Two A-Rod posts in a row- We Must Be The NY Media!

Let us go through some of the things A-Rod has been accused of in the 24 hours, and some logical explanations that the NY Media would HATE to bring up:

1) Creating a PR stunt to coincide with his daughters visiting him at the World Baseball Classic
A-Rod's family is considerably closer to the location of the Dominican workout facility than to Tampa. It was an opportunity for his young daughters to see him in his home country's uniform. Like it or not, he is from the Dominican Republic.

2) Soliciting Katie Couric for advice on what team to play for prior to opting out of his contract in late 2007.
Rodriguez was likely speaking in jest. Absolute non-story manufactured by the media.

3) Insulting Derek Jeter by complimenting Jose Reyes.

Here is what A-Rod said:

"I wish he was leading off on our team, playing on our team," "That's fun to watch. Anytime you have that type of speed... I mean, we have a guy in (Brett) Gardner that'll be fun. That's probably the most you can have, watching those guys run."

He was responding to a question about Jose Reyes taking an extra base and then stealing third in an exhibition game against the Marlins.

He was clearly just saying that Reyes is an exciting player. He probably should have said "I wish there was a spot on the Yankees for Jose Reyes." Have we not learned that A-Rod isn't the best speaker by now? Did anyone ever stop to think that English WAS NOT Alex's first language? This is going the extra mile to defend him, but the fact remains that he is an athlete, not a professor, and English is his second language. Can we ever cut him a break? By the way, how was what he said not more of a slight to the leadoff hitter of the Yankees, Johnny Damon. Last we checked, JD had an OPS+ of 118 last year and stole 29 bases - not too shabby!

The fact is, the NY media NEEDS to have an A-Rod story every day, because they are too lazy to research or investigate other stories. Some of them have personal vendettas against A-Rod such as George King III or Peter Abraham. It is just surprising they lumped all of this filler garbage in one 24 hour period - think of all the papers they could have sold if they spread this "news" out!

Talk about it in the Stadium Insider Forums!

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Michael Kay will hate you for "tacking on"

According to Michael Kay on today's YES broadcast, Alex Rodriguez is tied for the major league lead with 9 "tack-on homeruns" in 2008. A "tack-on homerun" by definition is one when your team is up by 3 or more runs. It makes perfect sense! The opposing team can never come back from a three run deficit.

The real comedy in this is that Michael Kay became obsessed with this "stat" in a game that saw the Yankees come back from a 5-0 deficit, and the Angels come back from an 8-5 deficit.

Remember kids, if your team is up by 3 runs or more, you should just make an out. Definitely don't hit a homerun. That run will be meaningless and will NEVER help your team win a game.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

At this very moment...

Journalistic magic is occurring as George King III writes the predictable article about the Yankees being a better team without A-Rod since they have won 2 straight since his quad injury/ birth of his child. I just can't wait until it hits the world wide web so I can ridicule it!


Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

FireGeorgeKingIII.com? My obsession continues - more A-Rod bashing

Wohooooo! Three A-Rod posts in a row! Guess I'm falling into the trap. Anyway, I would like to preface this with the disclaimer that I DO NOT read the NY Post (or any of the NY tabloids). However, people bring this stuff to my attention, and I just have to ridicule it.

Our good buddy George King III (thanks again for that photo exclusive G-Dog), sneaked a bit of A-Rod bashing into last night's NY Post game story, even though A-Rod was probably cooing at his baby in the hospital as the game was being played.

The win, which didn't include Alex Rodriguez who was nursing a sore right quad muscle in Miami, where his second daughter was born Monday night, was the Yankees' second straight and hiked their record to 11-10.

After watching Billy Traber and Brian Bruney load the bases with one out in the seventh and the Yankees leading 6-3, Joe Girardi called for Chamberlain.

He struck out Carlos Quentin, walked Joe Crede after being ahead of him, 1-2, to force in a run and left the bases drunk by getting Juan Uribe on a pop-up.

Chamberlain hurled a scoreless eighth when he worked with a five-run bulge thanks' to Damon's second homer in as many games.

"You kick yourself when you walk people," Chamberlain said. "I gave [the run] up for Billy."

Wang, who gave up three runs and 10 hits in six innings, won his 50th big-league game in his 85th start. That's the quickest to 50 since Dwight Gooden won his 50th game in his 82nd start. Ron Guidry won his 50th game in his 82nd start in 1979.

Since he is hitting .150 (3-for-20) with runners in scoring position, Rodriguez wasn't missed by the Yankees in the clutch. Nobody knows when he will return to the lineup. But for one night Abreu, Giambi and Damon supplied the muscle that Rodriguez is famous for.

The first mention is completely acceptable. Yankees playing without Rodriguez = big story. However, after typical game story stuff, George King III shows his typical A-Rod hatred. Someone, anyone, PLEASE tell me how that paragraph in bold above was AT ALL pertinent to the game story?

One day we will find out the truth behind a couple of the great mysteries of New York Sports. The photos that Isiah Thomas has of James Dolan in a precarious position will be revealed and we will find out some wacked-out connection between George King III and A-Rod that will lead to an epiphany about his obvious hatred.

