A-Rod: Where did it go wrong with his image?

Goody · 05-10-2010, 11:58 PM

This guy was huge, when he was younger. He had the makings that could have made him one of the most beloved figures in his sport. He could have been one of those guys everyone loves to watch and cheer for. And who even people who aren't fans of the sport have fond thoughts of. A Michael Jordon, a Larry Bird, a Wayne Gretzky, a dare I say it...Babe Ruth or at least a Mickey Mantle.

He was the best all around player at one of the most important positions on the field and had boyish good looks. He appeared in the playoffs in some epic games (they are archived on the greatest mlb games of all-time at mlb.com) during his rookie season.

His choices sent him down a different path. I think he had this poor image (compared to what he could have made it into) long before the PED thing ever became an issue.

So what was it? When he moved the 3B? When he went to the Rangers tying up so much of their funds and they still sucked? Is it something with his demeanor?

I'm a Mariners fan so I am biased, so I want to know what others think are the real reasons.

NYY #23 · 05-11-2010, 12:44 AM

I'm biased too, I still root for him, but I will admit something is just off with A-Rod.

I don't think he is dumb, but I don't think he thinks before he speaks, or acts. He has a way of attracting negative attention, from slapping the ball out of Arroyo's hand, to yelling Ha, to running across the mound, to opting out in the World Series, just to name a few.

He's a great player, but he seems more motivated by money. I think the turning point was the big contract in Texas. He seemed to change after that, didn't seem to have much fun anymore, and became strictly about the money and his image.

He's on the Yankees so I've got to root for him, but there is just something there that prevents me from really liking him. I may miss his bat when he's gone, but it won't be the same as Jeter, or Mo leaving.

kenyan_cheena · 05-11-2010, 12:48 AM

So many times, it happens too fast, you trade your passion for glory...

Rizon · 05-11-2010, 11:26 AM

When he left the Mariners.

I personally have never been able to stand him since he left. Always been rooting against him.

mlyons · 05-11-2010, 11:56 AM

That gargantuan contract he signed with Texas really soured lots of people on him. Not his fault, really, since it's not like he held a gun to anyone's head to force them to give him that much money (I know I sure as hell wouldn't turn down a contract like that), but it was just so shockingly big that it had to turn people's heads. There was absolutely no way he could possibly do enough to justify that much money, so people started to hold it against him and scrutinize him a lot more closely.

David Watts · 05-11-2010, 12:11 PM

I'm going to go with when he decided to frost his hair.

BaseballMan · 05-11-2010, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlyons

That gargantuan contract he signed with Texas really soured lots of people on him. Not his fault, really, since it's not like he held a gun to anyone's head to force them to give him that much money (I know I sure as hell wouldn't turn down a contract like that), but it was just so shockingly big that it had to turn people's heads. There was absolutely no way he could possibly do enough to justify that much money, so people started to hold it against him and scrutinize him a lot more closely.

Im not sure that he didnt earn a lot of that contract. He brought fans and to the game and his jerseys and other stuff raised revenue. Didnt the Yankees have to pay some of that salary? If so they got a championship out of it. But people would have to be crazy to expect him to hit 50 hrs every single year.
Still i agree that he doesnt do much to help his image.

billethius · 05-11-2010, 03:02 PM

It was before he left Seattle. Even when he was here, it's always been about how he comes across in interviews. All of his statements seem so .... I don't know ... prepared (maybe?) that he ends up sounding like a politician rather than a baseball player and that doesn't seem to sit right with people.

DiMaggio5CF · 05-11-2010, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYY #23

I think the turning point was the big contract in Texas.

Bingo. Everyone wants to see the Joe Mauer, where the ballplayer signs a long-term deal with his original team before testing free agency, but it wasn't just leaving Seattle that turned him into a villain.

Not only did he have the hated Scott Boras as his agent, but he turned down better situations (like the Mets) to take top dollar with the Rangers. That put the bullseye on his back.

But with that contract, he was expected to carry the Rangers. So when the Rangers tanked with A-Rod on the team, and talk started about his contract handcuffing the Rangers and preventing them from adding much-needed pitching, he began to get the one-way, me-first label.

He did have a chance for some great PR when he was A) willing to actually give back money to join a contender in the Red Sox and then B) change positions for a lesser defender in Jeter to join the Yankees. But of course, he blew that.

Of course, what initially sealed his fate was the comments he made while still with the M's about Jeter. These comments would have gone by the wayside had he not wound up playing right beside Jeter in New York. Those comments came back to haunt him when every single question he had to face was about the relationship between him and Jeter. Like Reggie taking on Thurman, he unknowingly took on Jeter, and that was a fight he was not going to win. Jeter was the hero, and A-Rod the goat.

