alex rodriguez

New York Yankees Legends: Alex Rodriguez, a 22-year blemished career (video)

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez a 22-year baseball career

No New York Yankees player is as controversial as Alex Rodriguez and many Yankee fans will not consider him a legend, but consider him a disgrace. For those I suggest you don’t read this article. I consider him a legend due to his career stats, the impact he had on the Yankees, for being the highest-paid player at the time, and for his involvement in the Anthony Bosch drug scandal.

Although the drug era put a huge mark on baseball and a lot of asterisks beside players names, I think two things: One is that no one really knows of all the players who’s records will be “legitimate” only because they were never caught, and two, many of these players would have played as well, without being involved in performance-enhancing drugs. Also, many fans unfairly place more importance on who the player was and not on the substance abuse itself. The fact that Alex will never enter the Hall of Fame due to his involvement is enough punishment, but you can’t take away the amazing accomplishments of his 22-year career due to a few months using drugs. Rodriguez never tested positive for drug use while with the New York Yankees.

Rodriguez the early years

Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez was born on July 27, 1975 to Victor and Lourdes Rodriguez in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan where he lived until the age of four when his family moved to the Dominican Republic and then to Miami. His formative years began on the dusty diamonds of South Miami-Dade, guided by a small group of mentors, fathers and coaches who recognized the raw talent behind the wiry, insecure boy whose father had abandoned him, and whose hardworking single mother had neither the means nor the time to support his dreams of baseball glory. Rodriguez, at the end of his freshman year in high school, would transfer to Westminster Christian, he would be a quarterback on the football team and a short shop on the baseball team.

At Westminster Christian In 100 games, he batted .419 with 90 stolen bases. Westminster went on to win the high school national championship in his junior year. In his senior year, he would hit .505 with 9 home runs and 36 RBI’s, and 35 stolen bases in 33 games without being caught. He was recognized as the number one baseball prospect and was offered scholarships to play college ball, but would forgo them and sign with the Seattle Mariners in the 1993 draft at the age of 17. He would spend only a year in the minors. In that year, he would make his major league debut at the age of 18 and be the youngest position player in Seattle history. He would have his first home run on June 12 and become the permanent short top in August. In 1996 he would bat .358, the highest average for a right-hander since New York Yankees Joe DiMaggio.

While with Seattle (7 years) he would compile a batting average of.309 with 169 home runs and 595 RBI’s before moving on to the Texas Rangers where he would hit .305 with 156 home runs and 395 RBI’s. In 2001 he became the first player since 1932 with 50 homers and 200 hits in a season and only the third shortstop to do so. In 2002 he led the league with 57 home runs and appear in his sixth All-Star Game, be a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove recipient. During his time with the Rangers (2001-2003) is the period he would later admit having used performance-enhancing drugs.

Alex Rodriguez becomes a Yankee

On February 15, 2004, the Rangers traded Rodriguez to the New York Yankees. Rodriguez being one of best shortstops in baseball was faced with having to switch to the third baseman, as the Yankees already had star shortstop Derek Jeter, which Rodriguez agreed to do. During his first year, he would hit .283 with 36 home runs. he equaled the single-game post-season record with five runs scored in Game 3 at Boston in the postseason. The Yankee would lose the ALCS that year to the eventual World Series winner Boston Red Sox. Many faulted Alex due to an interference call on him, preventing Jeter from scoring. He hit a roller that was picked up by the Boston pitcher, who moved quickly to the first baseline to tag Alex out, but Alex knocked the ball from his glove, Jeter scored, but the umpires sent him back and charged Rodriguez with interference.

A historic 2005 MVP season

In 2005 he would hit 48 home runs while hitting .321. He became the first New York Yankee to win the American League home run title since Reggie Jackson. On June 8th, he would become the youngest player to reach the 400 home run mark. 2005 also marked the tenth straight season that Rodriguez scored at least 100 runs. During his time with the Yankees Rodriguez would never attain the form and range as he did as a shortstop at third base, although he would have above-average defensive stats.

On April 26, 2005, Alex Rodriguez was to have a career game.  A-Rod would have a 10 RBI game against the Angels.  Only Tony Lazzeri, in 1936, with 11 RBIs, was better.  What made this feat nearly equal is that A-Rod would do it off the eventual 2005 Cy Young Award winner.  A-Rod had a three-run banger at the bottom of the first.  At the bottom of the third, Rodriguez yanked a Colon slider over the left-field wall for two more RBI.  He would top that with a Grand Slam in the sixth.  He singled in a run in the ninth as the New York Yankees took the Angels 12-4.  A-Rod improved Yankee pitcher Carl Pavano’s record to 2-2.  A-Rod is one of only 11 players in the history of baseball to accomplish this feat.

