Klapisch: A-Rod leaves Yanks stuck in the middle
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Last updated: Friday May 1, 2009, 8:30 AM
By BOB KLAPISCH
RECORD COLUMNIST
Like a giant wave crashing onto the beach, only to recede in silence, the Alex Rodriguez steroid scandal appears to have come and gone — even with fresh revelations that he’s been juicing as a Yankee. Excerpts of a soon-to-be-released book, which appeared in Thursday’s Daily News, are chock-full of news items about A-Rod’s association with performance-enhancing drugs, including the bombshell that he allegedly used HGH after 2004.
Unfortunately for author Selena Roberts, the arc of A-Rod’s fall from grace was complete when he crafted a phony, partial confession two months ago. The Yankee slugger will return to the lineup in a state of disgrace; he’s already lost his good name. Most discerning minds concluded that Rodriguez has been cheating for years. Whether it was for three seasons in Texas or four more in the Bronx, or every year since he broke in in 1994, the verdict is unwavering: the guy’s dirty.
Question is: How much lower can A-Rod possibly sink in public opinion? Here are a few theories.
I believe Yankee fans now regard Rodriguez as baseball’s version of Liberace — talented but hopelessly weird. Pictures of the slugger kissing himself in Details magazine crashed through the final boundaries of normalcy. There’s not much A-Rod can do to restore his previously pristine reputation, but that’s not to say he won’t get a loud ovation upon his first official at-bat in pinstripes.
The public is generally sick of reading about steroids and is willing to look the other way while A-Rod begins a fraudulent run toward Barry Bonds’ all-time home run crown.
I believe the Yankee hierarchy actually agrees with Roberts’ investigation; it would surprise no one in the front office if it could be proven that Rodriguez has been using HGH. With no reliable test for this new-age enhancer, one major league official estimated industry usage at “70 percent” The official said, “A-Rod is just a part of a very large club [of cheaters].”
I believe the Yankees are completely neutral about A-Rod’s activities off the field. They don’t hate him or pass judgment on him. Of course, they don’t like him very much, either. All his teammates care about is whether he hits.
I believe the Yankees are a better team with A-Rod than without. Having Liberace (or, more accurately, Michael Jackson) in the clubhouse is out-weighed by the math: the Bombers’ replacement third basemen are hitting .176 with no home runs, ranking them 28th in the big leagues.
I believe the Yankees will someday trade A-Rod, even if it means swallowing a huge portion of his remaining contract. They’ll grow tired of him the way Rangers’ owner Tom Hicks finally reached his breaking point in ’04, paying the Yankees $100 million to take Rodriguez off his hands. Someday A-Rod will become a negative value in the Bronx. But not any time soon.
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