alex rodriguez

New York Yankees: Loose odds and ends of interest to Yankee fans (video)

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New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu

There are days that there are no big New York Yankee stories to report on, but there is always news that might be of interest to those same fans. Some involve the Yankees directly, and some others are just interesting stories that show up on the web. Here are a few of those stories.

Mets general manager fired over lued behavior

The New York Mets have recently learned sexual behavior issues with their just hired general manager Jared Porter. He allegedly harassed a young female journalist while Vice President of the Chicago Cubs. Apparently, something was missing in the Met’s vetting of their new GM. According to an ESPN report, the women received over 60 unsolicited text messages from Porter, even a photo of a penis. Porter has admitted to his behavior, and Steve Cohen, the Met’s owner, immediately fired him this morning.

ESPN re-hires ex-Yankee star Alex Rodriquez

ESPN has announced that Yankee star Alex Rodriquez will again announce and provide commentary for the Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN presented by Taco Bell. The press release also had Buster Olney and Matt Vesgersian at his side.  This will be Rodriguez’s 4th year with Sunday night baseball. He is a 14-time MLB All-Star and three-time American League MVP, made his regular-season ESPN broadcast debut on Opening Night in 2018. Half of Yankee fans have no use for Rodriguez and the other half like listening to his vast knowledge of the game.

Yankees could target Kirby Yates, but what about the Jays?

Kirby Yates would be the perfect reliever for the New York Yankees to fill the hole caused by the departing Tommy kahnle, who recently signed a two-year contract with the Dodgers. But the Yankees are not the only team looking at Yates. The Yankees have missed several top relievers while they waited for DJ LeMahieu to sign with the team. They may lose another option. Yates, according to John Heyman, is in Dunedin, Florida today, the Jays training site. Again, looks good for them to get the star reliever. Yates underwent surgery in August to remove bone chips from his right elbow.

Will DJ LeMahieu contribute for six years?

The Yankees originally wanted to sign DJ LeMahieu to a three years contract. Still, after two months of negotiations that seemed to be going nowhere, they ended up signing him to a money-saving six-year contract. But the deal worked for both parties, a low annual cost for the Yankees and DJ, security for six years until he will probably retire. The question is can DJ continue to perform as he has for the last two years with the Yankees deep into his contract? The answer to that is probably not. But with LeMahieu’s good injury record his easy play, he sure can repeat several years in and even in his fifth and sixth year compete at a satisfactory level. Even at 32, he not only shows no decline but seems to get only better with age.

These Yankee players are avoiding arbitration.

Several New York Yankee players avoided arbitration last week by accepting small raises and a non-guaranteed one year deal. Included in those that accepted were the Yankee slugger Aaron Judge who will earn $10.175 million this year, Gary Sanchez, $6.35 million, Gleyber Torres, $4 million, Gio Urshela settled for $4.65  million, Luke Voit will get $4.7 million, Jordan Mongomery agreed to $2.5 million, Clint Frazier at $2.1 million, and Chad Green signed a one year $2.15 million contract. Ben Heller and Luis Cessa signed earlier before the deadline.

The Yankees trade for Luis Castillo is pretty well dead

The Cincinnati Reds overstepped in their negotiations to trade Luis Castillo to the Yankees by demanding that Gleyber Torres and a few other prospects would put the star reliever in pinstripes, but the Yankees said flatly NO. No way they will trade away their shortstop. With the Red’s demand for Torres, that pretty much makes any deal for the reliever dead in the water.

Gleyber Torres will be ready for the 2021 season

The New York Yankees have reported that Gleyber Torres was not ready to start the season as the 2020 season started, and it took him half the season to be where he should have been at the beginning of the season. Manager Boone stated that he screwed up his preparation between the spring training cut short and the beginning of summer camp. He also said that Torres is preparing and will be ready for this upcoming season. Torres was recently seen working out with fellow 2019 American League All-Star first baseman and catcher with the Indians Carlos Santana.