In 2007 he would drive in the highest number of batters in his career (156) and get his second MVP Award as a Yankee. After being the only eighth player to reach the 2000 hit mark before the age of 31, the year before he racked up 183 hits and 54 home runs.and was again an MVP.

For years he was also dogged by an inability to come up big in the postseason. On that front, at least, Rodriguez silenced some of his critics when his bat caught fire and he slugged the Yankees to a World Series championship in 2009.

Rodriguez would play six more successful seasons with the Yankees until he was suspended by the MLB for 162 games in 2014 for using drugs during his time with the Texas Rangers. Rather than go into a long dissertation on the subject, I will summarize: Rodriguez and 12 other players were caught up with an investigation of Biogenesis, the now-shuttered “anti-aging” clinic run by Anthony Bosch. In a messy legal battle the Yankees wanted to void Alex’s contract but failed.

During his suspension, he would have dual hip surgery. Rodriguez returned to the Yankees in 2015 and became a model citizen on the field and in the clubhouse nurturing younger players while being an MVP nominee again. In 2016 Alex would play in only 65 games, but it was a year that he had his 12,000th plate appearance and hit a 440′ home run at Tropicana Field, his 30th under that dome. For the year he had injuries and his play was compromised.

The Yankees would grant Rodriguez his unconditional release and Alex would announce that his last game as a Yankee would be on August 12th. He would become a special advisor to Hal Steinbrenner and a spring training instructor. He would end his career with numbers that rank among the best ever in several categories, including 696 home runs, 2086 RBIs, 3,115hits and 2021runs. The 14-time All-Star, the 10 time Silver Slugger, the 14 time MVP candidate, 2 time Gold Glover, and the 3 time MVP was one of the most talented baseball players ever, but will forever be remembered as a drug cheat among his detractors.

For his admirers, you would agree with many of his coaches and baseball analyst that say that he was so talented and such a student of the game, that he would have been just as accomplished without using any enhancing substances, even for a short period.

Alex is engaged to singing star Jennifer Lopez.  The pair formed Tiller and Hatch, a food preparation company.  During the COVID-19 coronavirus, A-Rod is grappling with the virus by making huge donations.  First, they are supplying a Tennesse school with a year of meals for all their children and stocking their food pantry.  More recently A-Rod is feeding over 20,000 unemployed Miami area, hotel workers. The pair live in Coral Gables, Florida.  The pair is also investigating purchasing the New York Mets.

New York Mets: Wilpons Won’t Sell SNY With the Team

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As baseball continues to take a seat with the Coronavirus pandemic running rampant in the U.S., the Wilpons are still searching for the right buyer for the New York Mets. One guarantee of the future sale is that SNY will continue to belong to the Wilpons no matter what.

SNY has been the Mets network where a majority of the games air since 2006. The unwillingness to part ways with the network cause a conflict with Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez’s bid to acquire the franchise. SNY makes money while the Mets are losing up to $90 million per season. The Mets games are going to be on SNY for at least ten more years, which is a guaranteed profit for whoever owns the team.

One Controversial Group Against Another

The Wilpons 65 percent ownership of SNY is what levels off the high loss from owning the Mets. Steve Cohen was the only one willing to strike a deal without SNY. While the Mets have been struggling to make money without baseball games, the Wilpons have made a move to ask their minority owners to make commitments to the team.

A-Rod has found biotech investor Wayne Rothbaum to partner in the sale. Rothbaum brings in the money the A-Rod group needed, which makes the push to buy legitimate. He was part of a group with Jeb Bush that pursued the sale of the Marlins in 2017.

Rodriguez Takes a Backseat

What comes with Rothbaum joining the team is that MLB will want to see him in charge instead of Rodriguez. The same way Magic Johnson takes a limited role with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A-Rod has never been the type to avoid the spotlight either as the villain during his playing day to the hero he tries to play now.

Without any sports right now, the potential Mets sale at least gives fans something to be hopeful for in 2020.

