Jeter’s Up, A-Rod’s Next
My wife and I took the kids to the 2011 Lakewood BlueClaws FanFest today. And, I was wearing the Yankees 2009 World Series Champions Parade Hoody Sweatshirt that the kids gave me as a gift after the Yankees last ring.
We were on line, waiting for the park to open, and there was another family in front of us – a husband, wife and daughter. I’m guessing that the parents were in their early 60′s and the girl was in her early 20′s. While waiting, we struck up a conversation that went like this:
The woman, to me, breaking the ice: I like your shirt.
Me: Thanks. It would be nice to get another one this year. (Meaning another championship for the Yanks.)
The husband: They’ve got a lot of great players but they’re all rich and not many are kids.
Me: Yeah, they’ve got some guys who are on the back-end of thirty and who are gonna be around for a while because they’re making so much.
The husband: Well, they’re starting to go a little. Andy’s not coming back. Good for him. Spending time with his family.
Me: Yeah, he’s set for life. He doesn’t need any more money. He’s smart to do what he wants to do now. He’s earned it.
The husband: I just wish they didn’t have all those old guys. It would be nice to see them give some kids a chance.
Me: That’s the smart thing to do. Have the kids ready to step in and then you don’t have to keep the other guys when they’re old and making a ton of money.
The husband: I guess some of them never want to go. Look at Jeter. He’s going to stay there until he has every record that he wants.
The daughter, who, until this time had her back turned to me and fiddling with her smart phone: Jeter, has got to go!
Me: Well, you’ve got four more years of him. So, it’s going to be a while.
And, at that point, they opened the park and we all started in…
I found the young lady’s comments to be very interesting. There’s a good chance that she was probably one of those young girls holding up a “Marry Me, Jeter!” sign at the Stadium back in 1999. But, now, there’s a ‘hole different feeling for the Captain…
Geez, if they can turn on Jeter – as so many others have – boy, are they gonna have a field day with A-Rod very soon…because he’s not the player he once was either…and he’s gonna be here for a long time comin’…
Rodriguez has a higher offensive peak to fall from, at least he has that going for him.
At any rate, I wouldn’t sweat it too much; fans are usually fickle, and given the crap Rodriguez has dealt with since he was traded here, chances are it won’t be any different than usual.
Raf wrote:
You’ve said this before, and you were just as wrong then. Even when Arod was booed he was at least putting up decent statistics. He’s making 20 million in 2017? What kind of player will Arod be by then? A part time DH? If that? And you think it won’t be worse? Absolutely comical. Its will be brutal, and this time he won’t have the talent to go through stretches where he’s super hot and turns the boos into cheers. He’ll just be bad all the time.
If the Yankees are smart they’ll get Arod out of town before the later years. I’m sure Arod will see the writing on the wall and be happy to spend his last few years elsewhere.
agsf wrote:
No, what’s comical is that you think you have an idea of what’s going to happen in 2017.
He’s making $20M in 2017? So what?
What kind of player will he be? Defensively he could play 3b, he could be a DH, he could play 1b, he could play the OF.
Offensively, he post a season similar to Hank Aaron (.229/.315/.369), Barry Bonds (.276/.480/.565), Julio Franco (.300/.376/.444) or Pete Rose (.245/.316/.286)
You chicken littles really need to calm down.
Raf wrote:
If you think any other team will want A-rod at the back end of his contract, you are dreaming. He’s not going anywhere. He’ll be the Yankee DH several years before his deal ends, and he’ll finish it in pinstripes
For some reason, the above quote was attributed to Raf, It should have been agsf.
In 2017, according to Cot’s, Arod will be making:
2017:$20M
plus
$30M marketing agreement based on home run milestones ($6M each for reaching 660, 714, 755 and tying and breaking major league HR record)
no-trade protection
One other thing, FWIW
BatAge, PitchAge
1996: 30.1, 29.3
2010: 30.3, 30.4
How did the fan fest go, Steve?
@ Raf:
It was good. Cold – because of the wind. Everyone was dressed for 55 degress and sun – but, the wind was really blowing and made it colder.
It wasn’t as good as 2010 and 2009. You couldn’t walk behind the OF fense this year. And, you could not go on the field. But, the free food was good. And, you can’t beat getting discounted tickets.
I bought 5 games – 4 seats each. Every game, we’re close behind HP, maybe 18 rows back at the most. Total cost, for all five games and 20 tickets? $150.
You’re luck to get one seat for one game at that price in Yankee Stadium. And, you won’t be sitting 18 rows behind HP.
I may be wrong about this but I don’t remember any “Mattingly’s got to go!” sentiment back in 1995, even though Donnie Baseball was a medicrity at that point (97 OPS+, -1.2 BFW, -0.4 WAR). Yes, he did retire after his miserable performance that year, but how many of us were saying “Well! It’s about damn time!”?
Jim TreshFan wrote:
IIRC, there was a sentiment that he would’ve done well, after his performance in the ALDS. He had added a leg kick to his stance and had positive results.
It seems the reason for his retirement was the problems he was having @ home. IMO he would’ve played through another contract had things been better there.
Jim TreshFan wrote:
Good point. FWIW, he’s an interesting list of old Yankees at the end of their career. How many did get the ‘tude from the fans on their way out?
@ Steve Lombardi:
Interesting list. And perhaps the example of Bobby Richardson might be ad rem here since Richardson had the largest “halo effect” among Yankees this side of Derek Jeter. Over his last 4 seasons Richardson posted OPS+s of 75, 74, 74 and 79. Pretty bad, huh? But would you believe he was an All Star selection in each of those years? Indeed, Richardson lead the league in Outs Made in ’61, ’62, ’64 and ’65 (he was 2nd in ’63) and only finished 5th in that category in ’66 because he missed 15 games. Yet he was cheered every time he stepped to the plate. In 1965 the Yankees fiished in the second division and Richardson had one of his worst years—offensively a 74 OPS+, defensively a -9 Rtot, and overall a -1.3 WAR—but he was not only picked for the All Star team, he also won a Gold Glove AND—I swear I’m not making this up!—he got 6 votes for MVP!!! Was there any “Richardson’s Got To Go!” ‘tude then? Hell no. In fact IIRC there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth when he announced his retirement the next year. And it was Horace Clarke that got the ‘tude.
agsf wrote:
Precisely. So if he was underappreciated by the fans during the good times then any venom directed his way when he’s not putting up stats in 2017 would be simply a return to what he’s already been through with the fans.
If MVP’s couldn’t rally the majority of fans to his side, why would A-Rod care about boos at the of his career?
MJ Recanati wrote:
Because a certain subset of Yankees fans exist that think they’re so self important that they feel they can influence what a multimillion dollar athlete, one who by 2017 will have had 14 years service time as a Yankee and 24 years in the bigs thinks or does?
Matter of fact, I’d say they’re getting the pitchforks ready, because they’re already assuming that he’s going to be an unproductive player at 41.