 

 

 

 

 

New York Yankees: This week in New York Yankee’s history

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In the glorious history of the New York Yankees, almost every day has significance in Yankee history.  This week was the first time in baseball history that the New York Highlanders were referred to as the “Yankees” by the Boston newspaper, the Boston Herald. The team would officially become the New York Yankees 1913. Here are some other notable happenings this week in Yankee history.

10/26/1950: The BBWAA selects Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto (.324, 7, 66) as the American League MVP. The ‘Scooter,’ who receives 16 of 23 first-place votes, easily outpoints runner-up Boston’s Billy Goodman, the first player without a regular position to receive consideration for the prestigious award.

10/26/1996: After two stunning defeats at home, 12-1 and 4-0 losses, to start the series, the Yankees win the next four games to clinch their first World Series since 1978 with a 3-2 victory in the Bronx over the defending World Champs Braves. The Fall Classic victory will be the first title of four in five years for the Bronx Bombers.

10/26/2000: In Game 5 at Shea Stadium, the Yankees win their third consecutive World Series, the fourth title in five years, and record 26th championship by defeating the Mets, 4-2. Luis Sojo’s ninth-inning two-out, tie-breaking single off starter Al Leiter is the decisive hit.

10/27/1954: Former Yankees superstar Joe DiMaggio’s and actress Marilyn Monroe’s well-publicized stormy marriage ends in divorce after the famous movie star files on the grounds of mental cruelty, just 274 days after the wedding. Joltin’ Joe will send roses to ex-wife’s grave three times per week for the next 20 years after she died in 1962.

10/27/1999: The Yankees, behind the solid pitching of Roger Clemens, sweep their second straight Fall Classic, beating the Braves, 4-1. Atlanta joins the New York Giants (1910-19) as the only teams to lose four World Series in a decade.

10/29/2009: Derek Jeter is the recipient of this year’s Roberto Clemente Award, an honor given to a player who best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, and community involvement. The 35-year-old Yankee captain joins 13 Hall of Famers and former Bronx Bombers Ron Guidry and Don Baylor in winning the prestigious prize.

10/30/2007: The Yankees sign Joe Girardi to a three-year deal worth a reported $7.5 million to replace popular manager Joe Torre, who left earlier in the month, rejecting a 29% pay cut after guiding his club to their 12th postseason appearance in 12 years. The 43-year-old former catcher and broadcaster, the NL manager of the year with the 2006 Marlins, beat out coaches Don Mattingly and Tony Pena to become the team’s 32nd skipper.

10/31/2000: New York Yankees completed the threepeat. The Yankees defeated the New York Mets, 4-2 in Game 5 of the World Series at Shea Stadium. The Subway Series victory earned the Yankees their twenty-sixth title in franchise history. They became the first team since the 1972-74 Oakland Athletics to threepeat. No other team has even repeated as champs since this team. It also capped off a run of four titles in five seasons for the Yankees.

10/31/2009: Alex Rodriguez’s Game 3 fly ball in the right-field corner of Citizens Bank Park becomes the subject of the first instant replay call in World Series history. The Yankee third baseman’s hit, initially ruled a double, is changed by the umpires to a home run after the replay clearly shows the ball going over the fence before striking a television camera and bouncing back to the field.

EmpireSportMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam

 

New York Mets Opinion: Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez Need To Quit

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As each day marches forward towards the end of the season, we get closer to the New York Mets being handed off to Steve Cohen. Unfortunately, Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez see that differently and attempt to brainwash people into thinking the same way. Despite it being a 99% chance for Cohen to own the team, they continue to hang on to the 1% of hope, and they are making a circus out of it.

The Wilpon’s personal reporter, Andy Martino, dropped a new report that Mayor Bill de Blasio could stop the sale. Martino’s reporting is the baseball world’s equivalent of Rudy Giuliani leaks to the NY Post. It is not just the de Blasio report that is continuing the Cohen slander. ESPN’s First Take made it a topic of discussion that Lopez should be the owner because she is a woman and minority.

