OT: A ROD a Yankee

[57pbass]

I know this is not a musical topic but I am curious to here my fellow lowenders thoughts...

[ClarkW]

Switching from shortstop to 3rd base is like switching from guitar to bass: He could be good, or he could suck.

 

Seriously though, I'm trying to remember who it was that switched from SS to 3B and pretty much ended his career because he couldn't adjust defensively. Oh man, I've been out of baseball too long.

[doc taz]

On the one hand, I do like them having Alex on board. I think he'd be a great asset to the Yankees.

 

On the other, it kind of leaves a sour note to me. I was hoping that Alfonso Soriano could've grown with the team, as Bernie Williams and the now-departed Andy Petitte have done. It seems that Big Money does most of the talking these days. I personally don't blame Alex much for it. It was his agent, after all, that masterminded the $250 million contract A Rod has.

 

Dad and I discussed this, and he thinks that now Alfonso wil have an incentive to play better. What this will do (hopefully) is make Steinbrenner see the error of his ways, and cut a deal with the Rangers to take him back. Certainly, that wouldn't be the first time. Steinbrenner does have a soft spot, and has taken some players back into the fold before that have left for other teams, like David Wells.

 

(edit) In the interest of fairness, it was Brian Cashman that cut the deal that gave A Rod to the Yanks. But still...

[Scoot]

I don't think anybody expected The Boss (not Bruce) to let the BoSox outspend him this offseason. Plus, him getting A-Rod was a great way of showing Boston who has more muscle after they couldn't get him.

 

Besides, after losing Clemens and Pettite the Yanks probably needed A-Rod just to keep up.

 

As for the move to third, it seriously doubt any problem at all since he was a Gold Glover at short. (Was Cal Ripken the one you were thinking of Clark? He was damn near 40 at the time! )

[Mr. Phil]

Originally posted by 57pbass:

A ROD a Yankee

what?

 

no clue what that means...

[ClarkW]

Maybe I was thinking of Ripken, or maybe Travis Fryman who was Detroit's SS/3B man for several years, but my Google searches can't seem to find the right man.

 

More than likely, it was some up-and-comer to be whose career floundered before he got any notoriety, and now I can't remember his name.

 

At any rate, I guess ARod still gets paid by the dumptruck-load whether he's at SS or 3B, so what's the difference to him?

[jeremy c]

Red Sox fans weep once more.

 

The Bambino grins in his grave.

 

Can't we talk about BassBall players not BaseBall players?

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

There have been several players to move from short to third. Cal Ripken did it. It's not that hard if the player has a strong arm, which A-Rod has.

 

This was a dumb move for the Rangers. They had arguably the best player in the game and were working to build the team around him. Now, they lose him and cash and get Soriano and a player to be named. Depending on which Soriano shows up will determine how good or bad this trade is. In NY, Soriano had some good bats behind him in the lineup. He has mediocre bats all around him in Texas. Sure, Texas has some good players, but not near the caliber that NY has. If the Rookie of the Year Soriano shows up, the Rangers will fare decently. If the World Series Soriano shows up, the Rangers will see this as the worst move they've ever made.

 

From the Yankees standpoint, this was a great move. When Boone comes back from the DL, he goes back to third and A-Rod moves to 2nd. Sure this lineup looks great on paper, unless you look at who the Astros got from thr Yankees. You lose 2 great starting pitchers and add a heavy hitting infielder. I guess they're invoking the St. Louis Rams theory of winning--don't worry about limiting your opponent's scoring, just outscore them. This will surly blow up in their faces.

 

Now, I don't wish injury on anyone, but, what happens if A-Rod gets hurt and has to spend time on the DL? Boone thought that pickup basketball game would be all fun and games, now he has a great seat to watch the entire season from the DL. Sure, the Yankees will have the best left infield in the game, but, with their lack of quality pitching, the infielders won't be getting that much work. The Yankees needed starting pitching. The Yanks will be lucky to win their division this season.

[musicalhair]

Hey Dr. Taz, I agree that Soriano could grow into a great player (and I mean like all time great, all the Yankee fans know he's got talent), but he has to learn to stop swinging at garbage pitches and if he couldn't learn it during the world series then when will he learn it? Remember, he got a standing ovation the first time he drew a walk (got to love the collective sense of humor in the stands at yankee stadium, especially in the bleachers).