Report: Mets Worth a Billion Dollars Less Than Previous Sale Price

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Earlier this year, New York Met fans were jilted at the altar when billionaire hedge fund tycoon Steven A. Cohen pulled out of an agreement to buy 80 percent of the team. Cohen was apparently not please with the current owners – Fred Wilpon, his son Jeff and brother-in-law Saul Katz – insisted on taking Cohen’s cash but not relinquishing control of the team for five years.

Can’t blame Cohen for that. There wasn’t much in for him. The team was valued at $2.6 billion and Cohen had agreed to those terms. Now, with Major League Baseball looking at a season in which they are going to take it on chin financially, the team is said to be worth considerably less.

I’m not sure where Rovell got this valuation. I trust him as a reporter but he does not cite the source here. In Forbes’ latest list of MLB team valuations, the Mets are the sixth-most valuable franchise at $2.4 billion.

As for the sale of the Mets, Alex Rodriguez and his fiancee, singer/actress Jennifer Lopez are reportedly mounting an offer to buy the club. They have retained JP Morgan Chase to help raise capital to finance the deal.

If Rovell is correct in his assessment, ARod and Lopez could steal the Mets. The decrease in value could also bring back isome big money players such as Cohen to the table. Then again, the Wilpons are not likely to let the Mets go at $1.6 billion. They will hold out for their price. Sorry, Met fans.

 

New York Mets News/Rumors: Ex-Yankee A-Rod closer to buying the Mets and deGrom basketball

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

Yankee Alex Rodriguez to buy the Mets?

The New York Mets may be getting closer to getting a buyer.  Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez, who have a net worth around $700 million, have made a move that shows their interest in purchasing the Met is serious.  They have hired JP Morgan Chase to find investment partners.  Alex loves New York and grew up a Mets fan, Lopez is from the Bronx.

A Hedge fund group was to buy the team, but the deal fell through in February.  Hedge fund titan Steve Cohen was to purchase the club in a deal that valued the club at $2.6 billion. Cohen would get 80% ownership, but the Wilpon family would maintain control of the club for five years, with the Wilpons continuing to hold the positions of CEO and COO.  Cohen already owns an 8% stake in the franchise.

Alex Rodriguez certainly has experience in the baseball world to manage the front office of the Mets.  Alex started in baseball with the Seattle Mariners going on to the Texas Rangers and eventually being acquired by the New York Yankees.  He was a Yankee until retiring from the game in 2016.  With 22 years in baseball, the deal would be similar to in nature to former Yankee Derek Jeters investment in the Florida Marlins.

Jennifer Lopez is the fiancee of Rodriguez, and the superstar duo has kicked the tires and shown an interest in buying the club ever since Jeter invested in the Marlins.  The couple is working with managing director Eric Menell, JP Morgan’s co-head of North American media investment banking.  The 44-year-old Rodriguez and company would have to assume a present $50 million annual loss the Mets are presently experiencing.  According to the New York Post who tried to reach both Menell and representatives of Rodriguez, neither responded for requests for comment.

Jacob deGrom the basketball player

New York Mets superstar pitcher Jacob deGrom may very well have been a start basketball player than the ace of the Mets.  In high school in Florida, he was known as a basketball player but also played on the school’s baseball team.

It’s not unusual for athletic high school boys to participate in multiple sports while determining if they have a future in any one of them.  His time playing basketball continued when he entered Stetson University in central Florida.  He started in baseball as a shortstop in his but in his junior year at Stetson, he switched to pitching.

Recently Nick Pugliese who was a teammate of deGrom’s at Stetson were playing around throwing some hoops.  Pugliese who is a few years older than deGrom had never seen Jacob in basketball game action.  As they were fooling around, deGrom admitted, “Well, I played a little bit of basketball,” deGrom said in his soft, quiet tone.  When Pugliese saw some of the shots he was making, he felt like he was being hustled. Pugliese played for the Angels until he was released.  He now pitches for the Fortitudo Baseball Bologna in the Italian Baseball League.

New York Mets: A-Rod, J.Lo Make Moves to Propose a Big For the Mets

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

Once a dream and an overlooked rumor, Alex Rodriguez is now seriously considering purchasing the New York Mets. He is not doing this alone as singer/fiancee Jennifer Lopez is helping the cause as well. Both are taking the steps together to make a run at owning the franchise.

This is another chapter in A-Rod’s story to give himself a shot at making the hall of fame. A career marked by his drama and PED filled legacy is trying to revive itself like the Undertaker sitting up out of his casket. His post-retirement life is filled with his analyst roles, Tik Tok videos, and is known as “J-Lo’s boyfriend.”

