More Bird Problems

The much anticipated arrival of A-rod was as predicted, useless. Yes he homered on the first pitch of his first at bat and put the Yankees in the lead; but he has not done much since Friday night.

Friday night's win was all about pitching. A complete game shutout by C.C. Sabathia, finally something to justify his $23,000,000 a year salary. Friday was what the fans anticipated since the C.C. signing.

However Saturday was ugly. Hughes didn't last and when he was finally pulled in the 2nd, it was too late. The Yanks were down 8-0 and would never come back.

Sunday got interesting with the Yanks down 3-1 at the end of the first Inning. However great plates performances by Johnny Damon took the Yanks to a 5-3 victory and allowed them to escape to Toronto with a winning series in Baltimore.

This leads to the next series with the Blue Jays. The Yanks are in Toronto for 3, with shaky but adequate catching, and players who notorious play poorly on the artificial surface in Toronto, A-Rod being one of those players.

A-Rod who is now batting 0.143; despite the crowning of his godliness by the Yes Network's Michaela Kay and many other sportswriters after his home run Friday night. A-Rod, who I have watched careful this past series is not playing defenses at MLB level. He should be sent to Trenton or Scranton for more work. His presence in the lineup does not add numbers to the boards, and impairs the Yankees ability to play an effective 3rd baseman. He clearly is not aggressively fielding, and was lucky to have Derek Jeter as the shortstop. Jeter clearly was playing both his and A-Rod's postion all weekend.

Heads up A-Rod, Rogers Centre is bigger than Camden Yards, and Jeter won't be able to carry you on his back fro another series. Move it or lose it.

Chapter 10 in the A-Rod Saga

For those who came in late I will recap:

Chapter 1: A-Rod opens mouth and disses Derek Jeter, causing the first of many controversies.

Chapter 2: A-Rod comes to New York Yankees from the Texas Rangers, bringing his all about me personality into the team oriented New York Yankees clubhouse; the Yankees begin a down turn.

Chapter 3: A-Rod admits to frequenting poker clubs, reviving the Pete Rose question about gambling issues associated with sports players.

Chapter 4: Mrs. A-Rod appears at the stadium in a controversial T-Shirt, making the front pages of the Daily News and New York Post, all his money can't buy good fashion sense.

Chapter 5: A-Rod seen with mystery blond in Toronto during the Yankees stand against the Blue Jays.

Chapter 6: Mrs. A-Rod institutes divorce proceedings after A-Rod and Madonna are linked as having extramarital affairs with each other.

Chapter 7: Madonna dumps A-Rod and divorces husband Guy Richie.

Chapter 8: Joe Torre talks extensively about "the A-Rod problem" in his new book, confirming A-Rod's self centered selfish attitude.

Chapter 9: A-Rod admits to steroids, receives many invitations to discuss this from the United States Congress, the US Attorney regarding DEA Issues and Major League Baseball. A-Rod's defense: "My cousin made me do it."

Chapter 10: A-Rod develops hip cyst which could end his career, and so I begin:


Chapter 10: The Hip Cyst:

• Hip Cysts typically are sign of osteoarthritis. Not necessarily a true cysts, they are weakened areas in the bone plate; and a weakened hip joint is never a good thing, once you have pain, the damage is done.
  
• Oh by the way, Osteoarthritis is one of the indicators of intravenous drug abuse and a documented side effect of HGH abuse. By screwing around with the body's normal metabolism by taking pharmaceuticals not prescribed for your condition, bad stuff happens.
  
  Never mind not playing in the world baseball classic, something I want moved to November and not the middle of Spring Training; A-Rod has bigger issues. He could be looking at surgery to fix his hip. Quite easily depending on the size of the area, he has potential for permanent injury, ending his career. While I would like to see A-Rod and his story banished from the Yankees, you don't want a career ending injury to befall anyone.
  
  In the end he only brought it upon himself. Using illegal obtained, non prescribed, performance enhancing substance can cause health problems, just ask Jason Giambi. A-Rod could be looking at early retirement from baseball, a life with an artificial hip, walker or in a wheel chair.
  
  So here you go boys and girls, a lesson, never cheat, especially in sports, because:

Paybacks are a Bitch!

A-Rod, Disappointment, Cheat, Liar and Fraud

Yesterday on ESPN's "Sports Reporters", Michael Kay, Yankee broadcaster and Alex Rodriquez cheerleader admitted he was not shocked but disappointed to hear A-Rod had done steroids. The question remains is how that will alter, or will it alter Kay's perception of of A-Rod from this point on.

Disappointment is when you don't get your toy from Santa, when your parents cancel a planned outing. It is a an emotion generated from the loss of something we look forward to in life. Like it or not, personality and all, we all enjoyed watching A-Rod play. He has talent. Talent that will most likely be overlooked going forward in his baseball career. He will forever be tainted by steroids.

Personally I am neither shocked or disappointed. I blame A-Rods' agent, Scott Boras. An agent is supposed to bolster his client when he or she is insecure. A-Rod requires constant ego maintenance. An agent is supposed to furnish that to his client to keep him from stupid things, like steroids. A-Rod for all his natural talent is highly insecure. He is also image focused. Using steroids and thinking it would not come out is image suicide.

This morning, A-Rod used the lame excuse, I didn't do steroids. Later int he day he recanted, using the I dind't know defens. Alex, Alex, Alex, how stupid do you think people are? They got the records from the Baseball Player's Union. Lying about it intinally only made you look like an ass.

