Thoughts on ARod and WBC

[TonyStarks]

Initially one of the 1st players to come out and state he's going to play in the WBC, but then by saying he would play for the Dominican Republic. I had gained even more respect for the man. Then a few weeks ago, he comes out stating he couldn't decided between the US and DR and that kinda irked me and I felt that was a coward move.

But today...really bothered me that he joined the US team.


Thoughts?

[Blackout]

I'm glad hes playing for the US, what was the WBC be without baseball's best player?

[Spiritboxer]

No matter what ARod does there are always going to be folks who are unhappy. Personally I'd rather see him take the time off but if he *has* to play and he was born in the states, playing for the US team is fine with me. He's made his fame and fortune here, maybe this is his way of saying thanks.

[Yankees]

On a semi-related note, there was an article in the Times either today or yesterday blasting the Yankee players for not playing...

[Kilroy]

ARod bashing is getting tiresome! I MEAN REAL OLD!

No matter what Alex does he is going to get railed by the media and Yankee haters as well as malcontent, fair-weather so-called Yankee fans who just love complaining until they win another world series. These "fans" fail to appreciate the fact that they are watching one of the greatest players not only to don pinstripes, but play the freakin game - EVER!

Bitchin' about A-rod is like rooting for Jeter - whoop-dee-freakin-doo! Try getting a novel thought.

Alex Rodriguez allowed to do what ever the heck he wants. If you don't respect him I am sure he will still manage to get some sleep tonight.

KWH

[TonyStarks]

ARod bashing is getting tiresome! I MEAN REAL OLD!

No matter what Alex does he is going to get railed by the media and Yankee haters as well as malcontent, fair-weather so-called Yankee fans who just love complaining until they win another world series. These "fans" fail to appreciate the fact that they are watching one of the greatest players not only to don pinstripes, but play the freakin game - EVER!

Bitchin' about A-rod is like rooting for Jeter - whoop-dee-freakin-doo! Try getting a novel thought.

Alex Rodriguez allowed to do what ever the heck he wants. If you don't respect him I am sure he will still manage to get some sleep tonight.

KWH

For the Record...I have never bashed ARod and this isn't me bashing him.

I've asked many Hispanic baseball fans on their thoughts and 8 of 10 have stated that ARod played himself by not playing for the Dominicans.

I myself do not think he 'sold out'; but I am disappointed in his choice.
IMO, if he wasn't going to play for the Dominicans ...then he should have sat out as he stated he would do.

[KCGHOST]

Bashing ARod on the WBC thing is easy. His first choice was terrible. He is borned and raised in the U.S. and decides because his parents were born elsewhere to play for the other place?? Not cool. It is his right play for whoever he wants within the rules, but I reserve my right to be pretty upset when he makes a bad choice.

ARod might want to take time to evaluate the kind of advice his advisors are giving him. Anyone whose I.Q. exceeds their shoe size could have told him what would happen if he picked a team other than the U.S. to play for.

[TonyStarks]

KC,
Listen I have no qualms with the US or it's team...but seriously...I was wishing to see a Dominican team with:

Raffy Furcal
Robi Cano
ARod
Big Papi
ManRam
Pujols
Vlad
Pedro
Sammy
Bartolo

Man...the possibilities.

[Mattingly]

KC,
Listen I have no qualms with the US or it's team...but seriously...I was wishing to see a Dominican team with:

Raffy Furcal
Robi Cano
ARod
Big Papi
ManRam
Pujols
Vlad
Pedro
Sammy
Bartolo

Man...the possibilities.

Were those guys all born in the Dominican Republic, or were they born in the USA?

If you were born in the USA, what's wrong with playing over here? Isn't the USA a country also? If someone were born in Canada of parents born in the USA, do they play for Canada or the United States?

To me, he can play wherever he feels like it. Hideki Matsui, who actually was born in and played 10 years for Japan, decided not to play in the WBC, so as not to upset anyone. I think that Matsui has a far greater connection--both by birth and professionally--than does Rodriguez and the DR.

[TonyStarks]

Were those guys all born in the Dominican Republic, or were they born in the USA?

If you were born in the USA, what's wrong with playing over here? Isn't the USA a country also? If someone were born in Canada of parents born in the USA, do they play for Canada or the United States?

To me, he can play wherever he feels like it. Hideki Matsui, who actually was born in and played 10 years for Japan, decided not to play in the WBC, so as not to upset anyone. I think that Matsui has a far greater connection--both by birth and professionally--than does Rodriguez and the DR.

They are all Dominican born players.
And I was born here myself, but my parents are of Dominican sense.
It's just a matter of Pride...that's all. If I had the chance to, I would have played for the Dominican team. That doesn't mean that I have less love for the US though.

If you were born here but of Italian parents, I'm sure you'd tell anyone, who asks, that your 'Italian'....but like I said, it's a pride thing.

[Pinstripe Pride]

They are all Dominican born players.

Wasn't A-Rod born in NY City? He only lived in the DR from the ages of 4-8, then grew up in Miami.

[TonyStarks]

Wasn't A-Rod born in NY City? He only lived in the DR from the ages of 4-8, then grew up in Miami.

Yes, ARod was born in NYC.
My apologies....thought that was established.

[Mattingly]

They are all Dominican born players.
And I was born here myself, but my parents are of Dominican sense.
It's just a matter of Pride...that's all. If I had the chance to, I would have played for the Dominican team. That doesn't mean that I have less love for the US though.

If you were born here but of Italian parents, I'm sure you'd tell anyone, who asks, that your 'Italian'....but like I said, it's a pride thing.

Pride can be counted in many ways. Alex Rodriguez was born in NYC, and I don't see anything wrong with that. There are tons of Dominicans in NYC, especially in Washington Heights, which is just above Harlem.