Alex Rodriguez is employed by ESPN and has made plenty of friends with the higher-ups of the network. It became another play by Rodriguez to have this topic discussed on the channel’s most-watched show so it could become a trending topic on social media. Using the media and other people is exactly how this process has gone since Rodriguez lost the team.

Nothing But Talk

This is the “sore loser” game Rodriguez loves to play when his back is up against the wall, but it does not stop there. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is Rodriguez’s mentor and also joined A-Rod in his quest to stop Cohen. In 2013, the two coupled to work with Bud Selig to reduce Rodriguez’s record 211 game suspension. Reinsdorf and A-Rod were in cahoots again as the White Sox owner was the one person in the ownership committee who voted against Cohen’s bid on the ownership committee. Reinsdorf also successfully lobbied against Cohen’s run to buy the Dodgers in 2012, but no such miracle is in place to stop Cohen now.

Rodriguez continued his imaginary promises to Mets fans when he stated that he would raise the Mets payroll to $225 million if he became the team’s owner. The statement in itself is laughable, and it does not take a brilliant accountant to understand making that happen under A-Rod’s ownership would be impossible. The reason Cohen is getting the team is because of the enormous amount of money he brings to the table.

At the moment, Cohen would absorb the debt left by the Wilpons and still have plenty left over to continue to improve the franchise. On the other hand, Rodriguez’s net worth ($350 million) is equal to the amount the debt the Mets are in. The money would have to come from other investors instead of A-Rod himself.

Why Cohen Gets the Team

People outside the situation still do not understand who Steve Cohen really is. Whether people like him or not, there is no denying that he is a brilliant businessman. Cohen shows his strategic abilities to escape trouble by avoiding any financial criminal charges while making his fortune. His hedge fund was the focal point of a prior investigation. The advisors plead guilty, but Cohen got nothing despite being the heart of S.A.C. Capital.

A prime example of this “4D Chess” game that Cohen has mastered shows his decision to pay the Mets seasonal employees during the offseason. The $2,500 committed money to each of the 1,140 workers is a move Rodriguez cannot make. This was announced way before the de Blasio news broke, which is why paying the workers came first.

Should de Blasio halt the deal he is making a statement against Cohen, the workers, and the unions representing them. The mayor is disliked in his state by teachers and law enforcement unions due to prior mistakes. Should he want any future political career in NY or even the country he cannot afford more enemies.

Cohen also did the same by hiring Sandy Alderson to a key position in his front office. Alderson is widely respected throughout baseball and shows his commitment to bettering the franchise. This is a classic case of someone playing chess while the opponent is playing checkers. Cohen has everything to become the owner despite any distractions his opponent tries to put out. The final vote for Cohen could come as soon as the first week of November. Should this be an action movie, Cohen is standing over A-Rod while he tries to hang on to the ledge by his fingernails with Lopez dangling from his ankle.

 

Alex Rodriguez ‘had a plan to save New York Mets’, including a payroll increase

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez, the former New York Yankees’ star, and his fiancée Jennifer Lopez had a plan to acquire the New York Mets. The Wilpons, who had owned the franchise since 2002, put the team on sale and the “J-Rod” combo was a finalist to end up with exclusive negotiating rights.

However, their attempt was unsuccessful in the end, as hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen, a lifelong New York Mets’ fan, entered an agreement with the Wilpons and is now on his way to finalize a deal to own the club.

While Cohen’s deep pockets represent a glimpse of hope for Mets’ fans that their team could eventually become a perennial contender in the National League, Rodriguez claims he had a plan to save the team, one that included an increased payroll.

Rodriguez talked to Newsday, and said:

“The Mets were a team I grew up watching. I thought that the Mets did — and do — have an opportunity to be one of the great franchises around the world, with an incredible fan base, and we were really excited to take payroll from like $150 [million] to $225 [million] and bring a championship back to the city of New York. What I learned is that these national treasures [sports franchises] are coveted very badly.”

