Monday, January 26, 2015

New MLB Commissioner Manfred willing to give A-Rod second chance

Alex Rodriguez's relationship with former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig definitely had its issues, but his one with Selig's successor seems to be a little better. 

At least that's the tone new league administrator Rob Manfred appeared to set during a recent sit-down with ESPN's Karl Ravech, in which Manfred was questioned about his thoughts on the troubled slugger. Manfred, who took over for Selig Sunday, clarified in the conversation that the decision to suspend Rodriguez for all of last season was Selig's alone, and that from now on it will be him calling the shots. 

"I've had a nice dialogue with Alex Rodriguez since all the litigation was resolved," Manfred said. "We've spoken on a number of occasions and it has been a positive dialogue."

Rodriguez openly expressed his displeasure with Selig numerous times last year, and denied his alleged steroid use vehemently before privately admitting it in January. When his punishment was initially announced last winter, he sued MLB in an attempt to overturn it, ultimately to no avail. 

Nonetheless, Manfred has no problem with Rodriguez's return. 

"Once [a penalty for PED use] is over, that individual is entitled to try to resume his career, assuming he can still play," Manfred said. "If you approach it with that mindset, I think you can get past whatever rhetoric went on."

Rodriguez is expected to be the Yankees' starting DH this season, probably serving as the team's backup third baseman as well. It's presumable many throughout the Yankees' fanbase won't be fond of him when he takes the field this April, nor will some ever accept him back into the game.

Fortunately for the veteran, though, Manfred isn't one of those people.

"Yeah, I do," he said when asked if he has the ability to forgive Rodriguez. "I think that's part of what makes the bargain of severe penalties work."

30 comments:

  1. Third chance... but I get your point.

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    1. Why is it a third chance Daniel?
      He has never tested positive for drugs! And even this last time he didn't. He was named as a user before it was banned from baseball, in Texas (and finally admitted it). Nobody was ever taken to task for using before the Texas time line.
      Therefore, it is his second chance, even though we know he used back then, it was a wash!

      It is freezing outside with snow, so what else is there to do but be a pain in the neck, that's my job! LOL

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    2. THIRD CHANCE ?....Turn the page, please.

      David Ortiz...he did it, no one cares. Teflon.
      Sammy Sosa...he did it. But, forgets how to speak english, when asked.
      Ryan Braun...he did it, but it was the Fed-Ex guys fault.

      On, an on, I can go. But, listen....
      Alex screwed up, and he paid his penalty. Unlike the rest.
      Turn the page, and hope he has a fine year. Especially against Boston.

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    3. There, you go Patrick...you got it!
      Have another one! You done done good!

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    4. Third chance sounds awkward. Second chance is a figure of speech

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    5. Jeff beat me to the punch. David Ortiz is on his second chance and the world still loves him for it. The Mitchell Report gave those players a second chance. Biogenesis is now his third chance. Three strikes and you're out.

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  2. It is his third chance Ken. He did in fact fail a drug test in 2003 and admitted to it. Chance one. Then he admitted guilt by taking a reduced sentence in biogenesis. Chance 2. Now we're supposed to welcome him back with open arms for chance 3? I understand being loyal to a rostered Yankee, but this guy is a clown. He gets no support from this fan.

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  3. little p touched on Ryan Braun, also on his third chance. No one is throwing him a farewell tour.

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  4. MORE TALK OF CLOWNS ?...........
    Jeff, Alex is not a clown. You know that. But, if he is, than he is our clown.
    Second, third, nineteenth chance....what difference ? He is ours.

    He is ours for three more years. They could be some what productive years.........Surprise !!
    No one knows. Only those that like to guess.
    I'd like to think, things will change for the better.

    Forget the chances 3-19, use the clean slate theory. One swipe, and its clean.

    Please, no more talk of clowns. Leave that to Hans.


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    1. What am I supposed to call him Patrick? A nice guy? An upstanding citizen? How about an ambassador for the game of baseball? You win. I'll stop calling a clown and go back to calling him a jackass. Because that's what he is. Probably the most talent ever bestowed upon one human being, but too ignorant to make the best of it. Root for and support him if you must, but I good sir, cannot. To each their own.

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    2. JEFF........Jackass works just fine...
      Or, call him what Cameron Diaz calls him..." the bedroom stallion / Mr. Fungo bat "
      Its your call.
      Or, call him as I do...." the magician, the mvp. the power source, or the jokester "

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    3. I'm going to call him the Comeback Player of the Year for 2015 personally...

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    4. Well Jeff, I certainly have no disagreement with you on most of what you said and as many around here know I have said about the same as you wrote...'Probably the most talent ever bestowed upon one human being, but too ignorant to make the best of it.'.
      The thing is, I also said, I will NEVER forgive him for misusing his God-given talents!
      But, not forgiving him is one thing, helping the team win is another. As long as he is a Yankee (as was the case with my opinion of Jeter) I want to win, therefore I treat him as I will and would any other Yankee.
      He is helping, I will cheer for him to do well...he is hurting the team with no production, I will ride him as would I any other player.
      Believe me when I say..."I have no mercy for anyone I feel is a danger to me or mine"! The Yankees have been mine for over 65+ years!

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    5. Damn, Daniel! How in the hell do you do that? A one liner says it all!
      That's what I meant the other day (yesterday?) when I said I was Envious of some people. You, Jeff, Jack, Bryan etc., have great writing skills.

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    6. Well said Ken. If A Rod is stinking up the joint I will be extremely vocal about it. If he's lighting up the box score I will be extremely vocal about that as well. Catching the pattern here? I am becoming a loud mouth with a blog...