Does a photo exist of George King III exist on the interwebs? I can't seem to find one. I want to create a logo for these posts. Let me know in the comments.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

A-Rod leaves Abreu hanging - really, George King - REALLY?!

From the paper that brought you Stray-Rod comes A-Rod leaves Abreu hanging:

Damn - now I have to go all FJM on your asses.

Because every move he makes is under a huge spotlight,

Drafted version of this intro that was left on the cutting room floor:
We here at the NY Post hate Alex Rodriguez and want to point out to our dumb readers - who only educate themselves by reading the tabloids - every bit of A-Rod news that could potentially be construed by someone as even a little bit controversial. Reason for being cut? Run-on sentence.

Alex Rodriguez was asked last night why he doesn't shake hands, exchange fist knuckles or acknowledge Bobby Abreu when Abreu homers in front of him.

George King didn't happen to be the one asking that question, did he? Nahh, he wouldn't have. George King would never stir up A-Rod controversy.

As Abreu approaches the plate Rodriguez is off to the left side going through his preparation to hit, a program that includes a violent practice swing.

You hear that, kids? A-Rod is violent. We all know to steer clear of violence. Violence is bad.

"I have always done that because I don't like celebrating on the field,"

Jerk. All of the cool guys celebrate on the field. Didn't you see Manny raise his hands like he had just won a World Series when he hit that HR off of Moose last night? The fans in Boston love Manny. Celebration = fan love.

Rodriguez said before last night's 7-5 loss to the Red Sox in which he went 1-for-4 and 0-for-1 in the clutch to lower his batting average to .067 (1-for-15) with runners in scoring position.

WOAH - where did that come from? A-Rod is violent, doesn't celebrate with his teammates and now he sucks in the "clutch". How about the fact that he is tied for the lead on the Yankees in OPS+, leads the team in HRs and SLG % has a .980 fielding percentage at third base and he has played in every game this year. I'm sure he has done all of that in meaningless situations. Don't forget the fact that A-Rod is 10-29 with men on base so far this year, with a .345 .406 .586 line. Of course, these sample sizes are silly and the stats can be twisted any way we want this early in the season. Sorry to rain on your A-Rod bashing parade, Mr. King.

"When the hitter in front of me strikes out, I don't go over and pat him on the shoulder."

Of course you don't, A-Rod. You are violent, you don't celebrate with your teammates, and you are and always have been terrible in the clutch. Why would anyone expect you to show compassion for your mentally distraught teammate after he makes a heartbreaking out. I bet you're in the dugout putting on your purple lipstick while Abreu is kicking over the water cooler.

If that blurb in the NY Post today wasn't the most obvious, straight to the point A-Rod bashing veiled as news in the history of the NY tabloids, I don't know what is.

Talk about it in the NYYSI Forums! Read the full post, after the jump

Quesiton for my "fellow" Yankees fans and New York Media

PLEASE, riddle me this:

A-Rod makes an error in the 1st game - the fans boo, the back page mentions it.

Jeter makes an error in the 1st game - no reaction anywhere

A-Rod plays a flawless game in the field in the 2nd game, has an RBI double, but pops out to end the 8th - he gets booed and "fails in the clutch" according to the back pages

Jeter makes two errors in the 2nd game (3 on the season already) - doesn't get booed, back pages have it as their SECOND bullet point

Bobby Abreu TAPS back to the pitcher BEFORE A-Rod with ONE out and fails to drive in the tying run - no reaction anywhere (not the fans or the papers).

These aren't low-paid, low expectation guys that failed the Yankees and got off the hook. Last I check DJ and Bobby are two of the higher paid players in ALL of baseball. Why are they not under the microscope? Why are they not "blamed"? Look, I'm not blaming anyone for last night's debacle of a game. If I was at the stadium or writing the tag lines of the back pages, I wouldn't have blamed anyone. Last night was a COMPLETE team loss from top to bottom.

However, Alex CERTAINLY should not be taking the brunt of the fans and media's ire. He has become the ULTIMATE whipping boy and this is getting sick and twisted.

I think even the STAUNCHEST of A-Rod haters can agree that the fan/media reaction to A-Rod's game last is asinine at best.

Again, let me say this slowly -

last night's loss was no ONE player's fault .

Fans need to realize that a whipping boy isn't always necessary. Sometimes a loss is just a loss.

And let me add this...

I actually just heard this on the way into my office building (NO LIE):

[Supposed] Yankee fan:
"I actually don't mind the loss too much because of the way A-Rod failed"

I just ran into my building before I punched this FRAUD of a fan in the face.

Anyway, last night I heard on the radio a "fan" that was at the game call in and actually say "this is the end of the line for A-Rod, he just can't cut it in NY"

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?!?!?!?

I know I shouldn't get worked up about it, but seriously, I am embarrassed to be a Yankee fan at this point!

I am going to the game with Nick2Slick tonight. Hopefully I won't get into any sort of scrum with any of the people I have mentioned above. Read the full post, after the jump