The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : In Defense of A-Rod

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Let me begin by stating that I am not a fan of Alex Rodriguez and his Yankee pinstripes. But I think the idea of MLB suspending him over playing poker is completely daft. A-Rod has allegedly been seen playing poker in New York and California where cocaine has been used and fights have broken out. But A-Rod is not being accused of using cocaine or getting into fisticuffs. He's only accused of playing poker and it is not illegal to do so in New York and California. Now while it is illegal in Florida to host a poker game in your home if the pot exceeds $10. But as Jim Rich of The New York Daily News notes a lot of people have poker games in their home in which real money is won and lost. Rich writes, "If that's a crime, then we better start building more prisons."

Frankly, I am shocked - shocked - to learn that A-Rod has been gambling. I can't imagine that A-Rod is the only MLB player to play poker. Now I know MLB has long been skittish about gambling but it's not like A-Rod is betting on baseball.

It seems like someone has a vendetta against A-Rod. Could it be MLB Commissioner Bud Selig? A-Rod has 626 career homeruns and needs only 137 more homeruns to eclipse Barry Bonds' 762 career homeruns. Bonds, of course, passed Henry Aaron as MLB's all-time leader in homeruns in August 2007. I remember when Bonds hit number 756, Selig stood up as if he were about to recite the Mourner's Kaddish. There was no joy in that man's face at all. After all, Selig has had a long standing friendship with The Hammer. And given A-Rod's own history with performance enhancing drugs I can't imagine Selig wants to go through all that again.

Now A-Rod has been out of action for over a month as he is recovering from knee surgery. He just turned 36 on July 27th. If A-Rod were to hit 35 homeruns a year over the next four seasons he would eclipse the record at around the age of 40. Certainly not beyond the realm of possibility. But if A-Rod were to miss significant time because of a suspension related to gambling that could throw a wrinkle in his pursuit of the homerun record.

Although Albert Pujols is having the worst season of his MLB career, he does have 432 career homeruns and is only 31. He also doesn't have any of A-Rod's baggage. Needless to say, Selig would be much more comfortable if Aaron's legacy were passed on to Pujols rather than A-Rod, never mind Bonds.

For A-Rod's part, his publicist has now issued a statement indicating that the story which broke in Star Magazine "contains numerous factual inaccuracies" and added that A-Rod was eager to co-operate in any investigation conducted by MLB.

Again, I'm not a fan of A-Rod but this story has all the makings of a hatchet job.

View all comments (15) | Leave a comment

Bob Grant| 8.4.11 @ 6:42PM

Aaron,

Can you write ONE story on the upcoming English Premier Soccer League Season?

Aleck| 8.5.11 @ 11:22AM

I'm glad for Aaron's occasional forays into baseball. It stirs up a sad nostalgia for a game that I once loved, but in which I now find no joy. I wish I could recapture my old love for the sport.

Wayne | 8.4.11 @ 7:25PM

I have no problem with A-Rod's playing poker or Rose, as a manager betting on baseball games. The problem I have is MLB knowing the players were taking steroids and doing nothing about it (thanks largely to the baseball players union). It is baseball that I can no longer watch and A-Rod is just another fraud in my opinion. He should have had the same treatment in baseball as Jones had in track. He should have been suspended for TWO years and all his records expunged.

Occam's Tool| 8.4.11 @ 8:29PM

Hey, Aaron, what about the upcoming New Zealand AllBlacks Rugby Season?

Bob Grant| 8.4.11 @ 9:06PM

Er, maybe a tennis tournament.

Ken in People's Republic of MD| 8.5.11 @ 11:09AM

Actually, the All Blacks, so named because of their all black jerseys, play Australia in the Tri-Nations Test this weekend. Kieron Read, a solid back fielder for New Zealand, is ready to return. Read, along with halfbacks Peri Weepu, Richie McCaw, and Jerome Kaino, anchor a strong All Blacks club, and they should do well in the Test.

The NFL should consider itself lucky that Rugby is not well known in this country. Rugby is by far a superior sport, and I predict that in fifteen years, it will knock American football, a truly ridiculous and over blown enterprise, off the front pages.

Occam's Tool| 8.5.11 @ 12:55PM

Having lived in NZ, and followed the sport, gotta disagree. Rugby is to football as peewee football is to college ball. I was so thankful to come back to the US.

But thanks for the update, ken. I strongly believe that NZ will lose to France, again, though. They are bigger chokers than the Cubs.

Occam's Tool| 8.5.11 @ 12:57PM

The 2011 Rugby World Cup begins in 35 days. My prediction: some pantywaist team will kick the AllBlacks out.

Bob K.| 8.4.11 @ 11:35PM

Why aren't you a fan of A-Rod? Didn't he play long enough in NYC for you? He was born in NYC you know! Jeter was born in New Jersey.

Or is it because he is leagues better as a ballplayer than Jeter has been? He will also get 3000 hits and 2000 RBI's in two more years or less if he stays healthy. And he will be 37 then. Same age a Jeter is now.

There probably hasn't been any other great ballplayer who was this little regarded in baseball history. He hit more home runs as a Yankee in his 8 years there than Jeter did in his 17 years there. And his slugging average is 100 points higher.

PCP Smoker| 8.5.11 @ 8:03AM

He's a scumbag. Trow him in prison and then deport him. Good riddance creep.

Bob K.| 8.5.11 @ 8:35AM

Where you going to deport him too? His place of birth? He was born in New York City.

Take another big puff of your PCP! It will do your mind good!

Purple Lips| 8.5.11 @ 11:20AM

Deport A-Rod where? Queens?

What a maroon

SICKofBaseball| 8.5.11 @ 11:19AM

Aaron,
You could please run at least one story on the Gullywash Arkansas 1/2 kilometer Moonshine Marathon? Last year's winner Bobby Joe Clinton won the race while guzzeling a half gallon of White Lightening. He died crossing the finishing line. He left his sister and thier 9 children. It was all very heartbreaking. Billy Joe's memory lives on.

Please, stop with all of this baseball stuff. There are other sports out there.

astorian| 8.5.11 @ 12:46PM

Mr. Goldtsein has concocted one of the least plausible conspiracy theories I've seen in a long time.

Right now, Alex Rodriguez is showing his age. he can't play in the field every day, and it will take a miracle for him to catch Barry Bonds. Bud Selig doesn't have t oresort to any trickery to keep A-Rod from breaking the home ru nrecord. Mother Nature is taking care of that.

A-Rod's problem is that he just never LEARNS! As many times as he's been in trouble, wouldn't you think he'd TRY to keep a low profile and keep his nose clean, if only for a little while? Instead, A-Rod has gotten himself into trouble again by hanging out at high stakes poker games that are frequented by big time gamblers- that is the one and only unforgivable sin in sports! ESPECIALLY in a sport that was nearly destroyed by a gambling scandal!

A-Rod DESERVES whatever punishment he gets.