 

Besides, A-Rod isn't exactly old, and I don't think he is injury prone so all in all it is a good deal. Boone going down was like a blessing almost. Plus you have to love the fact that he's switching positions, because I feel like Jeter has won four world series and A-Rod ain't won nothing. That is like another thing Yankee fans know way too well, there are big name stars and then there are winners-- and we want winners.

 

I think A Rod will do fine at third.

[Warwick Fan]

If you are a Yankee fan it is great news. If you are a true baseball fan, like me, it sucks seeing the Yankees buy Pay-Rod.

 

At the risk of being flamed . . . I have been a loyal Montreal Expos fan since their inaugural season in 1969. That is a team that developed their talent from within one of the greatest farm systems ever. Look at the talent that they developed and lost to teams with more money (Randy Johnson, Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom, etc. and quite recently Vladimir Guerrerro).

 

Anyone ever wonder why MLB owners are willing to pay an average salary of 3 Million yet they demand public financing for new stadiums??

 

MLB needs to adopt a system more like the NFL where most every team has a legitimate chance to win. As I said . . . unless you are a Yankee fan I don't see the excitement in seeing the Yankees in the playoffs every year.

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

Originally posted by Warwick Fan:

If you are a Yankee fan it is great news. If you are a true baseball fan, like me, it sucks seeing the Yankees buy Pay-Rod.

 

At the risk of being flamed . . . I have been a loyal Montreal Expos fan since their inaugural season in 1969. That is a team that developed their talent from within one of the greatest farm systems ever. Look at the talent that they developed and lost to teams with more money (Randy Johnson, Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom, etc. and quite recently Vladimir Guerrerro).

 

Anyone ever wonder why MLB owners are willing to pay an average salary of 3 Million yet they demand public financing for new stadiums??

 

MLB needs to adopt a system more like the NFL where most every team has a legitimate chance to win. As I said . . . unless you are a Yankee fan I don't see the excitement in seeing the Yankees in the playoffs every year.

Excellent points. Baseball needs a salary cap. I'm sick of seeing Steinbrenner buy each World Series they win. I'm sick of seeing all the best players in the pinstripes. But, from a business standpoint, I completely understand. You want your product to be the best it can be to get more people to buy it. If the Yankees win more, they will sell more tickets and merchandise. With the turnstiles turning more, concessions will skyrocket. George sees that the fans are pouring through the gates in sellout numbers on a daily basis, so he raises ticket prices. He makes even more money. It's smart for business but bad for baseball. The Yankees will pay out over $200 million in salaries next season alone. We saw what that got them last season when they had Clemens and Pettite. Now, the Astros have them and I have been grinning from ear to ear ever since. I cannot wait for baseball season to start.

[getz out]

I have a rod, but I don't think Steinbrenner would pay $250 million for it. I've heard it's worth every penny of that amount, though, from some loyal fans.

 

And get your mind out of the gutter...

 

http://members.aol.com/roderickst/img/stewart.gif

[mcbn]

Originally posted by Mr. Phil.:

Originally posted by 57pbass:

A ROD a Yankee

what?

 

no clue what that means...

Alex Rodriguez was bought by the Yankees.

 

Let's talk about true baseball and what it takes for a REAL team to make it. The Chicago Cubs have battled and battled for years and came very close last season only to be beaten by a team that, very much like the Yankees, buys its players.

 

Wrigley field is always packed. Wrigley is packed after a 4 hour rain delay, Wrigley is packed when it is snowing, Wrigley is packed when it is 105 degrees.

 

2004 is the Year of the Cubs. The line up is strong, we picked up a couple of good players this off season (Pudge Rodriguez to name one). The Yankees can spend all they want to, but you will hear roars coming out of the Cubbie Bear during the World Series next year.

[musicalhair]

I agree that baseball is messed up, but The Yankees grew the bulk of their talent in their minor league system. Even the big names they bought half the time fail completely. Did anyone complain when the Yankess were losing? And if the Red Sox buy this world series is it better than the yankees winning it?

