On the Great A-Rod Debate

The subject of Alex Rodriguez and whether he is an overpaid athlete is currently 25% of what is talked about on local sports radio and 10% on national, so I feel oblidged to chime in. I'm not even a huge baseball fan, but the subject of performance in sport is universal and widely applicable, and I feel like most of the analysis here is off-the-mark. So here goes:

"A-ROD is TEMPORARILY OVERPAID"

A-Rod is temporarily overpaid. But he can redeem himself. Here's the rub:

The success or failure of a Major League Baseball team with a $200 million dollar payroll (OK.. $198m and change to be specific) to make the playoffs over the course of a 162 game season can't be pinned on one player. If anything, the failure of a team with this bankroll to make the post-season should be pinned on the GM and maybe the manager/coach (see: the New York Knicks). But this doesn't apply to the modern-era big-buck Yanks, because they almost always make the playoffs.

Once *in* the MLB playoffs, in a 5 or a 7 game series--and kudos to MLB for not following the lead of the NBA and NHL and adopting the interminable 7 game first round series--you can sure use marquis...or just above average... performances from your high priced studs. If a key starting pitcher or fielder falters or excels in a MLB playoff series, that can make all the difference.

In 2004 and 2005, A-Rod had a mediocre and a bad playoff series. He batted .258 against the Redsox in 2004 and an abysmal .133 against the Angels in 2005. This for a guy with a .307 career average. In case people forget, the Yanks had three close losses to the Redsox in that epic 2004 ALCS, and three close losses to the Angels last year. No telling if whether A-Rod had hit closer to his average in both of those series, Yanks would have prevailed and moved on. But here's the problem: he's paid friggen $25 million dollars to hit close to his average in those big games.

I don't know why this is so complicated. Sports (and CEO) salaries are disproportionately high, some more than others. But there is an internal logic (albeit a flawed one) to paying someone a gazillion dollars if the goal is to win a championship or post strong earnings. If the batting average drops in the big games, or if earnings plummet in the 4th Quarter, this is a problem for the players/people at the top of the food/pay chain.

As a New York sports fan, I don't care that A-Rod had strong playoff series with the Mariners, or that he had a 3-error game last week. I want to see him putting up big hitting numbers and good-enough fielding performances IN THE PLAYOFFS. Here's the good news for New York sports fans and A-Rod: he'll have plenty of chances to do this and come up big. Here's the bad news for New York sports fans and A-Rod: he'll have plenty of chances to do this and fail.

So... my jury is out. If the guy puts in strong playoff performances over the next few seasons and the Yanks win a Championship, great... way to go super-ridiculously-highly-paid professional athlete. You have done your job. If he does not, well... this is a problem, and I'll remember him as an overpaid athlete who couldn't hack it when the heat was on, even if he bats a career .300 and knocks in 700 HR.

But we're not there yet. To be continued...



I ain't gonna post a picture of A-Rod, so instead, I offer an image hearkening back to the days of yester-year when I actually cared as much about baseball as I do the NBA. Cheers.

Link of the Week

For a thoroughly hilarious take on Pirates of the Caribbean,
Dead Mans Chest, check out the Ninja's review.

On The Wallace Signing and Roids

This post goes out to Detroit native Aaron Lewis--aka the L.B.M.--and Capital of the Midwest resident Chris Rhodes. In the case of the former, I implore you to temper your disappointment. In the case of the latter, I instruct you to restrict your enthusiasm. Either way, random superhighway visitor, the below opinion clashes with all the talking heads at espn, so you're getting a fresh perspective on life.

Now, don't get me wrong, I certainly don't think the Bulls got any worse with the addition of Ben Wallace and Tyrus Thomas. And I expect them to add to their win total this season, even while I expect Boston, Charlotte, New Jersey, and Atlanta to also improve their regular season records. (Did I just write, "I expect Atlanta to improve?" Yes. I did. Still time to erase that.. still time to erase..) I would not make this argument if they didn't have a good coach and strong guard play, but that isn't the case.

However... I'm fairly certain a $60 million dollar contract for an undersized center who can't score (on the floor or at the line) and who looked a little worn down in the playoffs this year was the answer for a young run-and-gun team that barely made the EC playoffs and beat-the-Heat a couple times on the strength of their running and gunning and shooting.

Two big concerns:

1) Can the Bulls really avoid not becoming more of a half court team in the playoffs with the addition of Wallace and Thomas? Why not pick up players that allow you to become a more effective Suns or Mavs type well oiled offensive machine? As was well documented this season, this type of team can win big in the NBA these days.
And can win it all if not for Dwayne Wade and Bennett Salvatore.

2) Pro-sports maxim: You can't give an inflated star-player contract to guys who have made a name and a career for themselves as hardworking, gritty, hustle players. Ben Wallace has to be in the NBAs top 10 or top 5 hustle players of all time. Division II school. Undrafted. Rode the pine. Then made a name for himself in Detroit by anchoring a very talented, well coached, defense oriented, half court basketball team with blood, sweat, tears, and one very famous face-shove... but not by carrying the team on his back, a la Mr. Wade again. $60 million bucks means bright lights and an imperative to succeed on an individual level. If this Bulls team can't find a way to win the big games without asking Wallace to fundamentally change his game or his role, I'm not sure this is going to turn out well. We'll see.

Trying to be constructive here... If I were Jerry Krause... I would have upgraded from Luol Deng to Al Harrington, kept Chandler (who may or may not be on this way out) and tried to find a couple of DeSagana Diop/Erik Dampier type center/forwards who are nothing to write home about, but fit more smoothly into a roster built for speed and scoring.

One last NBA note, while I'm at it. Rod Thorn. What a guy. Has made being a Nets fan for the past 5 seasons enjoyable. One of the top GMs in the league. Great draft with grabbing Marcus Williams and Josh Boone in the late first round. Yes, these players require a little babysitting/development. Williams needs some time on weightwatchers and in the weightroom to ensure he doesn't go Chris Childs on us, and Boone needs to be spending some long summer weeks in the gym with coach Cartwright learning how to score in the paint. But otherwise, job well done.

Lastly.. I'd like to give a big shout out to steroids. Back in the day (the late 80s, early 90s), as part of anti-drug D.A.R.E. primary education indoctrination, most kids would be (such as myself) subjected to a 10 minute film on the roids. It went a little something like this: HS track or football star had it all... the grades, the girl, the Camero, the loving parents, etc., etc., but one day said star is offered the roids. Next thing you know, this person is struggling in the classes, beating the girlfriend, breaking out in acne, attacking random people with baseball bats, wrecking the Camero, and then dying of cardiac arrest at the age of 17. It was all a little over-the-top, and I don't think it stuck with anyone. But then came along Jose Canseco and Rafael Palmeiro and Mr. "I'm not here to talk about the past" and the roids were really put to shame. Well. That's too bad. But I do know this: I have battled and largely lost with Poison Ivy-Oak-Sumac my whole life, and picked up a nasty case of what I think was Poison Oak while in Cali. weekend before last. Nothing was working. Not the cortisone cream, not the benadryl, nothin'. Then I went to the neighborhood doc for a prescription... that stuff put the hammer down on my insufferable rash in about 36 hours. Drugs. Hoo-ray Drugs.

OK, enough said. Happy 230th birthday, my fellow Americans. Big shout out also to the 22nd Amendment. On our 232 birthday, we're getting a new pres. Hang in there.



Big Ben/Mark Warner in 2008