How Did We Get to this Point?

The group Rodriguez will bid with is still in the works but retained JPMorgan Chase to create a group potentially. Though the two are wealthy, the $2.6 billion asking price is out of their range. Chase also had a history as the former bank partner of the Mets.

The likelihood of the Wilpon’s selling to an A-Rod led group is unlikely to happen due to multiple factors. The Mets are expensive, Coronavirus is killing the economy, and despite the renaissance story, he still has a damaged reputation.

What comes with the market falling will be the diminishing value of the franchise. If the right combination of variables falls in place, then this becomes a possibility. If A-Rod can act quickly, he can swoop in before things bounce back to normal. For now, it still looks like the Wilpon’s will keep the team for the distant future.

New York Yankees: The chronicles of Alex Rodriguez, a career unjustly ruined by steroid usage

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

For as long as I can remember, there is a massive amount of ill feelings toward one Alex Rodriguez, as many people feel he cheated the game of baseball and should therefore be ousted from all conversations of a good baseball player, and thus a good man. With that, using “he used steroids” as a lead argument for him being a bad person, and a player who isn’t deserving of recognition and accolades is ignorant to the highest degree.

For starters, let’s look at the idea that steroids “made” Alex Rodriguez a fantastic baseball player, thus taking away all the accomplishments he had collected and achieved throughout his career.

To sit back and diss Alex Rodriguez is the easiest thing to do, as he was one of the main players of that notorious steroid ring consisting of he and Ryan Braun, and Biogenesis of America, amongst others. The main issue everyone seems to have is that ARod never openly admitted to using steroids until he got caught, and then went public about it in 2014 — following a lengthy investigation and plea of innocence. However, the problem I have is that everyone and their cousin then dissed Rodriguez and essentially ostracized him from the sport of baseball, all because of his PED usage. What I fail to understand still, is how one can make the argument that ARod should be discredited for his steroid usage, and then turn around and give credit to say Ivan Rodriguez, Jose Canseco, Manny Ramirez, and numerous other players that also used.

The usage of steroids does not make one a super-human, nor does it make them a better player. It simply makes them a “better” athlete, in that they are able to workout longer and harder, and push themselves to limits that those who don’t use are unable to. Alex Rodriguez was still one of the best baseball players the sport has ever seen, and that is not attributed to his steroid usage. To use steroids as a reason a player should be discredited, and ultimately miss out on the HoF — as seen with Barry Bonds — should be done away with.

First, let’s take a look at Alex’s MLB career, and take out the years he admitted to having used steroids — 2010 to 2012.

PRE 2010: (1996-2009 *for the sake of this, I figured I’d remove his 94-95 seasons as they were both short stints). For 14 seasons, ARod never posted a wRC+ under 119 (1997), clobbered 578 homeruns, never bat under .285, and accumulated 101.1 fWAR. Add to that, he earned 12 All-Star selections, 3 MVP awards, 10 Silver Sluggers and 2 Gold Gloves. Simply put, prior to him using steroids, he was already one of the — if not the — best player in the sport of baseball. Now, take that and look at the years he was reported to have been juicing, 2010-2012.

In the three seasons he was found guilty of juicing (’10-’12), ARod hit a total of 64 HR’s, posted averages around the .274 mark, and posted the lowest wRC+’s of his career, since the ’97 season (125 in ’10, 125 in ’11 & 113 in ’12). The reason for ARod using roids appears to be that he was seeing that his prime was running out, and therefore decided to juice in order to stay at the top of his game — though we may never know the true reason.

Even POST steroid usage, and following the year long suspension in 2014, Rodriguez came back out in the 2015 season and hit 33 HR’s, OPS’d .842, and posted a wRC+ of 129. There is no feasible way to deny that ARod was one of the best players to ever grace the field, even with the steroid usage.

Now I am aware that there are going to be a vast amount of people that read this article and pose the counter argument of “ARod was likely juicing well before then, took a break, and then went back to doing so” but that was during the pre-testing era of MLB baseball, where there were no punishments handed out for testing positive for PED’s. During that era, a mass amount of players used steroids, and hundreds of players have since spoken about it. Rodriguez was found to have been using testosterone pills in the 2003 season.

