Review: A-Rod press conference

MY COUSIN DID IT

The Tampa press conference was delayed around 20 minutes. Talk about driving the sharks in a frenzy.

The Yankees PR spokesman told the reporters the ground rules: NO FOLLOW-UP questions, and not everyone will get selected. That means, of the 125+ reporters packed in the room, only around 10-15 asked questions, and they were only allowed to ask ONE question, with no chance to ask for clarification.

Anyway, Alex Rodriguez read from a few crumbled pages in a “prepared statement”. Not one of those words were Alex’s. After stumbling through reading the legalese, Alex put the papers down and engaged in one of the most awkward, confusing, and (to me) comical moments, when he paused for 1+ minutes before thanking his teammates. During this melodramatic pause, he looked around, made facial expressions, drank his water bottle like HHH, and breathed.

Anyway, after the long statement, the MEDIA- who had 9 days to prepare their toughest questions, proceeded to ask Alex questions that he easily repeated the answer: “I was young and stupid.” They also wasted opportunities by asking him about the “record books” and his “legacy”.

However, Alex did offer up more details from his lame Peter Gammons interview:

1) A-Rod’s cousin (whom Alex refused to name) was the one who injected him. Allegedly, his “cousin” got over the counter drugs at a GNC in the Dominican Republic. His cousin shot Alex a few times a month during the season from 2001-2003, while with the Texas Rangers.
2) Although Alex denied taking HGH, he admitted he did a PED with the Seattle Mariners. This PED is currently banned, and no longer sold at GNC. What’s amazing is how no reporter asked him more details about those circumstances!
3) Alex reaffirmed that he did not know his cousin was shooting him with a “steroid” or that he was doing anything “wrong”.
4) In September of 2004 Union kingpin Gene Orza told him he was on a list that might have tested positive. This was in the statement, and the Union put that in there.
5) A-Rod said the PED’s have him energy and a psychological edge.
6) A-Rod will now help form a charity to reach out to parents and children to not do steroids. God gave him the forum to reach a wide audience now.
7) A-Rod got stumped by a New York Post question:

Mike Vaccaro asked that if A-Rod didn’t think he was doing anything wrong, then why was he secretive of it and not ask anyone for assistance. After a VERY long pause, he replied:”That’s a good question.” I thought I was watching a George Bush interview. Another pause. And then:

“I knew we weren’t taking tic-tacs. I knew potentially it could be perhaps something that was wrong. I really didn’t get into the investigation perhaps like I would have. I wouldn’t imagine to take of something like that today, obviously.” Obviously.

My final thoughts:

A-Rod is not genuine, relaxed, or honest. I don’t know when he ever is. Maybe with his entourage looking for girls. He’s a bad liar. Roger Clemens is a great liar, like O.J. Simpson, but A-Rod is one of the worst liars ever. Alex truly doesn’t have the intelligence, communication skills, or maturity that his hype machine portrayed him to have. All of his life- since he was a jock in school- people had told him “Kid, just hit the ball, and don’t think, I’ll take care of everything else”. And today, without his script, Alex fell flat on his face.

The whole “cousin” excuse (which is as cliched as ‘my dog ate my homework’) is just a way to not name players. A-Rod is no rat, but as a matter of loyalty, fear, or legalities, he did not drop real names… which is fine by me. But to say “cousin”, “GNC”, and “I didn’t know what I took” is LaME.

Ultimately, we walk away with nothing being changed. Alex may very well be the most talented player in baseball (although Albert Pujols is 1A), but has zero instincts and talent with dealing with the MEDIA or making personal life decisions on his own. But we already knew that. Alex looks inauthentic when he explains making an error in a regular season game.

For the record, I am okay with his record as it is, and I shudder to say anything is “tainted”. I accept the fact that he does not qualify for punishment since this was an anonymous test in 2003. I know that everything will be business as usual come April.

Debating his “legacy” or Hall of Fame merits is just idle talk. I never posted a Top 10 Most Hated Baseball Players last year, but it could be argued that Alex was already one of the most disliked and boo’ed players in baseball last year. It’s not like Derek Jeter got busted. In fact, in many ways there’s a reason why so many players don’t like Alex- he has the biggest contract, he cheats on the field (and now off it) he’s arrogant, has a big ego, and is cocky, but he really doesn’t have any common sense whatsoever.

We can all agree that we need to move on now, even as A-Rod is unwilling or unable to fully come clean. It’s time to focus on Spring Training.

I do want to clarify something: I’m not trying to bury Alex, and I have sympathy for his situation. Besides, my wife still likes him and defends him. It’s just that as a Yankees fan, I’ve seen this guy choke so many times, and I know it’s related to his psychological issues of trying to portray a false self-image. I don’t like guys who are phonies. I liked David Cone as a personality, because he told it like it was. And even if David was just manipulating the MEDIA, I know that he really took it to heart if he blew a game. He went home and was PISSED until his next start. A-Rod…deals with things differently.

As I posted years ago: we need Alex to act free, and if that means being mean and rude, so be it. He’s trying to be someone he isn’t. He’s trying to be a role model, and he can’t be that. I loved Barry Bonds’ interviews and press conferences when he would call out reporters who asked stupid or irrelevant questions. Bonds acted genuine: he let them know he didn’t want to be there. Alex wants to come off as the “corporate champion” but he’s just a kid from Miami who made it big.

I want him to relax, drive in runs with runners in scoring position, get on base, and cut the off-field crap and scandals.

Play ball.

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