 

I remember the last strike shortened season where the Yankees after years and years of losing were big time contending for a shot at getting to the world series and the Expos looked like they were going to be the opponent. I really wanted to see that and I got the distinct impression that Buck Showalter had a nervous break down when that season ended abruptly.

 

Half the owners steal money out of their teams earnings to play gamling debts or float their other interests and never think once about putting a good team on the field or building a good farm system. To me the expos are one of the exceptions (twins also).

 

And the Yankees didn't pay A-Rod all that money. Everyone in New York knew Texas was signing their own death certificate when they signed A-Rod. Texas is still going to be Paying A-Rod a big chuck of the contract. As it stands A-Rod and Jeter together won't win unless the Pitching can give Rivera a lead to hold on to in the 9th.

 

Steinbrenner is on record saying he only resents the luxury tax because the other owners are NOT required to put the money into the team, they can buy lap dances with their share of the luxury tax if they want.

[Adamixoye]

I hate the Yankees. I wanted Boston to get A-Rod just to punk them.

 

Right about now, baseball is lame.

 

Oh yeah, but A-Rod is far better defensively than Jeter. Jeter should be the one to move.

[SteveC]

I am not a baseball fan. I wouldn't mind if ti went away. This is another example of a rich team trying to buy a championship. Baseball needs a commish with some "balls" or it will run itself right out of business.

[davebrownbass]

Of course, living down here, just 5 miles from the Ballpark in Arlington, home of the mighty Texas Rangers, you know I'd have an opinion.

 

The Rangers did some excellent things in the past. Think of all the stars that they drafted and trained. Pudge Rodriguez was only the latest.

 

And the ballpark is amazing, excellent. It's so much fun.

 

But the first dose of poison was when they were contenders, and attempted to buy key players to beat the Yanks.

 

Second dose, buy A-Rod for too much money and not enough community spirit.

 

Third dose, let Pudge go.

Fourth dose, overpay for a bunch of spare parts, like Palmeiro and Juan Gonzales and Chan HO Park.

 

Fifth dose, forget to contend for 4 years.

 

Sixth dose, trade ARod for less than he's worth.

 

Anyway, the team is taken apart now...and we'll watch baby baseball for a few years.

 

Hopefully, Showalter can rebuild.

 

Here's to the Yanks...pretty classy team. Good luck with all that third bass stuff.

[g.]

Me hopes to use anon proxy and fictitious account to post OT threads on sports forums. I'm sure they really would rather talk about bass amps - if they only get the chance ; }

 

Where's the thread about the swimwear models? ; }

[cornbread_medhotmail.com]

Originally posted by NUTT:

2004 is the Year of the Cubs. The line up is strong, we picked up a couple of good players this off season (Pudge Rodriguez to name one). The Yankees can spend all they want to, but you will hear roars coming out of the Cubbie Bear during the World Series next year.

Unless this happened today, Pudge is playing for Detroit. Just like you Cubs fans to try and steal everything from other teams. I guess you're going to blame the goat for this one, too, huh.

[musicalhair]

Originally posted by Adamixoye:

I hate the Yankees. I wanted Boston to get A-Rod just to punk them. ... Oh yeah, but A-Rod is far better defensively than Jeter. Jeter should be the one to move.

Yeah, I hope that whole hating thing works out well for you. Waiting for Boston to "punk" the yankees has been a really long wait, hasn't it?

 

A-Rod might be a bigger star, but Jeter has won.

 

What I don't get is they yankees didn' sign the biggest stars: not Manny Ramirez, not A-Rod (Yanks got him by trading, and Texas is eating much of the contract), not Sammy Sosa, not Barry Bonds, not Pedro or Randy Johnson or Schilling, or Ken Griffey Jr. No Yankees have won an MVP ro Cy Young or anything in a long long time. Yankees win or try to win. Boston finally figured it out when they got Schilling. It wasn't Mickey Mantle that won all those world series it was Whitey Ford-- pitching wins.

 

Hate all you want. Yankees don't want Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., or any other flavor of the month. Yankees want guys that walk up to the plate or mound and win. IF ARod wants to join the yankees and stand next to a winner like Jeter, the good for him for showing some class.

