Top Yankees officials are apparently giving Alex Rodriguez a pass on his latest appearance in the tabloids, but they were annoyed and concerned enough about his extracurricular activities and a spate of often unflattering celebrity news stories that top team executives -- including owners Hal and Hank Steinbrenner -- staged serious discussions with the superstar slugger in recent weeks about toning down his off-field act and focusing entirely on his well-known drive to be baseball's best player, according to people familiar with those talks.
The most serious of the heart-to-heart talks occurred right after Sports Illustrated reported on Feb. 7 that Rodriguez was one of 104 players to have failed baseball's 2003 survey test, as club officials used the steroid revelation as a platform to discuss avoidance of all controversy. That message was strongly reinforced again by top Yankees executives after A-Rod was rather indiscreetly picked up by cousin Yuri Sucart following a spring training game only days after Rodriguez named Sucart as the one who helped procure the steroids for him.
The Yankees' message was, "Put all the distractions behind you.'' And Rodriguez agreed, according to people familiar with those discussions.
Heyman goes on to say that the Yankees believe that A-Rod has distanced himself from celeb agent Guy Oseary, the person they blames for the Katie Couric interview as well as the Details magazine photos. But people close to A-Rod say he's "still in some contact with Oseary."The team executives' talks with Rodriguez have tapered off while he's been rehabbing his surgically repaired right hip 2,000 miles away from the team in Vail, Colo. And the concern has lessened somewhat, as A-Rod is now spending 18 hours a day rehabbing under the guidance of noted hip surgeon Marc Philippon and rehab specialist David Lindsay. One person close to Rodriguez, concerned about the continuing bad press, described Rodriguez as currently being "sealed off.'' A-Rod's bosses are pleased that he has dedicated himself to the rehab, and people around him are now suggesting that he'll likely return to the team sometime during the first two weeks of May.
While Yankees brass frequently praise Rodriguez for his willingness to agree to the two-part hip surgery (an obvious attempt on his part to salvage this season) and dedication in speeding up the timetable for his return, people who talk to Yankees executives say they have been frustrated at times by Rodriguez's seeming inability to avoid bad publicity. According to people familiar with the situation, some describe it as a "constant maintenance'' on the part of Yankees officials, who are frequently advising Rodriguez.
Top-ranking club executives -- including the Steinbrenners, club president Randy Levine and Cashman -- elicited positive responses to the heart-to-heart chats, according to people briefed on these talks. Rodriguez, understanding that he had become a "magnet'' for bad and even embarrassing publicity, vowed to do his best to be more discreet and stay out of the press, and most importantly, promised to concentrate on the goal of living up to a contract that guarantees him $275 million.
If I were A-Rod I'd part ways with anyone who made me look stupid, regardless of their status in Hollywood or on Fifth Avenue.
It doesn't surprise me at all that the Yankees are trying to cut down on the bad P.R., it's the wise thing to do. Just like it's the wise thing for A-Rod to avoid any situation that might make him look stupid, and avoid it like the plague.
Now please don't misunderstand where I'm coming from with this post. I don't intend for this to be another post to bash A-Rod, I'm just passing along information that I read about A-Rod that I think is relevant to Yankees fans, that's all. Just want to make that clear.
7 Comments:
CODY RANSOM = A-VOID
You're right pretty much Greg.
Alex has to be an absolute idiot to keep doing photo shoots and interviews. What can a person be thinking to agree to do those? Why bother? It's not like he's doing it for money. It HAS to be his "agents" encouraging him to do those gigs because THEY want more money.
I just can't understand it. You're getting paid hundreds of millions of dollars. Spend time with your kids or whatever. Spend time in one of your mansions with friends or with "women" or whatever, but quit this ridiculous stuff like partying at "clubs", soliciting prostitues (why a billionaire athlete would need to pay for sex is beyond me), doing photoshoots, and magazine feature interviews. Get your head in the game, literally and figuratively.
I do think that he's probably not NEARLY as bad as he's been portrayed by the media, as they'll try and turn anything into a story. Nevertheless, there's a reason that guys like Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, or Derek Jeter are rarely exposed like A-Rod has been.
This is where the yankees miss the old George. I dont think A-Rod kissing himself in mirrors would of been tolerated under Steinbrenner.
anonyMOOSE,
A-Rod is exposed by the media because he consistently puts himself in stupid situations. At least that's what I think.
Anon,
I've been thinking about that too recently. I really wonder how George would have handled this situation.
"It HAS to be his "agents" encouraging him to do those gigs because THEY want more money."
I agree with this assessment, i am pretty sure also he does go around kissing himself in mirrors while in the privacy of his own home. some of this nonsense is nothing more than promoting and the selling of newspapers.
what true sports fan wants to see a player kissing a mirror---think about that for a minute.
as far as the prostitute (high price), I see nothing wrong with a man going thru divorce to indulge himself every now and then.
but he should do it in vegas--what happens---well you know the rest. 2ndly, he probably doesn't want t expose himself to paternity suits while looking for a new companion.
nevertheless, go phils.
I think George would be beside himself with all this crap. I don't know why A-Rod needs Guy Oseary anyway. It's well documented that A-Rod has very little "brand" value. Consumers didn't react well to him before most of this stuff hit the press. He's got tons of money and really doesn't need endorsement deals anyway.
He is a classic tragedy. He want's to be loved more then anything else but the harder he tries the worse he makes it for himself. The Yanks are right on point with this. He needs to be the best baseball player he can be and let the chips fall where they may.
I've never understood why A-Rod needs handlers either, Brad. Especially ones who end up putting him in worse positions than he already was putting himself in.
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