Alex Rodriguez is a tremendous baseball player. With all his talent and skill combined, he is arguably the greatest ballplayer to lace up the spikes. He literally can do it all. He can make all the plays and throws from both shortstop and third base. He can hit, and hit with power. He can flat out put up some impressive offensive numbers. He has taken more than a little flack due to his less than spectacular postseason production, and this is justified. You make the magnificent bucks to produce in the clutch in the playoffs. He has not lifted his Yankee teams to the heights that all their talent would justify them achieving. Nevertheless, he is one heck of a baseball player. I sometimes wish for him that he had not ended up with the Yankees, where the spotlight beams so bright. I could picture him as a Dodger, or a Cub. Not as much pressure and more appreciation. But he chose his team, and he is and will be a Bronx Bomber. Regarding this steroid issue that has just surfaced with Rodriguez, two major negatives pop up for me. The biggest is that he, and all the hundreds of guys who have taken steroids, have compromised the game of baseball. That's the biggest part of this deal to me. That and the fact that they have cheated the guys who played and chose not to take performance enhancing drugs. Those two things are actually one in the same if you think about it. Thank goodness that the game of baseball is bigger than all of these guys. Individually as well as collectively. Secondly, by lying on national TV to Katie Couric, he perjured himself. One does not have to be under oath to commit perjury. It's just illegal under oath, and just flat out lying out of court. Either way, you compromise your own personal integrity. So, he's 0 for 2 in integrity. But you really don't have to be a "good" person to be a professional ballplayer. I guess integrity doesn't count between the white lines. That's what the Umps are there for, right? Somebody has to be willing to call 'em as they see 'em.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Alex Rodriguez: Batting 0 For 2 in Integrity
Alex Rodriguez is a tremendous baseball player. With all his talent and skill combined, he is arguably the greatest ballplayer to lace up the spikes. He literally can do it all. He can make all the plays and throws from both shortstop and third base. He can hit, and hit with power. He can flat out put up some impressive offensive numbers. He has taken more than a little flack due to his less than spectacular postseason production, and this is justified. You make the magnificent bucks to produce in the clutch in the playoffs. He has not lifted his Yankee teams to the heights that all their talent would justify them achieving. Nevertheless, he is one heck of a baseball player. I sometimes wish for him that he had not ended up with the Yankees, where the spotlight beams so bright. I could picture him as a Dodger, or a Cub. Not as much pressure and more appreciation. But he chose his team, and he is and will be a Bronx Bomber. Regarding this steroid issue that has just surfaced with Rodriguez, two major negatives pop up for me. The biggest is that he, and all the hundreds of guys who have taken steroids, have compromised the game of baseball. That's the biggest part of this deal to me. That and the fact that they have cheated the guys who played and chose not to take performance enhancing drugs. Those two things are actually one in the same if you think about it. Thank goodness that the game of baseball is bigger than all of these guys. Individually as well as collectively. Secondly, by lying on national TV to Katie Couric, he perjured himself. One does not have to be under oath to commit perjury. It's just illegal under oath, and just flat out lying out of court. Either way, you compromise your own personal integrity. So, he's 0 for 2 in integrity. But you really don't have to be a "good" person to be a professional ballplayer. I guess integrity doesn't count between the white lines. That's what the Umps are there for, right? Somebody has to be willing to call 'em as they see 'em.
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