 

And for Texas: Showalter is a genius. Steinbrenner ran him out of here because people were seeing Buck and Stick as the brains behind the Yankees and not "the boss". IF Texas owners invest in pitching and find a way to keep pitching healthy then Buck will win or at least build a winner before he gets run out of town like he did in NY and Arizona.

[Nicklab]

I'm happy to have him. Especially since Boston upped the ante during this off-season. And he showed the class to defer to Derek Jeter and move to third. Even as a shortstop converted to a thirdbaseman, I think he's a big defensive upgrade from Aaron Boone. The only downside? It's gonna be even tougher to get Yankee tickets now!

[Adamixoye]

It's sports. My hatred does not have to be rational, though I will argue it is not without its reasons.

 

The Yankees do have a good, if not great, farm system, I admit. And they have done a good job coaching, etc. But their money is still the #1 factor in their dominance (or a factor that is at least as important as the farm system) in that they can keep their home-grown stars, add plenty of high-quality free agents (Giambi, Lofton, Sheffield), and trade for big contracts (Clemens, A-Rod).

 

Believe me, if I were a Yankees fan I would love it. Seeing as how I am a Royals fan, I hate it. Baseball would be well-served by the type of salary cap that football has. In football, even when my favorite team (Chiefs) is not in it, it's fun to watch the struggle of the other teams, see upsets galore, "any given Sunday"-type of stuff. So my preference is (A) my team wins and if not (B) variety. The Yankees winning all the time is neither, and that's why I hate them. Simple enough.

[Adamixoye]

By the way, to the few who have (gently) complained that this is way off topic, we have one sports thread every few months. I think the forum can handle it and (*gasp*) it might even be a good thing, interacting on a topic other than bass/music.

 

Also, if I can't get my 600th post complaining about the Yankees in a bass forum, then the terrorists have already won!

[Nicklab]

Well, there is a way to look at how what the Yankees do is positive:

 

1) Steinbrenner puts a lot of the profits back into the team to win. The richest owner in MLB, the owner of the Twins does not do that.

 

2) The core of the Yankees over the past several years is homegrown talent: Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettite, Alfonso Soriano, etc.

 

3) The Yankees help other teams draw bigger crowds to their ballparks when they're in town.

 

4) The luxury tax that the Yankees pay goes directly to the 6 poorest teams in MLB.

[musicalhair]

Originally posted by Nicklab:

Well, there is a way to look at how what the Yankees do is positive:

4) The luxury tax that the Yankees pay goes directly to the 6 poorest teams in MLB.

And that money goes directly to gambling debts and hookers, not to players or scouts or even exercise equipment.

[Nicklab]

Well, if MLB can force the teams to put that into payroll, they should. But, they're doing no such thing. Even the vaunted commissioner's Milwaulkee Brewers don't do it either.

[Afro_Man]

Can all the people who don't live in America and actually got what they were talking about just from the first line please put their hands up. (im just curious because i understand its about baseball and about some guy being bought for another team, sorta like the english football league i guess, don't really get that either)

Nic

[Nicklab]

In simple terms: The best player in baseball (Alex Rodriguez)was traded from the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees for the Yankees second baseman (Alfonso Soriano) & a minor league pitcher to be named later.

[Cthulhu Fhtagn]

As far as I'm concerned, an A-Rod is a channeled and sectioned Ford Model A with a blown 302 and more chrome than all the bridges in all the basses at Samash.

 

... and baseball has (in MY opinion) sucked ever since the world series strike and Boston's and NY's attempts to buy a world series.

 

There. I said it. Now, does anyone know of any baseball players that play bass?

[The Fonz]

the red sox sold the greatest ballplayer ever so the owner wouldn't have to fold his other businesses. they deserve the curse.

 

the red sox now pay more for any single player than anyone else. texas is paying a good chunk of a-rods contract and the yankees pay less for him than they do for jeter. the both of which are less than manny ramirez.

 

as for the yankees buying championships, a lot of teams buy expensive players and the only other team it's worked for is the detroit red wings. look at the dodgers, the mets, the red sox. we'll even look at my beloved new york rangers. money doesn't always mean titles. the fact is players come to new york and play like Yankees and that's why they win.

 

frankly i was impressed by how long this thread took to get bitter. there is one thing to remember. the red sox spend just as much as the yankees do.