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March 25, 2008
Alex, Hank, Hal, & Cash - Years From Now
From John Harper today –
Alex Rodriguez looking back at his decision to leave the Mariners and go play with the Rangers:
"I went for the contract when my true desire was to go play for the Mets," Rodriguez said of his decision to ink his $252 million deal with Texas eight years ago.
And, how the past impacted his call to come back to the Yankees after 2007:
"So to make the right decision just feels really good," Rodriguez said, "versus being taken down a road where I'm like, 'Oh, my God, where am I? Oh, $400 million to play in some place I hate? Great, I'll blow my --- head off.'
"I wanted to remain a Yankee and for once I put my money where my mouth was. It felt good to make a decision on my own and execute it - to deal with Hank and Hal (Steinbrenner) on a one-on-one basis and get a deal done.
"If people want to question why I did it, I don't care because it made me happy. If I had gone to Team X, Y or Z, it wouldn't have made me happy. It would have been because Scott wanted me to go - it would have been for the most money. And then I'm always going to be known as a guy who always wanted the most money."
…It felt good to make a decision on my own and execute it - to deal with Hank and Hal (Steinbrenner) on a one-on-one basis and get a deal done…
Whether you love A-Rod or you hate him, or, if you love him now and come to hate him later, or, if you hate him now and grow to love him in time, I think it’s important that all Yankees fans remember that A-Rod is a member of the New York Yankees because the Steinbrothers elected to allow him to come back to the team, and elected to pay him extremely well, after Brian Cashman went on record with the stance of “If he opts out, he’s out.” It’s not the first time that a Steinbrenner went around his G.M. – and, it probably will not be the last. But, I could see where the Rodriguez contract becomes something, with time, that gets lost with regard to who made the call to bring Alex back to New York. If, at the end of the day, it’s a dream come true, then thank the Steinbrothers. But, say, if it’s six years from now and A-Rod’s contract is starting to look like an albatross in pinstripes, don’t blame Brian Cashman – because he had nothing to do with this deal.
Posted by WW Staff at March 25, 2008 10:11 AM