Let’s just say he used during the 2001-2003 seasons, as that is when a lot of people will say he used from. Taking out those three seasons, his fWAR accumulated from ’96-’09 (not counting his stint with the Rangers) is still 73.8, and his HR total is still an astounding 422 across that span. Even if one were to take out the 6 seasons he could have used steroids, his career is still undoubtedly HoF worthy, and he was still one of the most talented and hardest working players to play the game.

It would appear as if Alex Rodriguez is the main scapegoat for a massive problem that has plagued the MLB for decades, which is that those that use steroids and don’t fess up to doing so are shunned and hated by all. With that, players like Yasmani Grandal, Francisco Cervelli, Dee Gordon, and dozens of other players seemingly get far less criticism and are almost excused from having used.

While there is no true number of players who have used steroids, former MLB player Jose Canseco — who also used steroids — stated that he believes that 85% of the MLB uses PED’s, while fellow former MLB player Ken Caminiti believed the percentage was closer to 50%. Either way, the idea that “a few players use” is one that is false and solely used to show favoritism toward other players and excuse obvious signs for the sake of diminishing those that have used and gotten caught — especially Alex Rodriguez.

Add to that, during the “Steroid Era”, where during the 90’s and early 2000’s — up until 2003 — the MLB didn’t test or issue suspensions for PED’s, numerous star sluggers excelled, along with Rodriguez. Amongst those names includes greats like Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Mark McGwire, and Jason Giambi. Yet, a mass amount of MLB fans dismiss a handful of names, with players like Ivan Rodriguez and others seemingly being given a “pass”. Rodriguez was recently elected into the HoF, despite having been found guilty of using PED’s in his MLB career.

The biggest gripe people seemingly have with Alex Rodriguez is that he continually denied using steroids and said he was the subject of a mass witch hunt set up by the MLB. Up until he was under oath and thus opened up and admitted to having used, ARod maintained the “I am innocent” stance. With that, a vast majority of players who test positive for PED’s or are accused of such, take their stance as innocent and not having taken part in such, until they are forced to admit otherwise. Players like Robinson Cano, Roger Clemens, and numerous members of the Yankees during the steroid era denied using. The expectation that “players will take the high road and admit to their wrongdoings” when it comes to something as serious as using PED’s is one that is nothing more than an unrealistic expectation. Thousands of MLB players have used steroids, and of those same players, hundreds never admitted and even more were never found to have been guilty.

Moving on to the idea that using steroids makes Alex Rodriguez a bad person, is an argument that will continually be talked about for, likely, the rest of my life. There is no denying that ARod’s ego and his “I’m the best” mindset may have portrayed him as a jerk on and off the field, but using his steroid usage and the whole situation as fuel to further reinstate the idea he’s a horrible person should be one that should be done away with. Everybody in life makes mistakes, and everybody will do whatever is in their best interest to keep a clean public image. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, his stance of remaining innocent and being the subject of a conspiracy and act of collusion against him will forever hurt him. Yet, to take that and throw slander at him and continually refer to him as a “terrible person” or someone who “ruined baseball” and one who will never garner, nor should be allowed to garner, any respect is childish.

Since admitting to cheating, Rodriguez has worked tirelessly to clear up his image, and earn the respect of fans once more. Having done countless acts of charity, working with the MLB as a stand-up commentator and analyst, and trying to offer words of advice and tips for current and future MLB players, there is no denying that he does indeed feel remorseful over the way he went about the whole situation.

He stated in an interview with the New York Times back in ’16 that the pathway to get back to where he is now was a long and tiring one. Saying “I paid a huge price, the longest suspension in MLB history. That just literally took me to my knees in tears and said ‘Oh God, I just completely f***ed my life up.’ And while I was away I took that year to reflect. I wanted to understand why I kept shooting myself in the foot.” He continued saying that ultimately the quickest way to recovery is to admit one has a problem, and he now looks back with utter shame and remorse about how he handled the situation. Rodriguez is very open about how tough life was as an MLB player with such a high ceiling and expectations around him, as he stated that him being so competitive led to him taking whatever measures necessary to fulfil said ceiling — ultimately going around the MLB and using steroids.

Rodriguez also stated that it was a long time before he could look himself in the mirror and be comfortable in his own skin, admitting to making numerous stupid decisions and “acting like an idiot”. He looks back at his time post suspension and refers to it as the darkest time of his life, as looking back made him realize all the terrible decisions he made and how it was bigger than him.