I don't see there being more pride playing for one's parents' team than for the team where you were born. I'd call Alex Rodriguez a Dominican-American, just as Pennsylvania-born Mike Piazza, I'd call an Italian-American. If it were someone born on foreign land, then I'd remove the "-American".

I don't see why people say there's pride in playing for your parents' country, but no pride in playing for the United States. Since the USA is very much a country, albeit one of immigrants, I'm not seeing how there's one bit less pride in playing for one than the other. To me, they're both countries to be proud of.

[AVA8]

I feel bad for AROD. He is in a no win situation. No matter what decision he makes, people will give him crap.

1. If he doesnt play, people will give him crap for not playing, just like people do for basketball players who do not want to play in the Olympics.

2. If he plays for the US, I can completely understand why some people in the DR might be dissappointed.

3. If he plays for the United States, the same thing could happen.

4. When he plays, some Yanks fans might not be happy if he gets injured or they might feel he should be resting for the season.

His indecision is to be expected and completely understandable. I would hate to see what would happen if reoprters followed me (or anyone else) around asking me questions on why I changed my lecture slightly or changed my mind and decided to go to Cambodia for break instead of India. I think we would all be convicted of indecision.

[Myankee4life]

Arod not playing in WBC

A-Rod saying no to everyone but YankeesBy Bob Klapisch
Special to ESPN.com
Archive

NEW YORK -- It wasn't so long ago that Alex Rodriguez was leaning toward joining the Dominican Republic's squad in the World Baseball Classic. Then came the beginning of his PR nightmare -- he was abandoning not just Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz, but Roger Clemens and Derek Jeter, too, choosing to sit out the tournament altogether.

AP Photo/Matthew S. Gunby
Alex Rodriguez's decision not to play is a blow not only to the Dominican and U.S. teams, but also to the World Baseball Classic as a whole.That was followed by yet another flip-flop, reported by The New York Times: Not only had A-Rod changed his mind, he was changing teams, this time joining the U.S. roster.

To all this, Rodriguez asks for a moment of clarity: He says he's still not playing.

The third baseman insists the tidal wave of headlines was not only premature, but entirely false. He's saying no to Dominicans, no to the Americans and better-luck-next-time to the Players Association, which his handlers believe is responsible for prematurely leaking the story.

"When Alex said he was staying out, he meant it," is how a person close to the third baseman put it. A-Rod intends to "discuss" the matter with union officials this week, as his agent, Scott Boras, promised, but Rodriguez already has told his inner circle, as well as Yankees officials, that he's focusing on spring training instead of international play.

That decision will obviously satisfy George Steinbrenner, who's openly opposed to the WBC and has effectively blocked Jorge Posada, Randy Johnson and Mike Mussina. The Yankees' indirect pressure has additionally pressured Hideki Matsui into withdrawing from the Japanese team.

And Mariano Rivera is speaking of cutting his ties with the Panamanian squad, given its underdog status against other Latin American and Caribbean teams.

Of course, owners and GMs can't actually prohibit anyone from representing his country. Only the commissioner's office can do so, after a team files an appeal based on the likelihood of injury. As well, the union has only peer-pressure leverage and no contractual way to enforce participation.

But the stakes are obviously high, as the association sees the WBC as a way to grow the game and increase future revenue streams for its constituents.

It makes perfect sense -- in theory. But getting the players to go full bore in spring training might not be so easy, and clearly frustrated union chief Gene Orza when he learned that Matsui was bowing out.

"You only hope the player who says no has a full understanding of the tournament and the consequences of his non-participation," Orza told The Times, "especially when it's a player who wouldn't be here and who wouldn't have the new contract he has but for the association."

It's unclear what "consequences" Orza was referring to other than a less-than-enthusiastic response from fans. Already, FOX has passed on the chance to broadcast the tournament, and the games themselves will coincide (and compete) with the NCAA Tournament.

Not even the Latin squads, which appear to be the most enthusiastic participants, are immune to defection. There's word in Met circles that Martinez's damaged right toe -- still sore enough to require a specially constructed shoe for 2006 -- isn't all that serious. Martinez, however, might use the injury as a way out of pitching for the Dominican team.

Martinez, no dummy, will apparently let the Mets act as the heavies while claiming he'd love to lead the Dominicans to victory. But Pedro has privately told friends he prefers to go slowly in March while rebuilding his arm strength. Given that Martinez's fastball had shrunk to 86 mph last September, the Mets are more than willing to take the heat for him.

The fact that Martinez has to hide behind his owners is proof of the intense national pressure being applied to Dominican stars - not just to participate in the WBC, but to defeat the United States. That's the reason A-Rod initially withdrew.

Although he was born in New York, is an American citizen and has lived his entire adult life in the U.S., Rodriguez was nevertheless leaned on by his entire Dominican network, including his mother and her family, all urging him to switch allegiances.

"Everyone was in his face; it was unreal," said one member of his camp. "After a while, it got to be so overwhelming Alex had to back off."

Rodriguez's absence, besides wounding the Dominican squad, is more damaging to the tournament's marketing quotient in this country. That might explain why the union jump-started the whispering campaign that A-Rod was coming back, this time to play side by side with Jeter. How could he say no when everyone -- newspapers, TV, the Internet -- had already reported that baseball's best all-around player would be at third base for the U.S. team?

The trouble was that no one spoke directly to Rodriguez, handlers say, a move they say will only solidify his decision to stick with the Yankees in spring training. When a Yankee official was asked if he was pleased by A-Rod's decision, he merely raised his eyebrows as if to ask: Are you kidding?

Bob Klapisch is a sports columnist for The Record (N.J.) and a regular contributor to ESPN.com.








Seems like A-rod never stated his desire to play for the US. He's still content with staying out of it. Me personally would like him to play for the Dominican team.