Of course, if the team had won, fans would have found a way to embrace him beside Jeter, like they did with Reggie. The difference, of course, was that while Reggie hit three HRs in the 1977 World Series clincher, A-Rod disappeared after Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS when the Yankees had the historic collapse that allowed the Red Sox to undo the most legendary curse in all of sports. And it was that 2004 ALCS that was the final nail in the coffin.

Of course, there were plenty of culprits in the Yankees' collapse, but A-Rod took the brunt. Not only was the the biggest name in the lineup of all-stars, the crown jewel of the Yankees offense, but he was the Red Sox nemesis after coming so close to being one of them. His disappearance in those final four games, which led to the unthinkable happening, was really what killed him.

Then, from that point on, he struggled in big spots, especially in the postseason, which earned him the reputation of a choker. Opting out of the Yankee contract and making the announcement, still with the even more hated Boras by his side, only perpetuated the hatred. Then the steroid allegation was just overkill.

Add on top of it the off-field issues, like the stripper in Toronto, the divorce, the relationship with Madonna keeping him in the headlines.

All these led to other on-field issues (like the HA! play, the glove-slap, and trying so hard to be PC during every interview) being viewed in a negative light just because he had already made himself a villain when no one would have given it a second thought if it hadn't been A-Rod. Hell, Dustin Pedroia did a glove-slap too, but no one remembers that because he does not have a bullseye the way A-Rod does.

So, to sum up, it started innocently enough with a few comments about Jeter that later became huge when he later joined the Yanks, the turning point was when he signed a ridiculous deal with the Rangers and failed to carry them to glory, and then picked up when he was scapegoated with the big postseason collapse and disappeared in postseason play after that. It then reached its lowest with the steroids, which ironically may have turned it around, as since then he's won a WS and even with this Braden thing hasn't been villified the way he probably would have been a year or two ago.

Jordan · 05-11-2010, 03:24 PM

I honestly think everything that's been mentioned are parts of what makes him hateable. But I know I didn't hate him when he played for Seattle

MorseMoose · 05-11-2010, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Watts

I'm going to go with when he decided to frost his hair.

Ooooo...good one!

rudel.dietrich · 05-11-2010, 05:47 PM

I think he is socially awkward and not good with the media. He has trouble with basic things like answering questions and given his talent he is in front of the media a lot. If he was a 'regular person' I think he would probably be a quiet and introverted person who kept to himself.

Cryomaniac · 05-11-2010, 05:54 PM

Well, the PED's and supposedly sleeping with Madonna didn't exactly help his image, regardless of what it was before.

kenyan_cheena · 05-11-2010, 08:54 PM

I feel the clutchness of my post has not been properly recognised.

My geode must be acknowledged!

Dagrims · 05-12-2010, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

I feel the clutchness of my post has not been properly recognised.

But he never played for Detroit.

Left-handed Badger · 05-14-2010, 05:04 AM

Well, for me, hearing the 3 words "agent Scott Boras" always makes the alarms go off in my head. But, otherwise, I have always generally considered him extremely talented but kind of meh on whether I liked him or not.

stevebydac · 05-15-2010, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenyan_cheena

I feel the clutchness of my post has not been properly recognised.

My geode must be acknowledged!

Hey, you did your time...Took your chances..Went the distance. Now get back on your feet! Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past!

RchW · 05-15-2010, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

I think he is socially awkward and not good with the media. He has trouble with basic things like answering questions and given his talent he is in front of the media a lot. If he was a 'regular person' I think he would probably be a quiet and introverted person who kept to himself.

This awkwardness is also seen in his movements. Watch him run, after outs, or onto the field. It looks put on. It's like he is aware of everybody looking and has to primp for the camera. I find Joe Girardi comes across that way too. If you look at him during games or when he goes to the mound, he puts on this face that says "look at me", while seeming uncomfortable at the same time.

Goody · 05-15-2010, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RchW

This awkwardness is also seen in his movements. Watch him run, after outs, or onto the field. It looks put on. It's like he is aware of everybody looking and has to primp for the camera. I find Joe Girardi comes across that way too. If you look at him during games or when he goes to the mound, he puts on this face that says "look at me", while seeming uncomfortable at the same time.

Agreed. (about ARod, haven't seen Girardi enough or since reading your observation)

BaseballMan · 05-15-2010, 03:29 PM

Why is it that as fans we must hate a player? What was so wrong about A-Rod taking the money? Are you telling me A-Rod shouldnt have the same choice as you and me in that we all would take more money unless we did not want to move our familys. I think the contract should just be ignored when judging A-Rod as a person.
A-Rod, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens when it comes right down to it they are just ballplayers. They arent Bishops or Priests. Sure they have no choice in being a role model for some but do we need to put the extra burden on them
requiring that they be perfect? Not every player can live up to being a Lou Gehrig or Cal Ripken Jr.