Alex has since earned back a tremendous amount of respect as an established and liked broadcaster, as his knowledge and love for the game transcend whatever opinions one may have about him as a player. Needless to say, he served his time and was punished brutally for what he did, missing out on millions of dollars and being dubbed the most hated man in sports. The road back to the top is one he will seemingly always be walking down, as regardless of what he does, there will always be people who dismiss his apology and work to get back to his current state.

Whether you like or don’t like Alex Rodriguez is ultimately one’s individual opinion, and everyone has a right to such. However, to hate on Alex Rodriguez and slander his name and his achievements simply because he used steroids is unjustified. Rodriguez, like so many others, made the mistake of taking PED’s — which he has paid dearly for. Yet, unlike so many others, his name is constantly being dragged through the mud & fans of past and current generations will seemingly never forgive or look past his mistake.

The moment the New York Yankees stole my heart forever

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

The day the New York Yankees stole my heart was a very unique and special one, but one you may not connect to a 10-year-old kid’s best day on earth.

Every Yankees fan has that moment in the back of their mind that didn’t just turn them into a fan but allowed them entrance to a community of legends and greats spanning decades. The Bronx Bombers aren’t just a baseball team. They are a family and a history worth more than anything in the world.

I remember as a kid, I would put my Yankees hat on every day before I went to sleep as a good luck charm. I would watch every game on television closely, trying to learn from players like Derek Jeter and replicate their style of play. However, the day I joined the Yankees family was August 4, 2007.

On this day, Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th home run, failing to hit a homer for seven consecutive games, an anomaly for a player like A-Rod at that point in his career.

I’ll never forget that moment — I was sitting with my dad, seats he had luckily won from work. I knew how important this game could be at just 10-years-old. My improbable dream came true, and all the praying I had done for days before had proven useful. On that day, Alex Rodriguez smashed his 500th homerun, a moment of historical nature.

In the very first inning, with two men on base, A-Rod hit a moon shot into the sun, ironically, falling down just feet away from where I was sitting in the outfield near the left-field foul pole. The commentators waited patiently for the ball to return back to earth, and it landed just over the fence, solidifying my dream and planting me in Yankees’ history for the rest of time.

The best part about the New York Yankees that every fan has a moment just like this, praying and wishing that they can experience something special, whether it be on TV or in person. The team welcomes everybody equally, and everyone can enjoy the love and happiness from years ago of success and talent.

At such a young age, I understood the implications of being a Yankee fan, the hostility but love that accompanies thousands of fans booing a player. In one moment, Yankee Stadium can be a breeding ground for hostility, but the very next can be Toys-R-Us for adults.

It also allowed me to worship leaders and players like Derek Jeter. You don’t realize how much of an effect these guys have on your life until you develop with age and realize that your entire batting stance in Little League was based on a blend of Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. I would often swap stances based on who I felt like that day, a powerful slugger, or a contact hitter with impeccable fundamentals. Moments like these will never be forgotten.

What was your favorite Yankees moment, the one that you’ll never forget? Leave it in the comment section below!

New York Yankees: A history of great Yankee 3rd baseman, find out the top 10 here

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New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez

In the fifth installment of my top 10 New York Yankees series, I give my choices for the top 10 Yankee third baseman of all time.  The Yankees, in their glorious history, have many of the best players ever to play in their positions in the history of MLB.  Previous installments have featured the top ten pitchers, catchers, 1st, and 2nd baseman.

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 be 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 that was 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 has 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 Reseach.

 

 

Jose Canseco’s beef with former Yankees’ star Alex Rodriguez has a new episode

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One of the most curious sports beef is the one existing between Jose Canseco and Alex Rodriguez. The former New York Yankees‘ star has been the quiet one for a while now, while Canseco keeps taking shots at A-Rod whenever he can, even when there is a pandemic killing thousands of people around the world.

The controversial slugger, retired since 2001, went to Twitter on Sunday and wrote: “Happy Easter to everyone except Alex Rodriguez”. The tweet had around 1,100 replies, 7,000 retweets and 49,000 likes.

The former Yankees’ third baseman, currently engaged to singer and actress Jennifer Lopez since last March, was accused by Canseco of cheating on J-Lo with Jose’s ex-wife Jessica. She denied the allegations, as reported by the New York Post.

At the time, Jessica wrote that the accusations were “false” and said that “I have known Alex for many years and haven’t even seen him for over 5. I certainly did not sleep with him. I am friendly with both him and Jennifer. As for Jose he can keep playing with his Alien friends.”

