A Biased Look at the New York Yankees, the Greatest Franchise in the History of Sports
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In an interview that was taped for ESPN on Monday’s early afternoon, and then immediately released to air, Alex Rodriguez admitted to using performance enhancing drugs from 2001-2003, during his stay with the Texas Rangers. He seemed genuinely apologetic, and sorrowful to his fans and the Rangers organization.
In his home in Miami, A-Rod’s interview with ESPN’s Peter Gammons went like this:
Peter: “Alex, this weekend Sports Illustrated reported that in 2003 you tested positive for testosterone and an anabolic steroid known as primobolan. What’s the truth?”
Alex: “When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day. Back then it was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid, I was naive, and I wanted to prove to everyone that, you know, I was worth, you know—and being one of the greatest players of all time. And I did take a banned substance and, you know, for that I’m very sorry and deeply regretful. And although it was the culture back then and Major League Baseball overall–was very–I just feel that–You know, I’m just sorry. I’m sorry for that time. I’m sorry to fans. I’m sorry for my fans in Texas. It wasn’t until then that I ever thought about substance of any kind, and since then I’ve proved to myself and to everyone that I don’t need any of that.”
Peter: “So your saying that the time period was 2001, 2, and 3?”
Alex: “That’s pretty accurate yes.”
Peter: “And what kind of substances were you taking?”
Alex: “Peter, that’s the thing, I mean, again, it was such a loosey-goosey era that that’s–I am guilty for a lot of things. I am guilty for being negligent, naive, not asking all the right questions and, um, to be quite honest I don’t know exactly what substance I was guilty of using.”
Like him or not he was honest , which is more than I can say for others who have the same accusations brought against them. He admitted his errors in judgment, and basically blames it on his naive youth and the culture of Major League Baseball at the time. It wasn’t right, but he has proven since then that he is the real deal, and didn’t need anything like that anyway.
It takes a lot to admit what you did was wrong, and even more to admit it to the world. Maybe getting this monkey off his back will elevate his level even higher, and he will start doing things in the playoffs that all his fans know he is capable of doing. This could have been the best thing that happened to his career, and maybe what he needed to help get the Yankees to another World Series victory, and start the new season in the new stadium off right, Yankee style.
As the 2009 season is approaching, the “steroids in baseball” conversation is long from over. I was hoping that we could put that in the past and remember the Mitchel Report, and the players testifying before congress as things that ended in the 2008 season. But now we have a huge name being mentioned in the biggest media market in the free world, New York City. A report in Sports Illustrated online came out on Saturday that uses Alex Rodriguez’s name as one of the positive steroid tests obtained in the late 2003 MLB season, when he was with the Texas Rangers.
He reportedly tested positive for testosterone and anabolic steroids, one of them called Primobolan, four seperate sources told Sports Illustrated. This steroid could be taken either orally or through injection. This unfortunately seems to follow the story supplied by Jose Canseco, also, in his book, “Vindicated.” Canseco alleges that he did everything but inject Rodriguez himself after he set Rodriguez up with known steroid dealers. The debate starts again.
The hard part about all of this is that steroids was not banned by MLB then, so on that note Rodriguez was only making a morally bad decision. However, if my memory serves me correctly, it is illegal. So we have that matter to consider. He broke the law, maybe not a MLB rule.
The problems of drugs in baseball has plagued the sport from the beginning of time. From booze during prohibition, to amphetamines, and now steroids. Pick the era, pick your drug, anything to get an advantage, and solidify your name as one of the greatest of all time.
When asked about these latest allegations, Rodriguez said that the MLBPA would have to be contacted. Everyone else close to the story has been contacted, and of course the usual “unavailable for comment,” “no reply was received,” and “never returned our call” seems to be the only response.
