greasywheels121 Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 A-Rod homers in first at-bat ARLINGTON, Texas -- With one swing, Alex Rodriguez silenced the booing fans who greeted his return to Texas. Rodriguez lined a 2-1 pitch into the left-field seats for a two-run homer Friday night in his first at-bat in Arlington since he was traded to the New York Yankees. The drive stunned the Rangers fans who'd turned against him and delighted the few who stuck with him. Silence turned to mild cheers as Rodriguez rounded the bases. When he cleared third base, he cocked his right fist and softly pumped his arm. Rodriguez wasn't as successful in his second at-bat. He backed out of the box on an up-and-in pitch, then hit a grounder to second base. He was thrown out by Alfonso Soriano, the player he was traded for, then was booed again as he slowly made his way back to the bench. The sellout crowd began jeering A-Rod as soon as his No. 13 was visible at the top of the visitors' dugout about 20 minutes before the first pitch. The boos continued through the announcement of his first at-bat, then turned into cheers when he took the first pitch for strike one. He watched two balls from Joaquin Benoit before taking his first cut. The ball quickly reached an areas of the stands where many fans brought colorful anti-Rodriguez signs. A-Rod and the Yankees are scorned wherever they go, but this trip was different. It was the first time Rodriguez was back in Texas since being traded three years into a record $252 million, 10-year deal that left fans expecting to reach the World Series for the first time. Although Rodriguez expected to be booed, he said before the game that he shouldn't be, "simply because I came here and played the best baseball I could play." "I won an MVP, two Gold Gloves and three player of the year [awards]," he said. "The way I played between the lines was special." Despite his personal success, the Rangers flopped, finishing last all three years. Owner Tom Hicks decided to slash the payroll and he got his highest-paid player's permission to be traded, as long as it was to the Red Sox or Yankees. "When I came here, the plan was to go for it and to spend," Rodriguez said. "Then the plan changed. ... For me and the point of my career where I am, it didn't fit." After a deal with Boston fell through, Hicks and Rodriguez said they were committed to each other. He was even appointed team captain, only to get traded 23 days later. "We gave it a good try," Rodriguez said of his Texas tenure. "Unfortunately, we didn't get the Ws we all wanted. But I think while I was here, those three years, everyone's effort was 100 percent. That's what I'm most proud of. That's what I'll always remember." Fans appreciated Rodriguez's skills, but his bland public persona and the way things went last offseason soured them. He offended them -- and many of his former teammates -- in spring training with a magazine article in which he wrote that he was upset the team had become him "and 24 kids." Many signs Friday night jabbed at that theme. So did the sound crew. The last song played before Texas took the field was "The Kids Are Alright" by The Who. After all, the kids are doing just fine. The Rangers began the game at 23-17, just behind the 24-16 mark of Rodriguez's new team. His bat and glove have hardly been missed. New shortstop Michael Young is among the league's leading hitters and fielders. Soriano, who was acquired for Rodriguez, is doing well, too. So is third baseman Hank Blalock, who played alongside A-Rod last season. "I feel like, to a small degree, I'm a part of that because I was in the development process," Rodriguez said. Rodriguez started slowly with the Yankees, but is rolling now. The homer was his 10th and it put him on base for a 30th straight game, his longest streak since 1999 -- two years before he joined the Rangers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danman31 Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 It sucks to be a Rangers fan. I wish I was there even though I hate A-Rod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 I think every fan should boo him. Hell, if he were traded to the Sox tomorrow, and I went to a game, I'd boo his ass. I used to think that Giambi was everything that was wrong with baseball. Now I'm having second thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greasywheels121 Posted May 22, 2004 Author Share Posted May 22, 2004 Why do all the best players today have to be so unlikeable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witesoxfan Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 Why do all the best players today have to be so unlikeable? Because they usually kick your team's ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 It sucks to be a Rangers fan. I wish I was there even though I hate A-Rod. It won't suck for much longer. They have a beautiful ballpark and a good young up and coming team. If they falter this year, they'll be right in the thick of the AL West race year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 It won't suck for much longer. They have a beautiful ballpark and a good young up and coming team. If they falter this year, they'll be right in the thick of the AL West race year. This Ranger team is really fun to watch. Seeing as how that's the only way I get to see live baseball, I watch them pretty often. The pitching has made HUGE strides. If they get a solid pitcher or two this year at the deadline and this offseason, they could be right in the thick of things. BTW, the Yankmee$ and the Rangers have identical records... 24-17 and ..... so do the Sox oh, ..., and Minny... how bizarre!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUKE_CLEVELAND Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 This Ranger team is really fun to watch. Seeing as how that's the only way I get to see live baseball, I watch them pretty often. The pitching has made HUGE strides. If they get a solid pitcher or two this year at the deadline and this offseason, they could be right in the thick of things. BTW, the Yankmee$ and the Rangers have identical records... 24-17 and ..... so do the Sox oh, ..., and Minny... how bizarre!!!! There's nothing bizzare about it when you have the Spankees missing 3 starters from last year ( Clemens, Wells & Pettite ) and slugs like Bernie Williams & Derek Jeter hitting at or below the mendoza line. SUCK IT SPANKS!!! :fyou New York Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 I only meant that they ALL have identical records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 I would have applauded A-Rod. He signed a hige contract and worked his butt off for the money. Far better than the guys who sign a contract and only start producing in the "out year". THe guy flat out played every game I watched. And like Kap, the Rangers are my "home" team for baseball, but I also get a lot of Astros games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 I will admit I am a huge ARod fan. The guy is the best at what he does. If he wasn't hooked up with Scott Boras this guy would be the biggest player in all of baseball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 I will admit I am a huge ARod fan. The guy is the best at what he does. If he wasn't hooked up with Scott Boras this guy would be the biggest player in all of baseball. Bora$$ definitely tarnishes his image. The guy is THE BEST GAMER that we have in baseball today. He plays his guts out, day in and day out. But, he's tarnished because of the greed contract - and much of that was Bora$$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 Bora$$ definitely tarnishes his image. The guy is THE BEST GAMER that we have in baseball today. He plays his guts out, day in and day out. But, he's tarnished because of the greed contract - and much of that was Bora$$. Everyone who ever negotiated for less money from an employer ,please raise their hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 Everyone who ever negotiated for less money from an employer ,please raise their hands. The difference being I don't have an agent who lies to other teams to make me more money that I could ever spend in a lifetime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted May 23, 2004 Share Posted May 23, 2004 The difference being I don't have an agent who lies to other teams to make me more money that I could ever spend in a lifetime. If your employer said they could increase their market share by 2% if you took a 20% paycut, would you? If an employer made you an offer 20% more than what you thought, would you turn it down? Would you tell an employer, hey I'll work for this price, no need to pay me more? Give me a break. And teams don't lie? Don't use deception? Texas made an offer, A-Rod accepted. Texas made promises to continue to spend money and surround him with some players and didn't. How many other teams offered him that much? None. So whose to blame? I can never blame someone for negotiating his best deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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