Cohen is expected to be the new Mets’ owner

MLB’s ownership committee approved the sale to Cohen earlier this week, but to be considered the new Mets’ owner, Cohen needs to gain approval from at least 23 of the remaining 29 ownership groups. It should happen in November.

The final numbers of the Mets’ sale are said to be around $2.4 billion. According to Forbes, Cohen’s net worth is at $14.5 billion.

Rodriguez and Lopez had gathered quite the supporting group to his bid, including Washington Wizards star shooting guard Bradley Beal, Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee, former NFL stars Brian Urlacher, Joe Thomas, and DeMarco Murray.

The Mets failed to qualify to the MLB playoffs, but have an impressive core of talented players to make a run in the near future. Jeff McNeil, Jacob deGrom, Michael Conforto, Dominic Smith, David Peterson, Pete Alonso, J.D. Davis, Edwin Diaz and company are still under contract.

Alex Rodriguez takes shot at Brian Cashman for meddling in game 2 plan

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New York Yankees, Yankees, Brian Cashman

Since the New York Yankees plowed through the Tampa Bay Rays in game one, they’ve lost two consecutive matchups in the ALDS.

Pitching remains the Yankees’ biggest weakness and most prevalent liability. Their inability to hold down teams has been apparent for the regular season, and that same streak has followed them into the postseason. In game 2, the Yankees took an odd approach that resulted in a devastating loss that completely shattered their positive momentum.

Former Yankee Alex Rodriguez had strong words for Brian Cashman, who clearly meddled in their game plan.

“I’m still scratching my head,” Rodriguez said. “You’re the New York Yankees. You’re the biggest, most successful franchise maybe in sports. You’re number one in payroll with $240 million. You have to play your game. You’ve done it for over 120 years. You have 27 championships. You’ve done it as an alpha. You’ve done it the old-fashioned way.

“You get to Game 1, you do it the old-fashioned way,” A-Rod went on. “Great starting pitching and you get nine outs from the bullpen. And then to Game 2, the front office wants to get involved and then you start getting gimmicky. To me, the Yankee roster has to bail out Brian Cashman and the front office. And they’ve done some wonderful things. Game 2 was a mistake, and it was a mistake for about 20 different reasons.

“The players start saying, ‘What are we doing?’ You start spending so much time trying to figure out how to outsmart the Ivy Leaguers over there. That’s not your game. Don’t play Jeopardy!, play baseball. Players win championships.”

Out of all of Rodriguez‘s takes, this is a decent one. The Yankees tried to take a strange analytical approach that backfired significantly. Instead of taking the old fashion route that relied on their starting pitching, they injected young arm, Deivi Garcia, into a must-win game. His one run in the first inning gave the Rays momentum that allowed them to crush JA Happ immediately after.

“I’m sorry for ranting here, but we used to say, ‘If a manager can stay out of the game, that’ll be great.’ Now we have to say, ‘Front offices have to stay out of the game.’ Frustrating,” he said. “That last thing I’ll say is it’s unfortunate that Aaron Boone has to sit there and explain to the media what he’s doing.

“I would love the smart Ivy Leaguers to come down – the front office – and explain to us why that was a smart move for the New York Yankees and that fan base.”

While people will blame Aaron Boone for this mishap, this goes much deeper into the front office. The Yankees need to rely on their guns and listen to the people they evidently pay to make these decisions.

Cashman needs to stick to his job and begin looking at free agents to bolster the starting pitching rotation. With the Yankees down 1-2 in the series, game 4 is essential, and they are banking on Jordan Montgomery to bring his A-game.

New York Yankees Top 10’s: A history of great 3rd baseman, who were your favorites?

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

The New York Yankees, in their glorious history, have many of the best players ever to play at their positions in the history of MLB.  In this installment of Yankee top 10’s, I give my picks for the best Yankee 3rd baseman throughout the Yankees years.  In the very near future, this list may change, as Yankee third baseman Gio Urshela is making his mark at the hot corner with his Gold Glove-like play.

