Klapisch: A-Rod talking too much?

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Last Updated Wednesday March 26, 2008, EDT 6:46 AM

To those who thought the final 10 years of Alex Rodriguez's career would be spent in a quiet, Spartan pursuit of Barry Bonds' home run record, we offer a much different crystal ball. Think of the last 24 hours as a sneak preview.

In just one day, A-Rod foolishly confessed to a long-running regret that he didn't end up with the Mets in 2000, then fended off Jose Canseco's implied accusation of steroid use. It was a busy news cycle for the Yankees' slugger, but then again, aren't they all?

Turns out Canseco had little to show for all the huffing and puffing about bringing down A-Rod; in his soon-to-be-released book, the only "evidence" of Rodriguez's cheating was Canseco's statement that he introduced him to a known steroids peddler. A-Rod emerges crime-free, but that's not to say the Yankees can count on him to keep his mouth shut, not even after signing that historic $275 million deal over the winter.

Put it this way: Imagine how the Yankees feel today knowing the cornerstone of the franchise, to whom they've committed $275 million, has been pining for the Mets all along.

That's what A-Rod told the Daily News on Tuesday, that he wishes he hadn't allowed himself to be steered toward the Rangers and their record-setting $252 million deal eight years ago. Rodriguez actually was bashing agent Scott Boras, but in doing so, expressed a retroactive admiration for the Mets that can't possibly sit well with the Bombers.

Even if Rodriguez is telling the truth — and his recollection is faulty; the Mets turned him down, not the other way around — he should know better than to be kissing up to the Yankees' cross-town rivals. The slugger can't have it both ways: he can't sell himself as an old-school, to-the-bone Yankee and then admit he could've (and should've) been playing at Shea.

Of course, the Yankees will never react to this in an official capacity. Not now, not after anointing A-Rod as their caretaker for the next decade. This is officially his team now, not Derek Jeter's, which means the front office is going to pretend A-Rod's comments never appeared in the newspaper.

But it tells you something about how A-Rod will be spending the next few years. He will be loose, open, telling us more than we need to know. And, apparently, Rodriguez won't be afraid to lay it on thick. Last week, he told The Boston Globe, "When all is said and done, Manny [Ramirez] will be the greatest right-handed hitter ever. I'm very biased because he's one of my best friends. I just love Manny."

Rodriguez's praise is nothing if not disingenuous: he's going to finish his career with more home runs, RBI and total bases than Ramirez, so why would he promote a concept he knows is statistically false? Because he thinks the fans at Fenway will be nicer to him next month?

If so, Rodriguez isn't just vain, he's terribly naïve. But that's the surcharge the Yankees are paying for the third baseman's greatness. A-Rod is an amiable guy, but on a scale of one to tone-deaf, he's off the charts.

Of course, the genetic coding for saying the wrong thing won't stop Rodriguez from hitting home runs in a steady blur. He's got a couple of more MVP awards in him, too, probably in 2008, as well. But the idea of A-Rod as a baseball warrior remains as alien as ever.

It's no coincidence that soon after re-signing with the Yankees, Rodriguez hired Guy Oseary, who's managed the careers of Madonna and Lenny Kravitz, to act as his new front man. When he was retained last December, Oseary told Variety magazine, "This is to help [Rodriguez] have more control of his image and brand."

To which Yankee fans must be thinking: If only A-Rod had similar control of his October slugging percentage.

Obviously, Rodriguez is the game's greatest five-tool player — ever — and the Yankees would've never made it to the postseason in any of the past four years without him. But does A-Rod really have to prattle on about the Mets, the Red Sox and whatever topic comes to him in the next soul-baring, Oprah-like moment?

It's not too much for the Yankees to ask A-Rod to do what he does best — hit fastballs to the planets. The rest can wait for Rodriguez's memoirs, which undoubtedly will have a chapter devoted to Canseco.

News source：http://www.northjersey.com/sports/yankees/Crosstown_buss.html