual sport.
I see it nothing more than simple greed.
Lord help us if someone is stupid enough to pay the money Boras wants for Rodriguez.
Well, I am making a foray into broadcasting along with other bloggers – um, internet radio that is.
Ian of Random Thoughts, Jason of My Baseball Bias along with myself will have a new show on the Blog Talk Radio Network called The Hits Keep Coming..., weekly show that spans the world of baseball, and we talk about the latest and greatest news, topics and points of interest in the game today.
The inaugural show is at 7 pm Eastern Time tonight, and join us every Wednesdays at the same time. More info can be found at The Hits Keep Coming... page.
Podcasting and show downloads will be made available shortly...
He asserted on the Mike and the Mad Dog Show on WFAN: "You're asking me what my sincere feeling is. I want to 100 percent stay in New York. Period. That's it. I don't know how many ways I can say it." … "Either New York is going to kick me out of New York this year, say 'I've had enough of this guy, get him the hell out of here,' and we have an option. Or New York is going to say, 'Hey, we won a world championship, you had a big year, you were a part of it and we want you back.'"
Wow.
Alex, um … would it be not be a good idea if you just went out did your job and worry about everything works out in the end?
I’m sure that stress of New York City must bother you, but in all honesty, did you not know what you were getting into when you agreed in 2004 to the trade?
I feel sorry for him - - almost.
I don’t have much sympathy for a man who makes $25 million plus a year, roughly at least 10 lifetimes of salary for me and probably much more for others. For man who gets as paid as much as he does, it does no good to whine about your state of affairs with the world.
In all honesty, 9999 out of 10000 people would want your life, and I for $250,000 per year would clean up the locker room, do the laundry, mow the grass on the field, and do more for that money for the privilege to be on a sports team.
In the end, Alex, just worry about the game and not what’s around you.
Pete Rose Exhibit in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame: Baseball legend and infamous personality, Pete Rose attended the opening of his exhibit in his honor in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
"Everything should be for the fans," Rose said Tuesday before a preview party celebrating Saturday's opening of a special exhibit in his honor at the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. "If they retired my number here, don't you think the fans would be elated?
As well, Rose felt that the fans would be, "elated" if baseball reinstated him. (CNNsi)
Um, me – I think you should be honored, and in the Hall of Fame; however, you’d probably be in it already if you had been a lot more contrite and actually sorry for what you did to the sport beforehand…
Well, as we are into a new week and yet closer to the 2007 season, the Yankees have made news once again.
Former friends, but current teammates, Derek Jeter and A-Rod, as well all know have had a big thaw in their relationship since A-Rod gave an infamous interview to Esquire Magazine several years ago.
From AP: Jeter, the Yankees' captain, has distanced himself since a 2001 Esquire article in which A-Rod said "Jeter's been blessed with great talent around him" and "he's never had to lead.”… "You go into New York, you wanna stop Bernie (Williams) and (Paul) O'Neill," A-Rod was quoted as saying. "You never say, 'Don't let Derek beat you.' He's never your concern."
Here’s what Alex said in response to reporters asking about the issue this morning:
More from the AP: "The reality is there's been a change in the relationship over 14 years and, hopefully, we can just put it behind us," Rodriguez said. "You go from sleeping over at somebody's house five days a week, and now you don't sleep over. It's just not that big of a deal."
And…
"I'm a big boy. I'm 31 years old now, so I should be able to help myself out there," he said. "I care about what he thinks about me on the field. I think it's important for us to be on the right page. And we are. We're here to win a championship together."
When he was first asked about Jeter, Rodriguez said this would be the only time he would address the topic.
"Let's make a contract: You don't ask me about Derek anymore, and I promise I'll stop lying to all you guys," A-Rod told reporters. (AP)
I’m just bewildered by this. I see this as a friend who pissed of his buddy years ago and the buddy won’t forgive him. However, the difference is that the tiff or perception of a friend was not plastered to millions of people and in print.
Sigh. A-Rod threw his buddy under the bus, he feels guilty and now the world wants to know you feel.
At this point, it’s too bad it came to all of this, but you really need to focus on baseball, instead of the never ending melodrama which is your life.
Well, as I am just catching up on some reading, I just caught an article on the NY Times about the possibility of Alex Rodriguez not playing after his massive 10 year contract runs out. According to the article by Michael S. Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez told Bob Costas in a nationally syndicated radio interview that he might not play once his current 10-year contract expired after the 2010 season.
Since I started this blog, I have not mentioned A-Rod in any shape or form. I don't know if I see him retiring and leaving the game, but I definitely see him in another uniform besides the Yankee pinstripes. After the hate and dismay he's gotten from the New York media and Yankee fans, I thought he's not be cut out for the Yankees, like many other players that have passed through that city for the elusive ring.
If anyone read SI's article a few months ago about A-Rod & his relationships on the Yakees, I thought he'd be a goner after the season and sent along his away to another team. As well, I felt at the time that A-Rod would not continue on with the Yankees and he'd pad up his numbers somewhere else. However, he has a lot of pride in light of what is said about him, and he'd seen as a failure if he left the team. As well, after the drama with Jeter and his struggles in June, I assumed Cashman would have traded him.
However, who else in the league would put up his numbers? That's why he's a Yankee still today.
Personally, I enjoy seeing A-Rod play, and I think it's asinine that fans rail on him. Whether it is the contract or not, even I think he's not lived up to his potential, perhaps because of his contract and his previous body of work.
Feel free to email me for questions, advertising, or anything else at mdguy2415@aol.com or follow me on Twitter under the username oriolepost
Friend of The Blog...
The top gambling sites offer sports betting, poker and casino games from one account. In most cases, you won’t even need to download the software as most betting sites have slots no download.
JUGS Sports
JUGS Sports is the leading producer of pitching machines and batting cages trusted by professional and amateur athletes as well as coaches worldwide.
Our Newest Sponsor
Get information and help regarding your Gambling Addiction from poker, roulette and blackjack rehabbed players!
Being that I am online a lot, I like nothing more than to recieve mail.
Got a comment, website question, link exchange or anything else on your mind? Feel free to praise me, trash me, whatever; as long as your email is constructive...
If you are interested in any of the images or pictures you have seen on the blog or in any of the slideshows, feel free to email me at mdguy2415@aol.com for more details and arrangements...