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    7. Hey, nothing wrong with that!
      We all are Yankee Fans, I don't care who plays for the team as long as they contribute! If they don't, as was the case with Beltran, Tex, and McCann (for 1/2 the year), we should be able to criticize...and then some!

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  5. I'm not rooting against Arod. As a Yankee fan, the last thing I want to see is him failing while in the lineup. What I'm saying is that I don't want him in the lineup. I don't even want him in baseball. He disgraced the game more than Pete Rose ever did. You guys remember Bull Durham? When Tim Robbins asked Kevin Costner why he didn't like him? Costner said "Because you don't respect yourself, which is your problem. But you don't respect the game, and that's my problem." That's how I feel. I don't care if Arod can look himself in the mirror or not. As narcissistic as he is, I'm sure he has no issues with that. But he's cheated the game not once, but twice that we know about. Truth be told, I believe the rumors that he's been juicing since his high school days. If people want to root for him just because of the uniform he wears then power to them. I just want him gone. Even if it does cost us $61 million.

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    1. There is no doubt in your stance with A-Rod Jeff!
      I respect it, as I know...you are a true Yankee fan...but I don't agree with going that far!
      I disagree with your assessment of Rose! 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson (right name?) was banned from baseball for the Black Sox thing and he didn't even know what was going on. Rose cheated the game by betting on the game, he knew the rules...the same as A-Rod did (after the ban on drugs he was taking). What about the other guys like Ortiz and Braun...both three-time losers!
      The commissioner said Willy Mays couldn't show up at any Baseball functions because he had a job at one of the Casinos!
      If the rules apply to one player they should be the same with all the others!

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    2. Also Jeff, as Patrick so eloquently put it..."Jackass works just fine" for me!

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    3. Whoa right there on Pete Rose.

      First and foremost what is a managers job? To do everything in his power to win the game (in a simplified form of course). Rose bet on his team, not every night, to WIN. What did Rose do different as a manager when he did and didn't have a bet on a game? Absolutely nothing, he tried to win.

      Secondly Rose bet on baseball as a MANAGER while the Hall of Fame judges him as a PLAYER. There needs to be a separation between the two here. I could keep going but I would get heated and flip out and burn something down and I don't really need another afternoon spent at the police department explaining why I lit the fire (kidding... or am I?).

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    4. Jeff,

      Also another short one or a rant will ensue. A Rod did not cheat the game, not whatsoever. The argument could be made he cheated the game the second time I guess but I would quickly rebuff that as well.

      When A Rod, Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, etc. were taking steroids the game was in the shit can. We were not far removed from the strike that cancelled the World Series, attendance sucked, the Montreal Expos were bankrupt, etc. Steroids saved the game, brought people back to baseball and got people excited again. A Rod didn't cheat the game he made the game entertaining for the fans again. He didn't do it the right way, no one can deny that or would be stupid to try to, but he only cheated himself. The game allowed him to cheat himself and reaped the benefits of it as long as they could.

      Sure he got a contract he probably didnt deserve, or two or three, but the game ONLY benefited from his actions. He didn't cheat the game, the game gave him an inch, and then a mile and then pulled the rug out from under him.

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    5. MOON SHINER...Dan....
      Love that last paragraph, above. Seriously. You crafted yours words with your
      thoughts....resulting in a great couple of lines.
      Nice work.

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    6. maybe you taught me a thing or two little p.

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    7. It's not his failed 2003 test that bothers me at all. It's the biogenesis suspension. I was a huge supporter of Arod before that. As I said earlier, I forgave and forgot everybody in the Balco scandal, the Mitchell report, and the confidential names that got leaked. I can even forgive a first time offender that sincerely apologizes and makes ammends. I can't forgive liars like Braun and Arod though. Just can't. Sorry. It's a morality thing.

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    8. Well like I said an argument could be made for the second time, although he still didn't cheat the game (to keep things in context) because he had the last contract he was ever going to get.

      Again I understand if you or anyone else doesn't wanna be a fan. Never the issue/argument from me. I just hate the "cheated the game" lines and arguments.

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    9. Daniel, this is the story in a nutshell on Rose;
      From Wikipedia;
      'In August 1989, three years after he retired as an active player, Rose agreed to permanent ineligibility from baseball amidst accusations that he gambled on baseball games while playing for and managing the Reds, including claims that he bet on his own team.'

      He bet as a Player and Manager, sorry about that! Why do the talented players need to cheat?
      There is a long list of players that had the Talent, but cheated anyhow...it is only a game!

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    10. Then you can't forgive Andy, he lied about using!
      It is a slippery slope we slide on, the edge of which could be a disaster!

      At least you were giving him a break until this last thing with his suspension.

      I must say, it was very hard for me trying to stick up for him during his last trouble, as I had already said; "I will never forgive him for misusing his God-given talents!".

      Thank you, Jeff, for standing with your convictions!

      Anyway one looks at it...it is truly a FUBAR!

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    11. I still don't buy it on Rose. Player goes out and tries to win every single night.

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    12. True Daniel, but so did A-Rod and all the others that were guilty of rule violations.

      Personally, I think Rose should be in The Hall of Fame...or as I have begun to call it...The Hall of Shame!
      There are so many players that had one or three great years out of 10 or 15 years, but everyone loved the guy and he was all PC in the HOF in the last 20 + years.
      They bypass the real players all the time to elect the GOOD GUYS with so, so records. That sucks, big time for me.

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)