10. Aaron Boone

Aaron Boone was an average player and didn’t play but part of one season with the New York Yankees.  His claim to fame includes playing injury-free for two years of his career while racking up 322 games within the two years, but they weren’t with the Yankees.  The only reason he makes this list at all is that as a 3rd baseman for the Yankees, he had one of the most iconic moments in baseball history.  In 2003 his home run to left field at Fenway Park brought the Yankees to the 2003 World Series.  The walk-off home run in the eleventh inning is generally considered the ninth-best home run in baseball history by Baseball Tonight.

9. Joe Sewell

Sewell played 3rd base for the Yankees from 1931 to 1933.  He would likely be placed higher on the list if he had played longer with the Yankees.  Coming from the Cleveland Indians after the 1930 season, Sewell played excellent defense at third and hit .282 over the span.  The other factor is that the Hall of Famer played most of his career with the Indians at shortstop. He played his Yankee career at third and was an MVP candidate in 1932.

8. Frank “Homerun” Baker

Baker was a well known Yankee getting his nickname from his timely home runs as Phillie.  He got 96 home runs in his career, which is not a lot by today’s standards, but in his period of play from 1908 on, it was a lot.  More specifically, his home runs won a lot of games, including postseason games.  With the Yankees, he was an excellent .942 defender of the hot corner.  He also had a .288 average with the Yankees.

7. Clete Boyer

Clete Boyer as a Yankee fan-favorite between 1959-1966.  Boyer would have been a national star at third except that he played at the same time as Brooks Robinson on of MLB’s greatest third baseman.  He wasn’t as good a hitter as Boggs or Brosius, but his defense was second only to Robinson. He had 25 home runs as a Yankee and batted .243

6. Gil McDougald

Gil would be rated considerably higher in this list if it wasn’t for manager Casey Stengel penchant for platooning players.  McDougald played much of his time at second base while with the Yankees and is in the top 10 in that position as well.  He won an All-Star nod in 1952 at third.  The reason he places lower than Scott Brosius is because of his World Series stats.  McDougald hit .237 in World Series play, and Brosius hit .314.

5. Scott Brosius

Scott Brosius was another New York Yankee fan favorite.  He played during the dynasty years from 1998 to 2001. During his four years with the Yankees, he hit 65 home runs and batted .267.  The Yankees reached the World Series all four years during his stint with the Yankees.  He was stellar at third, but his claim to fame is his postseason stats.  In the 1998 ALDS and ALCS, he hit .350.  But in the World Series that year, he hit .417 and was named most valuable player.  All tolled in postseason play, he hit eight home runs and drove in 30.

4. Red Rolfe

Red Rolfe was a product of the Ivy League Dartmouth College.  He was an All-Star four of his ten years with the New York Yankees. In 1939 he had 213 hits, 46 doubles while scoring 139 runs.  1939 was his best year with the Yankees when he batted .329, one of four seasons above .300.  He ended his career, all ten of which with the Yankees.  His career batting average was .289, with almost 1,000 runs scored.

3. Wade Boggs

Boggs might be at the top of this list, but he is known mostly as a Boston Red Sox.  He played only five of his 18 seasons with the Yankees.  Those five years were impactful not only for his defense at 3rd but for a .313 batting average as a Yankee. In his first four years with the Yankees, he hit over .300 and was an All-Star each of those years.  He also won two Gold Glove awards while he was a Yankee.

In most of his years with the Yankees, he led off due to his hitting and walking abilities. Like the present DJ LeMahieu, he found a way to get on base. To set the stage for the 1996 World Series, the Yankees had lost the first two games at Yankee Stadium, then won three in a row in Atlanta. Back at Yankee Stadium, the Yankee had two chances to win the World Series. They didn’t need it as they won game six against the Braves. Boggs walked in the three-run third inning, and that was all the Yankees needed. During the Championship celebration, Boggs left the dogpile in one of the most iconic moments in Yankee history, jumped on the back of one of the police horses, and rounded the warning track in celebration of the victory.