This has been a pretty rough week for A-Rod, as it started on Tuesday as excerpts from Joe Torre’s book, “The Yankee Years,” revealed that many Yankees during the 2004 season referred to him as “A-Fraud.” Now the Sports Illustrated article saying that he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
Larry Bowa, who spent two years with Rodriguez in New York, summed it up the best as he commented on how the “drug thing” will definitely take away from the focus brought forth by the “book thing.” Alex might have a thick skin, and he has been known to let very few things bother him, but this is New York. I wouldn’t want to be A-Rod this week, it is a rough one. But hey, at least he is still employed, and his house is not in foreclosure.
Steroids or not, he did win the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player for 2003 as short stop for the Texas Rangers. So put that in your pipe and smoke it; or inject it…whatever it takes to get the advantage.
Not leaving a thing behind in the big move across the street to new Yankee Stadium, the boss remembered to bring everything with him, including his check book. The Yankees have not hesitated to put themselves back in the discussion for the best team in the majors, this winter, with huge offseason signings totaling more than some teams entire rosters. This is the Yankee baseball of old.
Just in case you were wondering how the organization felt about the egg that was laid last year in their non-climactic end to a very climatic facility, the front office made moves this offseason that gets us Yankees fans starting to discuss World Series plans. In just a matter of three signatures the Yankees saw a total of $424.5 million leave their hands, in signing CC Sabathia (7-year, $161 million), A.J. Burnett (5-year, $83.5 million), and Mark Teixeira (8-year, $180 million).
Also, since the organization won’t seem to put this to bed, Manny is still available, just saying. However, Brian Cashman, Yankees GM, did make a remark that may debunk those Manny rumors, and get the focus on moving ahead with what they have. “The decisions we made this winter would complicate my ability to be aggressive in the free-agent market as we move forward … I’ll leave it at that.” So maybe there will be no Manny being Manny in New York, but until the Yankees officially say no, anything is possible.
With the aggressive tone to this offseason it looks like the Yankees are ready to christen the new ball park in style, with a World Series win. It has been 8 years since their last World Series victory, when they capped off their dynamic stretch from 1996 – 2000 with 4 out of 5, and it looks like “The Boss” is gearing up for another run at dominance with these few off season long term signings of some of baseball’s finest current players.
As if you were not excited about the new season in a new stadium, the Yankees seemed to have forced the issue, being front-and-center again in the national media, and AL East. This feels similar to those seasons, just 8 years ago when winning World Series Championships seemed to be a no brainer, and some of the league’s best talent asked to come to New York, and they got stronger every season. Yeah, this definitely feels like those times.
Joe Torre spent the afternoon in front of a line of fans and reporters stretching around the block of a Mid-Town Manhattan bookstore, on Tuesday, defending his new book entitled “The Yankee Years.” A lot has been said since excerpts starting leaking out last week about the book, and the feelings of those involved. Alex Rodriguez seems to take a couple punches. Mike Mussina, thrown under the bus, saying he thinks that Mariano Rivera is no good without him? Didn’t agree with GM, Brian Cashman? What the heck is going on here? Let’s take a closer look.
This does not sound like the Joe Torre we all know, some love, and most respect. He made it very clear that he did not violate any of the trust the Yankee organization put in him, and that he wasn’t concerned about any fall-out the book may generate.
He said that the book is not a “tell-all-exposé,” and would have been written regardless of contracts or positions in or out of the club because he started writing it while he was still the Yankee manager over two years ago. Even most of the ballplayers knew about it, whether they agreed or not wasn’t discussed.
The reaction was mixed from those die-hard Yankee fans who were upset that Torre aired some of the Yankee’s dirty laundry so publicly, however, maintained that he was not saying anything that they didn’t already know.
Then there was those who thought maybe it was about time that some of those things were made public, and chip away at some of the insulation that makes the Yankee organization so “untouchable.”
From what I can gather nothing in the book was done to harm anyone’s career as a Yankee, or Major Leaguer for that matter. Joe Torre maintained his usual level of class when describing certain events, and just made sure that he was telling it from his side of the story, that’s all. I think the thick skinned ballplayers and management don’t have too much to worry about. It is those easily offended, or maybe “Alex Rodriguez” types with little pain tolerances that might feel a push.