05-10-2010, 11:58 PM	#1
Goody Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: South Korea Posts: 3,530	A-Rod: Where did it go wrong with his image? This guy was huge, when he was younger. He had the makings that could have made him one of the most beloved figures in his sport. He could have been one of those guys everyone loves to watch and cheer for. And who even people who aren't fans of the sport have fond thoughts of. A Michael Jordon, a Larry Bird, a Wayne Gretzky, a dare I say it...Babe Ruth or at least a Mickey Mantle. He was the best all around player at one of the most important positions on the field and had boyish good looks. He appeared in the playoffs in some epic games (they are archived on the greatest mlb games of all-time at mlb.com) during his rookie season. His choices sent him down a different path. I think he had this poor image (compared to what he could have made it into) long before the PED thing ever became an issue. So what was it? When he moved the 3B? When he went to the Rangers tying up so much of their funds and they still sucked? Is it something with his demeanor? I'm a Mariners fan so I am biased, so I want to know what others think are the real reasons. __________________ In the past: Laseron Baseball Association creator. Present: I am Rezulm on PT and OOTP Discord. Future: I wish it was the past.

05-11-2010, 11:26 AM	#4
Rizon Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: SF Area, California Total Posts: 531,691 Posts: 2,370	When he left the Mariners. I personally have never been able to stand him since he left. Always been rooting against him. __________________ JML MILKSHAKES

05-11-2010, 11:56 AM	#5
mlyons Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 3,725	That gargantuan contract he signed with Texas really soured lots of people on him. Not his fault, really, since it's not like he held a gun to anyone's head to force them to give him that much money (I know I sure as hell wouldn't turn down a contract like that), but it was just so shockingly big that it had to turn people's heads. There was absolutely no way he could possibly do enough to justify that much money, so people started to hold it against him and scrutinize him a lot more closely. __________________ Things can always be worse.

05-11-2010, 05:54 PM	#13
Cryomaniac Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hucknall, Notts, UK Posts: 4,902	Well, the PED's and supposedly sleeping with Madonna didn't exactly help his image, regardless of what it was before. __________________

05-14-2010, 05:04 AM	#16
Left-handed Badger Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: at the altar of the baseball god praying for middle infield that can catch the ball Posts: 2,036	Well, for me, hearing the 3 words "agent Scott Boras" always makes the alarms go off in my head. But, otherwise, I have always generally considered him extremely talented but kind of meh on whether I liked him or not. __________________ -Left-handed groundball specialist -Strikeouts are for wimps

05-11-2010, 12:44 AM	#2
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	I'm biased too, I still root for him, but I will admit something is just off with A-Rod. I don't think he is dumb, but I don't think he thinks before he speaks, or acts. He has a way of attracting negative attention, from slapping the ball out of Arroyo's hand, to yelling Ha, to running across the mound, to opting out in the World Series, just to name a few. He's a great player, but he seems more motivated by money. I think the turning point was the big contract in Texas. He seemed to change after that, didn't seem to have much fun anymore, and became strictly about the money and his image. He's on the Yankees so I've got to root for him, but there is just something there that prevents me from really liking him. I may miss his bat when he's gone, but it won't be the same as Jeter, or Mo leaving.

05-11-2010, 12:48 AM	#3
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	*So many times, it happens too fast, you trade your passion for glory...*

05-11-2010, 12:11 PM	#6
David Watts Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Looking for a place called Leehofooks Posts: 10,217 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	I'm going to go with when he decided to frost his hair.

05-11-2010, 03:02 PM	#8
billethius All Star Reserve Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 822	It was before he left Seattle. Even when he was here, it's always been about how he comes across in interviews. All of his statements seem so .... I don't know ... prepared (maybe?) that he ends up sounding like a politician rather than a baseball player and that doesn't seem to sit right with people.

05-11-2010, 03:24 PM	#10
Jordan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chi Suburbs now... Posts: 2,059	I honestly think everything that's been mentioned are parts of what makes him hateable. But I know I didn't hate him when he played for Seattle

05-11-2010, 05:47 PM	#12
rudel.dietrich Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Zürich, Switzerland Posts: 8,608	I think he is socially awkward and not good with the media. He has trouble with basic things like answering questions and given his talent he is in front of the media a lot. If he was a 'regular person' I think he would probably be a quiet and introverted person who kept to himself.

05-11-2010, 08:54 PM	#14
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,037	I feel the clutchness of my post has not been properly recognised. My geode must be acknowledged!

05-15-2010, 03:29 PM	#20
BaseballMan Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 6,672	Why is it that as fans we must hate a player? What was so wrong about A-Rod taking the money? Are you telling me A-Rod shouldnt have the same choice as you and me in that we all would take more money unless we did not want to move our familys. I think the contract should just be ignored when judging A-Rod as a person. A-Rod, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens when it comes right down to it they are just ballplayers. They arent Bishops or Priests. Sure they have no choice in being a role model for some but do we need to put the extra burden on them requiring that they be perfect? Not every player can live up to being a Lou Gehrig or Cal Ripken Jr.