2. Graig Nettles

Graig Nettles won of the finest defenders at the hot corner. He won two Gold Gloves at the position but was another player overshadowed by Brooks Robinson, often considered the best 3rd baseman in all of baseball history.  Graig played an incredible 22 years, 11 with the New York Yankees.  Although not the best hitter on the club, he did hit 250 home runs as a Yankee.  Nettles’ Game Three defensive performance in the 1978 World Series was as good a post-season game as any fielder ever had.

Nettles sizzled in the 1981 American League Championship Series, going 6-for-12 with 9 RBI in just three games and being named MVP.  His defensive and offensive leadership brought the Yankees two world championships, two more A.L. championships, and a fifth division title from 1976 to 1981.  He is a frequent participant in the Yankee Old Timers Day celebrations.

My number one pick for the best New York Yankee 3rd baseman will be somewhat controversial, but I can deal with that.  Many would exclude Alex Rodriguez as the top player or even exclude him from the list due to his involvement in performance-enhancing drugs.  I am not considering that and only looking at his performance at the hot corner while with the Yankees.

1. Alex Rodriguez

This writer had no trouble having Alex Rodriguez top the list of the best Yankees third baseman.  He is one of the top 20 baseball players to ever play the game of baseball and is number one or two as the best shortstop to play the game.  Rodriguez came from the Texas Rangers, where he had his best three years stat-wise.  They are also the years that he was accused of doping.  In this writer’s opinion, if he had not doped, he still would have had superstar status throughout his career.

Graig Nettles had far more appearances at 3rd than Rodriguez, but he had over 1000 games on 3rd and was by far more productive.  After being an eight-year All-Star at short for the Mariners, and the Rangers, A-Rod came to the Yankees and accepted a switch to 3rd base, as the Yankees already had a star shortstop in Derek Jeter.  To show what a universal talent Alex was, he then became a seven-year All-Star at 3rd while becoming a Yankee MVP twice and a Silver Slugger three times. At the close of his career, he was four runs short of 700 home runs 4th all-time behind Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), and Babe Ruth (714).

Many think that the Yankees got back at A-Rod for his suspension and somewhat bad relations by not letting him finish his 2016 season allowing him to reach 700 home runs.  The other punishment he will endure, probably for the rest of his life, is that his involvement in enhancing drugs will prevent one of the best players ever, from having a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Nearing the end of his 22-year career and after his suspension in 2014, he came back to the Yankees and made every effort to regain his reputation by becoming a mentor to younger players and being a leader in the clubhouse.  He finished his career with the Yankees with a .283 batting average and 351 home runs.

During the recent coronavirus, Rodriguez has been giving online baseball classes for children via his Instagram account.  He and Jennifer Lopez has partnered with their new meal-delivery company, Tiller & Hatch, and have donated an entire year’s food to the students of Jacksboro Elementary school and to stock their food pantry.

In selecting my top ten, I valued time with the club, performance as per Baseball-Reference.com.  Peak career performance and performance in postseason play was also a factor. Cheating by both A-Rod and Nettles was weighed.  Special situations like changing career positions were also a consideration.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam

 

 

New York Mets: Repole-Lopez-Rodriguez group is very much alive in race to buy the team

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

Over the weekend, it was reported that Alex Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez and Mike Repole may be out of the bidding for the New York Mets. According to Charles Gasparino of Fox Business Network, the group allegedly didn’t have enough money to compete for the team and the process would be down to Steve Cohen and the Josh Harris – David Blitzer pair. However, Ken Rosenthal reported quite the opposite on Monday.

Repole dismissed the notion that the group can’t hang around with Cohen and Harris Blitzer, and stated that “one hundred percent, we can be competitive. The entire group has more than enough money.”