Was I surprised A-Rod went to denial? No, because once again it's his image. If he believes it, it won't be true. Well Alex you can deny it to yourself, but then their is the lab test that says you are a liar. Which would you rather be a fallen legend or an example of a liar and cheat? I personally would take the hit on my reputation for being stupid then for being a liar, then an idiot by admitting it and saying he didn't know. I will admit my mistakes. I have enough self-confidence in myself to admit my many faults; apparently Alex Rodriquez does not. He still believes the A-Rod fairy tale; and this fairy tell has an unhappy ending.

When Andy Pettitte got named in the Mitchell report, I was upset. However Andy came out and admitted to his nasty deed. It proves Andy is a mature person and can handle his own stupidity. When Roger Clemens was accused, he lied, of course, that didn't change my opinion of Roger either, watching him pitch for 20+ year,s you knew it was all about him. And unlike A-Rod, Roger will not be denied Cooperstown, he holds too many records, before he loaded up on the steroids to keep pitching. Alex on the other hand can probably kiss the Hall of Fame goodbye.

Had A-Rod fessed up today and been honest the first time, he might have got a pardon from the Baseball Writers. But Alex initially denied the truth, the truth that is plain in a printed lab report. Lying is something the Baseball Writers will not forget. Honesty and open dialog is the basis for their craft. Alex is not honest or open unless it benefits. Why then would they place him one day in the shrine of the immortals? Lying removes his reward for immortality. Had he gone with unknowingly stupid at first, he might have at least gotten an invite.

My parents always said, honestly is the best policy. In this day of tainted role models, what example does A-Rod's no, then maybe I didn't know defense teach our youth. It teaches them to lie, cheat and sneak to be successful. The fast track to disaster.

The biggest thing about this latest A-Rod Drama is the example it sets for those who want to be like him. And that is something we cannot allow. No matter how much talent, how much ability or success you attain, you should not be rewarded for attaining it unfairly.

As Kellogg's and USA Swimming stripped Michael Phelps of his rewards, the same should be done for all athletes who attain their success through cheating. Why it will not upset me if a talent like A-Rod is denied the Baseball Hall of Fame.

It is time to draw a line in the sand, the line of setting a good example. Those who cheated set bad examples, and bad examples requires punishment.

The moral of this tale, stupidity should never be rewarded and honesty is always the best policy.

The Smoking Steroid Gun

Much has come out of the Balco investigation by the DEA and US attorney. Now that discovery is over and trial time is near, the real evidence is available to the press, and they are like kids at Christmas, much to the dismay of to other than Messrs Barry Bonds and lawyers, the US Attorney and now Alex Rodriquez.


Hence a plethora of "shocking" steroid related stories.


Get real, anyone who believes A-Rod and Bonds weren't using roids prior to 2006 must have had vision impairment. Photos don't lie and at the end of 2002, A-Rod's face has the distinctive roids shape: round and pregnant looking. I don't think A-Rod was preggers. That would have been bigger news.


You would think that with A-Rod's money he could have done PEDs in the privacy of his home, much like Roger Clemens.

A-Rod in 2000 Oval Face, no rounding

A-Rod End of 2002 -Roid Use Rounded Face

A-Rod at NYY Announcement 2004, drug free oval face

To pass the NYY physical, A-Rod would have need to be roids free. Or dear old King George would have not signed on the dotted line.

I have no doubt that in the days and weeks to come their will be other shocking announcements. Even some unsuspected players, one not linked to Balco and the Mitchell Report.

As for Alex, his life is in the toilet, let the poor man alone. He's a multi-millionaire, deep in divorce proceedings, and living in the shadow of Derek Jeter and the 32 pages Joe Torre devoted to him in the "The Yankee Years" (By the way I have not gotten there yet, I cannot wait to get to Chapter 8., so far nothing new)

But one last dig, Alex, I would like to congratulate you on your induction into Club Asterisk *. Somehow I think Babe Ruth's record as the All-Time American League Home Leader will never be in jeapordy from you.

Alexa and The Hawk

A poor bird has been given a bum wrap just because some overly curious teenager named Alexa Rodriquez got to close to the nest. What did you expect? A peck of the cheek?

Granted hawks and other birds of prey and cunning and exhibit great eyesight; however I doubt the bird is waiting in the upper decks for the Yankees and Alex Rodriquez to hit down.

That said if A-Rod or any of the Bombers get too close to Momma hawk's egg, well she will defend her incubating offspring. Many of us NY area residents remember the Central park hawk, Pall Mall and his mater attacking patrons of the park while the babies were in the nest helpless.

It's not personal, it's Mother instinct.

And if any of the Yankees should be concerned about the upcoming trip to Fenway, it should be Derek Jeter. Derek's up close view of America the Eagle's talon in the playoffs a few years back is what got our symbol of freedom banned from Yankee Stadium and Derek and love scratch on the forehead. I miss the eagle, but I would rather not have Derek get an eye taken out.

My little neighborhood predator here rarely perches so nice, and it took about two digital cards of shots to finally get him last summer. He is largely responsible for the reduction in chipmunks and squirrels. You know when he and his crew are around as rodent and birds go into hiding.

As for the Fenway hawk, better watch she does not take off with a ball in play. Hawks can take off into flight with rabbits, small dogs and cats, so a baseball would be no problem.

I wonder how that would be scored; Fan or Fowl interference. And imagine if the bird does it to Big Papi or Manny?