Jane Heller

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

  • About
    • Bio
    • FAQ
  • Publications
    • Books
      • Romantic Comedies
      • Caregiving
      • Baseball
      • TV Tie-In
    • Articles
  • Blogs
    • Mainly Jane
    • Confessions of a She-Fan
  • Media
    • Videos
    • Audio
    • Press
    • Press Materials/Three Blonde Mice
  • Speaking
  • Contact

First Tex, Now A-Rod

August 7, 2016

Well, this caught me by surprise when I woke up today. I heard there was a press conference called for 11am and sat glued to the TV while A-Rod announced his retirement/release, his new status with the team, his “reporting to Hal,” and his freedom to do whatever he wants after his last game as a player on Friday.

Since Alex has been such a polarizing figure throughout his career, it’s not surprising that today’s announcement has generated such intense discussion on Twitter and Facebook. Some are in the “Good riddance” camp. Others are in the “Oh no” camp. I’m somewhere in the middle.

While I have found his actions to be genuinely despicable over the years, both on and off the field, I can’t seem to summon up the hatred and scorn that many are heaping on him. Maybe it’s because he’s a Yankee and contributed to the team. Maybe it’s because I try to figure out flawed characters rather than condemn them. Maybe it’s because he’s an athlete, not a presidential candidate. Or maybe – just maybe – when he was at his non-cheating best, it’s because he was so gifted.

With today’s announcement, the Yankees not only paid him well and insured that he gets every insane penny owed him, but they managed to release him “with dignity,” free up a roster spot and continue their efforts to rebuild with younger players. A win-win for all concerned.

Now if Cashman would retire, I’d really be happy.

Filed Under: Confessions of a She-Fan Tagged With: A-Rod, press conference, retirement

Comments

  1. Diane Anziano says

    August 8, 2016 at 5:03 am

    I’m really happy, Jane. A-Rod was a huge cost to our team and they really didn’t get much out of him. I was hoping that after this year his salary would disappear but they still have to pay him next year. Oh well. On the other hand, we do often hear how good a mentor he is to the new kids on the team, so this position might be good for him and The Yankees. They have kept talking about the fact that he wants to be in broadcasting and that he wants to own a team, not manage a team, so he may not stay in that role for very long. Please!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t let him buy The Yankees. This should be a very interesting week – see if they put him at bat most of the games, besides his last on Friday. He’s only 3 runs short of 700 so maybe he’ll help us. GO YANKEES!!! GO AWAY A-ROD!

  2. Jane Heller says

    August 8, 2016 at 5:32 am

    Yes, he’s still costing the team money, Diane, but not tying up roster space. And no, he’s not buying the Yankees. lol. It’s possible that we’ll never see him mentoring a single player next year. Maybe another team (Marlins) will pick him up. Maybe he’ll focus on broadcasting or his real estate investments. Who knows. The main thing is he’ll no longer be a Yankee player as of Friday. Beyond that, he’s definitely not going away quietly.

  3. Audrey says

    August 9, 2016 at 12:58 am

    I’m happy to say the Yankees took my advice as to what to do about A-Rod. I had proposed a similar solution to my family having no idea Yankee management was hooked up with the NSA and was able to monitor my conversations through my phone. Good thing I gave them good advice:).

    I am in a place similar to yours about Alex, Jane. When he first came over to the Yankees I was not a fan of his actions and character. Over the years my heart has softened as we both have lived our imperfect lives and grown. I really enjoyed his work on the World Series and believe he will make an excellent broadcaster should he go that route. His knowledge of the game is deep and he presents it in interesting and entertaining manner.

    I am sure it hurts to have to stop short of 700 home runs but there was no guarantee they would happen. Besides that, A-Rod’s stats will always be tainted so he may as well go out with dignity and make room for the next generation. Already the Yankees are more fun to watch so I’m looking forward to getting to know the “kids.”

  4. Jane Heller says

    August 9, 2016 at 4:01 am

    You made me laugh, Audrey, with your theory about the NSA and the Yankees hacking into your conversation with your family. LOL. I’m sure that’s what happened. And I agree with your assessment all around. As I said in the post, there’s a gray area and plenty of nuance needed when it comes to assessing A-Rod’s career and his release from the Yanks. You expressed that very well. Gary Sanchez here we come! Next question: what becomes of McCann.

Search

Archives

Blogroll

  • An A-Blog For A-Rod
  • Baseball & The Boogie Down
  • Baseball for Girls
  • Bats
  • Bleeding Yankee Blue
  • Blogging the Bombers
  • Bomber Babe
  • Bombers Beat
  • Boys of Summer
  • Bronx Baseball Daily
  • Can't Stop the Bleeding
  • Chat Sports Yankees Page
  • Cooperstown Cookie Company
  • Deadspin
  • DP57
  • Fanne Fatale
  • Gardy Goes Yardy
  • Generation Third
  • Heartland Pinstripes
  • It Is High, It Is Far, It Is…Caught
  • It's About the Money, Stupid!
  • iYankees
  • Jane Heller's Web Site
  • Lady at the Bat
  • Lady Loves Pinstripes
  • LenNY's Yankees
  • LoHud Yankees Blog
  • Made in 1903 Yankees Blog
  • MLB.com
  • My Pinstripes
  • MyYESWeekly
  • Paul Lebowitz
  • Pinstripe Posts
  • Red State Blue State
  • Respect Jeter's Gangster
  • River Ave. Blues
  • Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf
  • Sliding Into Home
  • Sox and Pinstripes
  • Star Ledger
  • Subway Squawkers
  • Thanking the Lord I'm a Yankee Fan
  • The Bronx View
  • The Foxx Loves the Yankees
  • The Greedy Pinstripes
  • The Sommer Frieze
  • The Yankee Scrolls
  • This Purist Bleeds Pinstripes
  • Through the Fence Baseball
  • Traveling Baseball Babes
  • Was Watching
  • Yankee Hottie
  • Yankees 'N More
  • Yankees Online Magazine
  • Yanks and More
  • YES Network Web Site
  • Zell's Pinstriped Blog

Tag Cloud

A-Rod A.J. Burnett Andy Pettitte Angels Bartolo Colon Blue Jays Brett Gardner Brian Cashman caregiving CC Sabathia Cinema Society Curtis Granderson Dave Robertson Derek Jeter Dodgers Freddy Garcia Hiroki Kuroda Indians Ivan Nova Joba Chamberlain Joe Girardi Jorge Posada Mariano Rivera Mariners Mark Teixeira Masahiro Tanaka Mets Michael Pineda Nick Swisher Orioles Phil Hughes Rafael Soriano Rangers Rays Red Sox Robinson Cano Royals Russell Martin Santa Barbara spring training Tigers Twins White Sox Yankees You'd Better Not Die or I'll Kill You

Follow Me!

  • Jane Heller on Goodreads
  • Jane Heller on Pinterest
  • Jane Heller on Facebook
  • Jane Heller on Twitter

Get in touch!

I’d love to hear from you! Contact me!

About Jane Heller

Jane Heller is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her fourteen breezy, witty novels of romantic comedy and suspense are now entertaining millions of readers around the world, along with her two books of nonfiction.

Copyright © 2021 Jane Heller