The New York Mets’ sale process is being overseen by Allen & Company, and is currently ongoing. The Wilpons are hoping to sell the team by October, so a resolution isn’t too far off.

The best for the Mets, they say

Repole also went on to elaborate why he thinks his group will be the best option for the Mets and the baseball industry, in general.

“This is the best ownership group, not only for the Mets but for New York and definitely for baseball,” Repole said. “I pride myself on being a marketer. Baseball needs a little bit of a marketing wake-up call, a marketing shot in the arm. Obviously with Alex and Jennifer and what I’ve done with brands all my life, if I’m among the 29 other baseball owners and I’m Manfred, this is the team I want to own, the New York Mets in the New York market.”

Several sports stars reportedly joined the Repole – Rodriguez – Lopez group, including former NFL stars Brian Urlacher, Joe Thomas and DeMarco Murray, current player Travis Kelce, and NBA players Mason Plumlee and Bradley Beal.

The Mets, meanwhile, got swept in a two-game exhibition series against the Yankees over the weekend, and will start their 2020 season this week. The team is expected to contend for a spot in the playoffs.

The Drama of the New York Mets Sale Continues

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

As most New York baseball fans know, anything with Alex Rodriguez comes loaded with drama and endless media coverage. The hopeful future owner of the New York Mets decided to take to the media in an attempt to steal the team away from Steve Cohen.

Rodriguez never has received a “no” for something he wanted, no matter what dirty tricks he has used to pursuit it. From his record-setting contract with the Texas Rangers, then trade to a contender, to playing through and fighting a well-deserved suspension, Rodriguez is a master of using the media to get his way and is attempting to do so once again. This time it is backfiring big time at him.

No Money, No Team

It became apparent that the A-Rod/J-Lo group lacked funds when they enlisted the help of athletes across sports to help their cause. A-Rod used the media game to vouch for a salary cap to put teams on an even playing field. Once again, the highest-earning baseball player of all-time is demanding a salary cap. Since he knows he does not have the money to spend like a New York team should, Rodriguez is attempting to find a way to level the playing field.

One of A-Rod’s former teammates, Brandon McCarthy, took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with his former teammate’s comments.

Union rep Tony Clark also voiced his opinion saying, “Alex benefited as much as anybody from the battles this union fought against owners’ repeated attempts to get a salary cap.” This was not the only trick the Rodriguez team had up their sleeve.

The Race Card

One of the athletes involved with A-Rod is Bradley Beal. Whether Rodriguez had anything to do with it is still a question, but Beal put out a tweet involving race issues and Cohen’s “shady” past.

It seems ironic that an A-Rod led group is talking about shady decisions. Rodriguez could qualify for the same category as Barry Bonds and Pete Rose when it comes to off the field issues that are keeping them out of the hall of fame.

Plain and simple, if anyone had the money to compete with Cohen’s wallet, a salary cap or race issue would not be a question. Baseball only has one minority principal owner and it is Artie Moreno of the Los Angeles Angles. The MLB, more than any sport, can better their diversity and has issues with it within the sport, but this ownership issue is not one of race.

The Guggenheim Baseball Management group, with Magic Johnson as their face, bought the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 as well. Johnson has a 2.3% stake in the Dodgers ownership, but his star power had a factor in making the group popular with fans. Should his side win, Beal will likely get the same percentage.

You ask yourself this question, $1.7 billion with a net worth lower than that or $4 billion with $13.6 billion net worth? They are both enormous amounts, but the Wilpons love money more than baseball, and the MLB wants an owner who can support a winner in their biggest market. The biggest factor for this entire sale is whether the Wilpons want to keep SNY (agree to A-Rod’s deal) or hand over any power with the Mets (agree to Cohen’s deal).

Is Cohen the cleanest businessman who ever lived? No. It is hard to find someone with that much money who is completely innocent. Also, there are plenty of owners in the four major sports who are worst people; you can find a couple of them scattered in the New York sports scene.

