My "Why I hate A-Rod" story and subsequent rant

[Sticky Spice]

It was 1995 (so Alex hadn't really done anything yet) at a smallish sports card show in the greater Seattle area. I went in with a friend on a table to sell off some cards. I had a younger friend of mine that was about 14 that went with us to hang out.

He also had bought a ticket to get Alex's autograph.

First of all, Alex was late arriving. Okay, that could happen to anyone.

The attendance at this thing was really disappointing, and the line for his autograph was quite manageable. Still A-Rod refused to personalize autographs stating "if I sign one for you I'll have to sign one for everyone." Again, there weren't many people in line.

Then, he goes on a lunch break less than an hour after arriving.

When he returns my friend gets in line and finally gets his autograph. After receiving the autograph he says "Thanks, Alex." Alex replies...

"Yeah, whatever man."

I talked to my friend about it the other day and he still remembers that moment vividly. He confirmed that those were Alex's exact words and he'll never forget them.

What sad is that I think this is how most pro athletes are and feel about fans - even children fans. It should be our game. The fans should be the ones catered to. Instead it's all about greed, selfishness, and contempt.

I have this silly fantasy about being a pro baseball player. I don't fantasize about striking out Bonds or hitting a game-winning HR, I fantasize about dedicating my life and career to showing appreciation to the fans, one by one. I want to be that one guy that many individuals can say restored their faith in the game and made them proud to share it with their children. I want them to remember a brief period in time vividly 10 years later - and feel really good about it.

Sometimes I joke that as a white man that has almost no knowledge of where my pre-American ancestors came from, that I have no sense of culture or tradition. The fact is that I truly do feel a deep sense of tradition in baseball and Christmas, and I hold these traditions very dearly.

And in a quick side rant...

Some people say we turned a blind eye to steroids. I think a lot of us "knew" steroids were being used. But baseball is so ingrained in who I am that I cannot just give up baseball. I know there are millions of people out there like me, and I don't think we should shoulder the blame. It is the players fault for breaking the law/cheating and the league's/players union's fault for not giving a damn.

I hate you baseball, but I need you. <img src=/forums/images/smiles/kiss.gif>

[Absolutely Adequate]

It's a good point you make about slappy rodriquez, and a better one you make about steroids and needing baseball. But I think that the post loses some of the seriousness when your signature talks about humping gorillas in space...

[AcidRock23]

It's a good point you make about slappy rodriquez, and a better one you make about steroids and needing baseball. But I think that the post loses some of the seriousness when your signature talks about humping gorillas in space...

LOL!!! That's very true!!! A thoughtful and heartfelt post...right up to the sig!!

There was some sort of issue like that w/ Mark Prior in the suburb I'm from last year, a different scene, where people had to pay and it was STILL a mob scene and he apparently took a look at the mob and got the heck out. Very tacky behavior when athletes act like tools at stuff like this. If you can't act interested (and I do agree that it probably is a bit tiresome...) then DON'T DO IT!!

[Kingctb27]

It's a good point you make about slappy rodriquez, and a better one you make about steroids and needing baseball. But I think that the post loses some of the seriousness when your signature talks about humping gorillas in space...

LMAO

[Sticky Spice]

Okay, okay, the sig was actually about NOT getting humped by gorillas in space, but....

changed my sig just for this topic.

I think it's been used before but it'll do in a pinch.

[lesgrant]

A couple of things:

There is no need to even think about giving up baseball because of steroids. Those of us who love the game need to speak out about how it’s offended our sensibilities as fans so that Baseball will address the issue in a meaningful way, solve it, and move on.

Your experience sucks. There probably were other factors which lead into him being an a-hole that day. I don’t think there is a single sports or entertainment figure who has been nice to every fan they’ve encountered every day. Still, you have the right to hate because it was you that got the short end of the stick on that particular day.

And in terms of the broader attitude which pro athletes have towards fans, I believe it’s a two way street. We’d like to think we’re loyal, but we’re not. Fans, in general, do not stick by their players through thick and thin. They cheer when a star does well and boo when he doesn’t. Fans buy tickets when the team wins but stay at home when their team doesn’t. After someone retires, we forget all about them. And fans almost never root for the person, they root for the uniform. The same fan who’s begging for their autograph today will be shouting obscenities at them when they get traded next season. So I think the average player sets boundaries and limits with respects to their public appearances and such. Appearance fees and conditions for events like you mentioned are always a matter of contention.

Arod is only in the news today because of an obsession some Boston players have with him. Sure some comments triggered some things but, overall, Arod couldn’t even begin to approach the sore-winner smack that the likes of Schilling, Nixon, and Wells have spewed. You can believe that if Arod was in a Sox uniform he’d be the greatest thing since Yaz.

[watts1931]

i personally don't like arod either, but I HIGHLY doubt he would say "yeah whatever man"..........first of all that response makes no sense to a "thank you"........and someone of his caliber wouldnt say that......that is just dumb.........tell your friend hes full of sh*t and to quit telling stories just because he dislikes someone. I dislike arod and a lot of players too, but I dont make up stories.

[Yankee314]

i personally don't like arod either, but I HIGHLY doubt he would say "yeah whatever man"..........first of all that response makes no sense to a "thank you"........and someone of his caliber wouldnt say that......that is just dumb.........tell your friend hes full of sh*t and to quit telling stories just because he dislikes someone. I dislike arod and a lot of players too, but I dont make up stories.

I think that could happen, definatley. I have to disagree with u here. In 1995, ARod was still young, probably didnt care much about the fans the, but I am a Yankees fan, I go to the games early for batting practice with my dad, and I got to talk to ARod before he went out to hit. He's got to be one of the nicest guys I ever met on a ballfield, so he has definatley matured since 1995 with the Mariners at the baseball card expo.

For Sticky Spice: go to another baseball card expo with Alex Rodriguez there, I gurantee you or your friend will not get the same response from him.

[ajgnydc722]

I'm not gunna lie, I've never loved A-Rod. I still don't. I root for him naturally though, because he's on my team. It was the same thing when Clemens became a Yankee.