The New York fans won't boo him? Come on, you know better than that. This is New York. The next time Arod goes into a big-time slump, he'll be booed big-time. Until he wins a World Series here, he'll always have that microscope over him.
It would take a 0 for 50 slump in order for them to boo him in the near future. He has not been putting up stats, but doing so in the 9th inning, against the Red Sox, etc. He is having a dream season for all Yankee fans and himself.
If Arod is elite, so is Giambi.
Giambi was elite 3 years ago.
So we are going to use body language as a determining factor in a $30 mil a year outlay to his age 40 season? Thank god you aren't the GM.
Stats, quotes, body language, etc. all play a role. No, I'm not going to give $30 million to the guy who smiles the most in the clubhouse. Stop exaggerating stupid crap like that, you know very well what I am saying. By the looks of it, he is acting and playing like he has turned the proverbial "corner" in a Yankees uniform.
I have doubts. The next time he gets booed, he'll shrink like he always does and he'll go in a megaslump.
So you're a psychiatrist now, cool.
We heard that in 2005. What happened in 2006.
He was great in 2005, but the playoffs turned that all to nothing. He is still going to have a strong postseason and ultimately a strong WS for everything to be erased, that is definitely true.
It's not just about the homeruns. In 2004 and 2006, he didn't hit for average all that well. His defense also struggled in 2005 and 2006, who is to say he won't revert back to being E-Rod in 2008?
He hit .286 and .290, those are hardly bad numbers. In 2004 he was gold glove caliber, in 2005 he was still very solid, he just broke down last year for whatever reason. Three solid to great seasons against one bad doesn't convince me he will revert back to being bad. Why be so negative in EVERY aspect? He is a great athlete with a great arm, E-Rod is long gone. Heck it only existed for about 2 weeks.
If a .915 OPS and an .880 OPS in any stadium are considered elite, then this really isn't worth discussing. He's a third basemen, there is a certain amount of offensive production that is needed to be considered average, then above average, then all-star worthy, then elite. Arod has been all-star worthy in 2004 and 2006, and elite in 2005 and 2007. Arod isn't a shortstop anymore, he needs to be a 1.00 OPS guy to be considered elite.
I like the odds of ARod being a 1.000 OPS guy on a yearly basis. Only a select few are, and they are usually DH or 1B. That is how great ARod is. I'm not going to do the research, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find 3B who consistently put up .900 OPS on a yearly basis in the history of baseball, none the less 1.000.
I'm glad you aren't the GM, or we'd have an outfield of Ichiro/Jones/Hunter all getting paid $20 million and Arod getting paid $30 million. You would have no budget, we would have a payroll of $300 million within 2011.
Hmm, I don't recall ever saying how much money I'd give Ichiro or Hunter or Jones. I know I don't even want Hunter or Jones on this team. I've said I want Ichiro, but not at the $20 million he is going to get. So that is a pretty foolish thing to say. I'll pay ARod, never said I'd pay those guys. Still not quite sure where you're going with that one...
I am not worried about the Angels. Let them do what they have to do, we'll do what we have to do.
It was just an example of how painful it would be for this franchise to have ARod walk.
If Arod didn't want this, he should have waived his opt-out clause before coming to New York. I don't feel sorry for Arod, this is what happens when you negotiate a contract like Arod did. You become analyzed under a microscope. Arod doesn't like that??? Too bad. Don't blame the media for this, Arod completely brought this on himself.
Why should you feel sorry for ARod? I never said that either, just that he doesn't owe anybody anything, which I think is true. Even ARod doesn't feel sorry for himself. He has never said he ''doesn't want this'' attention or anything like that, just that he is waiting until the offseason to discuss those types of things. That's exactly what he should say unless the Yankees come to him with an offer, which may happen now.
He already has a ton of money, if he is as good as you think he is, once his contract is over in 2010 he'll get another 3-4 year deal.
It isn't a question of him getting another contract, it's a question of getting another contract at $25+ million. It won't happen at that age unless he is hitting 60 home runs, which also won't be happening.
Thank god Cashman doesn't think this way. "Here Arod, just completely own us". The fact is that we've won World Series without Arod before, we will again. We don't need him.
Clearly Cashman does think this way, or else there would not have been this news today. And you're right we have won without him, but we had guys on those teams hitting 40 homers and providing exactly what ARod is providing us now. Without him, we lose that. Would the Yankees have won those rings without the likes of Tino, O'Neill, or Justince hitting all their homers? It isn't likely. By no means am I saying home runs wins titles, but every team needs a power threat. I'm not exactly willing to put that responsibility on Matsui or Posada, both of which struggle to hit 20 homers at this point.
Nobody is tarnishing his talent. I have not seen anybody do that here, I have not seen anybody do that this year. Stop making stuff up. Stop acting like Arod is all innocent in all of this. He brought this upon himself.
I'm not making anything up, I was talking about the media, not this forum. The guy gets ridiculed like he is part of a circus act. Whether it is self inflicted or not, it still exists.