If the A-Rod group could sniff the amount of money Cohen has, then the race card could certainly have weight to it. The extreme gap in funds, the timing of the statement, and A-Rod’s unpopularity from players throughout baseball are precisely why he is turning to plan B.

Also, think about this, Rodriguez can grab football and basketball players to join his bid, but why haven’t any former baseball players joined his quest to buy Flushing’s franchise?

New York Mets: Sports stars join “J-Rod” bid to buy the team

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New York Knicks, Marcus Morris

The race to buy the New York Mets from the Wilpons is on. Former baseball star Alex Rodriguez and his fiancée, successful singer, actress and entrepreneur Jennifer Lopez, are leading a group of investors that just got bigger.

The famous pair has managed to recruit a star-studded cast of investors in their bid to acquire the Mets. It looks like this, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN:

  • Former NFL linebacker Brian Urlacher
  • Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce
  • Three-time Pro Bowl running back DeMarco Murray
  • Former NFL offensive lineman Joe Thomas
  • Current Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal
  • Current Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee

The day set by the managing firm for interested parties to submit their bids was July 9. A-Rod and J-Lo’s group made an initial bid of close to $2 billion, significantly more than the $1.7 billion that was initially reported.

Reports indicate that “J-Rod’s” bid is very competitive and close to what billionaire hedge funder Steve Cohen offered this time around.

Cohen still interested in buying the Mets

It is important to remember that Cohen was very close to acquiring the New York Mets before the transaction fell through back in February. Back then, the franchise was valued at $2.6 billion.

Indications are that the Wilpon family would prefer to sell to Rodriguez and Lopez’s group if the bids are close enough.

“Being a former athlete and having a chance to be a part of a group trying to purchase a professional team, it’s pretty cool,” Urlacher said on Monday. “It’s especially cool to be involved with Alex. Alex is the man. You’ve got Kelce, Joe Thomas, DeMarco Murray. It’s great to be in a group with them.”

For now, the Mets are currently preparing their season while hosting training camp at Citi Field. They will play against eastern foes, meaning that they will face the New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays in addition to their regular rivals: Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals.

New York Mets: “J-Rod” bid to buy the team reportedly rivals Cohen’s

by
New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

Last week, Allen & Company set July 9 as the deadline for interested parties in buying the New York Mets from the Wilpons to submit their bids. The team has been up for sale for quite a few months now.

Allen & Company is the firm in charge of managing the sale of the Mets. Before talks broke down in February, billionaire hedge funder Steve Cohen was on the verge of completing the transaction. Now, there are several investment groups looking to secure the deal.

According to what J.P. Morgan told Charles Gasparino of Fox Business, the bid from the group led by Mike Repole, Alex Rodriguez, and Jennifer Lopez is closer to $2 billion and not the previously reported $1.7 billion that was floating around.

That is indeed a competitive offer, close to what Cohen bid this time around. Additionally, Gasparino is saying that a source close to Josh Harris and David Blitzer said that the pair is “feeling pretty good” about their chances of getting the team after their bid, although it is not known how much they offered.

Several parties are interested in buying the Mets

Besides “J-Rod” (and Repole) Cohen, and the Harris – Blitzer pair, there are at least four other interested parties in buying the New York Mets.

For now, the Mets are hosting its training camp in Citi Field, in New York, in preparation for the MLB season that will start on July 23.

According to general manager Brodie van Wagenen, he is focused on winning rather than what happens with ownership.

“You’d be surprised. We aren’t talking about it as a baseball operations group,” Van Wagenen said. “Our focus is … to win, and it’s to try to win going forward. There are no distractions. And I would say that’s true for me, it would be true for [COO] Jeff [Wilpon], it would be true for the rest of our baseball operations leadership, and I know it’s true for our players and our coaches. It’s just not a conversation we’re having internally because we’re keeping our eye on the prize and we’re having a lot of fun doing it,” he said to MLB.com.