Storyline: Watching players who could crush the ball out of the park spoiled me. And finding out that it was all because of a needle has really taken a toll on my trust of the game.
Alex Rodriguez was my favorite baseball player. By far.
The way he balanced power and contact at such a high level was never-before seen. His quick glove–and even quicker feet–made him a spectacle to watch.
Courtesy: The Bleacher Report.com
The young shortstop made the once slow, dull game of baseball a brand new sport to me. What was once dreary and boring became beautiful and exciting. And, for me, it was because of A-rod.
I live just a quick drive from Yankee Stadium, so the Yankees have been my favorite team for as long as I can remember (except during my adolescent years when I was brainwashed by my dad to cheer for a team that was a subway ride away).
So I was really excited in 2004 when this eight-year-old (at the time) heard that A-rod was coming from Texas to New York.
But 2004 was a sour time for many Yankees’ fans. It was a time to forget a good season rather than to bask in its (101-win) glory. Why? NY blew the ALCS to the hated Red Sox and that left Yankee fanatics bitter and ashamed.
Yet, there I was, a young boy who couldn’t believe his favorite player was in pinstripes.
A-rod in 2007 (photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
I started to model my game after him. Yeah, I wasn’t any good, but I tried making the swap from right field to third (I liked shortstop better but, if third was good enough for A-rod, then it was good enough for me.). I bent my knees like him when I was up at bat. I even held the bat with my elbows out–right above my shoulder–just like him.
Over the next four seasons I saw a lot more of A-rod. Most notably, I was able to see my favorite player win the MVP award TWICE and, more importantly, he did it in the jersey of my favorite team. His 2007 season is one that will go down in the books. Alex ended up with 54 home runs, 156 RBIs, and crossed home plate a career-high 143 times.
A-rod brought a new excitement to the game–an excitement that I had heard about from my dad, but an excitement that I had never personally seen or experienced before.
Ask any baseball fan and they will be able to tell you when the game became beautiful to them. I will always attribute that moment to Alex Rodriguez.
I still feel that way, but not about something else. That “somethings else” happened in 2009.
After not making the playoffs for the first time since 1993, the 2009 Yankees off-season was expected to be filled with changes. The retirement of Mike Mussina was no big shock. And (truth be known) the departure of big names, such as Ivan Rodriguez, Carl Pavano, Bobby Abreu, and Jason Giambi, was nothing the Yankees couldn’t come back from.
But it was neither a departure nor an arrival that made the biggest splash for the Yankees that off-season. It’s what happened on February 10th.
A-rod said: “I did take a banned substance, and for that I’m very sorry.”
The words fell out of his mouth as if he was vomiting up molasses–it was slow, ugly, and downright nasty.
When he admitted to steroid use during the 2001-2003 seasons A-rod quickly became just another name on a long list of cheaters.
Courtesy: NY Daily News)
And, with that admission, he lost a lifetime fan.
I’m sure I could ask a lot of people my age who grew up in The Steroid Era about their favorite players and a similar story would emerge–no matter who their favorite player might have been … Bonds, Sosa, Palmeiro …..
Today I can’t tell you who’s my favorite player. Why? Who is there to trust anymore? Is it Ryan Braun, Chris Davis, or Nelson Cruz?
Nope, Nope, and Nope.
But wait! It’s not just the power hitters who were involved. The quick, contacting-hitting, base-stealing players were also setting off alarms. Pirates outfielder, Starling Marte, and Marlins second baseman, Dee Gordon, have a joint 69 home runs in their 11 combined MLB seasons. They were caught juicing, too.
If a player goes off and has a breakout power year, you expect steroid talk. But guys were out there slapping the ball into the shallow outfield … and they were caught using the needle.
If if it’s not safe to like the power hitters, and it’s not safe to like the small-ball guys, then who’s left to like?
Courtesy: miggy24.com
Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely a lot of quality “favorite players” out there in baseball today. I’m talking about the likes of Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Adrian Beltre, Bryce Harper, Nolan Arenado, and Clayton Kershaw.
Those guys can make the game beautiful for the young fans of today.
But growing up watching players who could crush the ball out of the park spoiled me. And finding out that it was all because of a needle has really taken a toll on my trust of the game.
What baseball needs–or rather, what I need–is trust in players to come back. I need an A-rod type player to show me aspects of the game that I’ve never seen before. And that player can’t be a cheater.
I need someone to hit for average and power, while also racking up steals and flashing the leather on the field.
I need someone to be the angel in my outfield–*cough* Mike Trout, *cough*–and save the game for good.
That’s what I need.
Nice article Frank. I was 12 years old when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. I watched it on TV. Aaron weighed 180 pounds and he is proof that you don’t need steroids to hit home runs. So glad I got to see him play and so sorry that your baseball heroes have let you down. Keep up the good work.