From the Daily News:
One Yankees official said the team has no intention of coming to the party boy’s defense, and general manager Brian Cashman has not returned reporters’ calls, which is no surprise, the official noted.
“The ball is really in Alex’s court,” the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
If the Yankees can step up and defend Jason Giambi as well as Andy Pettitte—who they resigned this year—then they can swallow hard and defend Alex. Don’t turn your back on him—not now.
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7 Responses to Yanks not willing to back A-Rod?
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TIQ IQ
I sort of agree. The Yanks should support A-Rod, but only after he admits guilt. The Yankees didn’t defend Clemens, and until A-Rod can own up to what he did, the Yanks shouldn’t feel the need to jump to his defense. His thunderous silence seems to point to his guilt, at least to me.
The bigger problem is the image of baseball. In an age where sports like football are surpassing baseball in popularity, baseballs biggest hero, greatest star, the man on track to break the coveted home run record and restore the title to the rightful place of a natural athlete….is just another cheater. This steroids scandal needs to be dealt with swiftly and harshly. I’m tired of asterisk records and black-balled hall of fame candidates. And I’m not particularly happy about having such a cheater (a lying one at that) on our team for the next 9 years.
I honestly think that, in the future, there should be a one-and-done rule. If you use steroids and are caught then you’re out of the game. Betting on the game was seen as the biggest infraction as it trampled baseball’s “pure” image, but it seems like PED use has now become what gambling once was. You might as well treat them similarly if the effect is similar. If you installed such a rule, I’m sure you’d have better results. The union may end up having to agree to stricter rules, too, especially if the Orza “leak” info is true.
You know, if I had read your comment even a couple years ago, I would have disagreed. But as time goes on and I see just how rampant and widespread this was, I think I have to agree. Too many stars, too much bad publicity for baseball. If baseball wants to save face, it needs to end the steroid era NOW. If Pete Rose, one of the greatest baseball players to ever grace a baseball diamond can be banned for life for placing bets on teams that he was not a part of, doing it purely for the thrill of gambling, then maybe some real blood needs to be drawn in this scandal.
I have recently finished reading Rose’s book, and while I don’t agree with what he did, it was a relatively harmless crime. He didn’t lose games to win a bet. He didn’t even bet on or against his own team. But baseball decided to make an example out of him.
Here we have a scandal that is actually effecting the way the game is played. Selig needs to show that baseball will absolutely not tolerate illegal performance enhancers. Multiple strikes can be kept in place for certain drugs that may be minor or misused unintentionally like J.C. Romero’s recent suspension. But the explicit use of anabolic steroids should be a one and done rule.
Does that mean I’m in favor of jettisoning A-Rod from baseball? I guess it does. I can’t saw I want to see it happen, but the bottom line is that I love baseball far more then I do A-Rod. Think about it. Do you really want to watch A-Rod awkwardly chase Bonds’ home run record now? I have always hated Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds, primarily for their use of steroids to break what was (to me) far and away the most sacred records in baseball. In my mind, Maris and Aaron are still the true home run kings.
I don’t care that “everyone” was doing it. I don’t care that true testing wasn’t in place. The bottom line is that players knew it was illegal, and their willingness to stoop so low just to gain an edge in a sport is unacceptable. Baseball is a sport, after all. Sports are designed for athletes to compete against each other for greatness. Tell me, what pride is there in knowing that science won your MVP?
I’m sorry I’m ranting. Baseball has been a major part of my life for its entirety (although that’s only 20 years) and I hate to see steroids warp and twist the sport I love so much.
One more thing: If A-Rod and whoever else is allowed to stay in baseball, then I want to see Pete Rose in the Hall. What about the Black Sox? Is losing a game on purpose worse then cheating to win?
Justin: Should Gaylord Perry be barred from baseball?
I think one and done is harsh. As Rob Neyer said, people have been looking for an edge forever. I don’t see why we suddenly decide that this is the issue where we are going to crack down, when using a foreign substance on the ball, which gives pitchers a major advantage, only gets a few games suspension. I hate what has happened as much as anybody, but I think missing 50 games is strong enough for anybody making serious money. I do think they need to start saving samples, and warning players that they can be punished based upon new tests that are developed.
EJ, no clue, I don’t know who Gaylord Perry is. I admit that I may have reacted a bit harshly…I wrote that comment 5 minutes after I saw the news. I am still terribly disappointed in A-Rod, but I don’t know if I would be in favor of throwing him out of the game. That said, I am in favor of reinstating Rose.