All in all, you can’t be a Yankee fan and not respect Joe Torre and everything that he did for this organization, including bringing 4 World Series Championships to the Bronx. I am on the fence when it comes to airing dirty laundry for a paycheck, but then that is why I am not a fan of Jose Canseco. But it sure does make for good reading.
It is currently on sale at all your local bookstores, or can be purchased through your favorite online book broker as well. And Joe, you spell my last name K-O-I-T-Z, just in case you needed it for my check. Or I’ll take a signed copy instead, I’m not complaining either way. Thanks in advance.
A lot has happened in baseball since the last time I have had the opportunity to be a part of BaseballHistorians.com. I want to thank everyone responsible for making this a reality for me again this year. I hope to become a spark that enables discussion, and hopefully bring you the information that makes this season a memorable one.
I welcome comments and opinions, as always, and I am really looking forward to spending this time with you here as we celebrate another World Series victory for the Bronx Bombers in 2009.
One of the bigger off season stories was the retirement of Mike Mussina. I thought it would be a great way to get started here again this season.
Now let us go back to the day “The Moose” announced his retirement. I was driving home from work and “sports at :15 and :45 past each hour,” told me that Mike Mussina is retiring from Major League Baseball. The day was November 20, 2008.
I came home and wrote this…
Some Things Still Get Better With Age
Thursday November 20, 2008 will live in the memories of every baseball fan, and especially every Yankee fan, as Mike Mussina announced his retirement today. The soon to be 40 year old right-hander leaves behind a career that started in the Baltimore Orioles organization in 1991, where he went 4-5 and had a 2.87 ERA in a total of 87.2 innings pitched, and ended with the 2008 season, where he took the mound for the New York Yankees in 200.1 innings, winning 20 games (for the first time in his career), and kept a low 3.37 ERA in the offensive strong AL East.
His career numbers are as follows: 270 Wins, 153 Loses, with a 3.68 ERA, over 537 Games (536 Started), and 3,562.2 innings pitched. Amazing.
He is overflowing with accolades, achievements, and awards. He is a five-time All Star, has six top five finishes in the voting for the AL Cy Young (finishing 2nd behind Pedro Martinez in 1999), and was sixth in voting this year (2008).
As one of the best fielding pitchers baseballs ever seen, he won seven Gold Gloves, four straight from 1996-1999 with the Baltimore Orioles, and the remaining in 2001, 2003, and filling his trophy case this year with one as well with the New York Yankees.
The Hall of Fame discussion can begin now, but not before you look at where he stands among the all time greats of the game. He finishes his 18 year career surrounded by current Hall of Famers on every list baseball has to offer in pitching. He was just 30 Wins shy of 300, with 270, tying him for 33rd overall with Burleigh Grimes, and his 2813 Strikeouts puts him at 19th overall (19 behind Mickey Lolich), and 10 ahead of the man that baseball named the crown jewel of pitching after, Mr. Cy Young himself.
Baseball is a game of numbers, and Mike Mussina has surely compiled enough of them over his career to be in same conversation with the greats. His 123-72 record with the Yankees, and 147-81 record with the Orioles makes him only the second pitcher since 1900 to be at least 50 games over .500 for two different teams (Randy Johnson the other). Given that both of these teams are in the before-mentioned powerhouse AL East that is no small triumph.
Baseball will miss Mike Mussina tremendously, but not as much as the Yankees. He has been the solid and steady force off the mound for the club since his free agent signing in 2001. This type of work horse, who gets the job done, day in and day out, year after year, are becoming harder and harder to find these days in the big leagues. It’s nice to have such a long look at this class individual. He did what many professionals strive to do their whole careers, finish on top, and that’s exactly what he did. Congratulations on a Hall of Fame career, and thank you for the wonderful memories you brought each and every one of us Yankee and Baseball fans over the years.
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