Beef history

After that, Canseco called Rodriguez a “piece of s…” and challenged him to a polygraph.

The beef, from Canseco’s part, went as far as Jose challenging A-Rod to a fight, either with boxing rules or mixed martial arts (MMA.) His wish, so far, hasn’t come to fruition, and most likely never will.

The origins of the words battle are tied to 2008. That year, Canseco wrote the famous book “Vindicated,” in which he accused Rodriguez of using performance-enhancing drugs. A-Rod, with time, accepted that he used PEDs, in 2014, back when he was an active player for the New York Yankees.

J-Lo and A-Rod’s wedding is currently postponed until after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is over.

Canseco retired with a .266/.353/.515 line, 462 home runs and 1,407 runs batted in. He also stole 200 bases. Meanwhile, Rodriguez hit .295/.380/.550 with 696 round-trippers and 2,086 RBI. He had 329 thefts and retired with one 10-WAR season and five additional 9-WAR years.

New York Yankees News/Rumors: YES broadcasts, The new Derek Jeter, Big Money team and more

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New York Yankees, Aaron Judge

“The Arizona Plan” could start baseball in just over a month!

While we all settle in and practice social distancing, the New York Yankees await a time when baseball can begin anew.  At this point, it looks like it will just a month away if the MLB and Federal Health officials deal comes to fruition.  The games will start in Arizona at the domed Chase Field, home of the Diamondbacks, and at over a dozen area open-air minor league and college facilities. Scheduling for all 30 MLB teams and several logistical problems must be solved before the season can start.

Two situations that can’t be worked out by MLB is the progress of the coronavirus and the environmental problems that will face players that may have to play in temperatures that can approach 120 degrees.  Any games will at the start be in front of empty stands, and players will be forced to follow social distancing guidelines when possible.  It has already been announced that dugouts will not be used in favor of players sitting six feet apart in the stands.

YES Broadcasts “Classics”

Meanwhile, Yankee fans look for all ways to fill the void of not having as baseball season as of yet.  One way game starved fans can satisfy some of their need for baseball is to watch the YES Network.  Here’s a look at the lineup for the weekend and beyond.  Saturday at 7 a.m., the feature will be Dave Righetti’s no-hitter against the Red Sox from 1983. Later Saturday at 1 p.m. The 2001 World Series game 5 against the Diamondbacks.  Sunday at 1 p.m. Yankees vs. the Twins from June 2019, and on Tuesday a Rays game from May of 2019.

The New Derek Jeter?

Many New York Yankee fans regard Aaron Judge as being similar to Derek Jeter both in his zest for play and demeanor.  Like Derek, when Jeter is interviewed, it is about winning and the team, not about him.  Many see him as a future team captain.  On “The Huddle,” an Adidas Instagram Live chat, Judge was asked how it felt to be the new Derek Jeter.  Judge laughed but answered the question in a similar fashion as Jeter would:

“He paved the way for sure,” Judge said. “That’s the thing that I’ve been fortunate to be with the Yankees, the legends we have coming in and out of the building during spring training, during the season, just checking in. The Jeters, the Mariano Riveras, Andy Pettitte, Ron Guidry, all those guys. Reggie Jackson. It’s no joke, man. You feel that presence.”

New York Yankees is most valuable

Forbes magazine has listed its most valuable MLB teams.  The New York Yankees are listed at number one at $5 Billion.  The top five also includes The Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, and the San Francisco Giants for 2020.  The two teams with the most substantial increase in value are the Yankees and the Washington Nationals.  The Houston Astros had the most substantial operating income at $99 million.  Next year’s listing may look very different, as substantially reduced revenues from the shortened season will affect different teams in different ways.

Alex Rodriguez on the Arizona Plan

Former New York Yankee 3rd baseman and present ESPN/FOX baseball analyst warns players to get ready because any practice time many be very short as MLB tries to get in as many games as possible.  Here’s what he had to say:

“Well, I think right now, everything is so fluid,” Rodriguez said Tuesday. “We make plans and God laughs right now. So I think there are no bad ideas. I think, to start thinking as a player, preparing for the earliest time possible is the greatest thing we can do. The worst thing for a player would be, ‘Hey, we think it’s August.’ And then the commissioner says, ‘Hey, we’re opening things up.’ And you have to show up May 15 and you’re not quite ready. So, I think it’d be an adjustment, but I think we would follow suit.”