Ted's Army: The Voice of Red Sox fans

A-Rod headlines list of clients at Miami PED broker

If you weren't sick of PED talk enough after the sham of Hall of Fame voting we just witnessed, get ready for more. A Miami New Times (which sounds like a fictional newspaper from Back to the Future) report says that a number of pro athletes were on the client list at Biogenesis, an anti-aging clinic in Miami that is under fire for providing human growth hormones to customers. 

Among the athletes named are Alex Rodriguez, Bartolo Colon, Melky Cabrera, and Yasmani Grandal, all of whom have been caught or suspended for steroid use in the past. Other notables include Nelson Cruz, Gio Gonzalez, and a number of coaches.

First of all: Innocent until proven guilty, etc.

But beyond that, would it really surprise anyone that A-Rod continued to juice beyond 2003 (when he said he stopped)? His body hasn't changed...except that he developed a degenerative hip condition, which is a red flag (/looks at Mike Napoli, and, sadly, Mike Lowell). He maintained his performance into his mid-30s, with 30 homers at age 34. Only the aforementioned hip situation has slowed him down.

I know as Red Sox fans we should be smug and laughing about this, but it's actually probably a bad thing for us. As Buster Olney pointed out in his blog this morning (Insider), this situation might allow the Yankees to pursue voiding Rodriguez's contract, which is a Crawfordian albatross. We already know A-Rod will miss much (or perhaps all) of this season...and he's still got four years and $100+ million after that. After a year off, plus a potential suspension coming, plus (presumably) taking himself off PEDs, we could be seeing a pretty serious decline in which the Yankees get next to nothing for that money. If they get out of it, that's a huge benefit for our rivals.

Besides, it's not like we should be very confident that the Red Sox are all clean. David Ortiz was semi-busted, said he'd get to the bottom of it, and then never spoke about it again. Manny (who is also linked to this story) was caught something like 600 times. It's easy to speculate about Lowell and Napoli due to their hips, or Varitek or Nomar due to their bulking up -- or really anyone. 

But then again, it is A-Rod, who is among the more detestable professional athletes in my lifetime. So I won't criticize you if you want to have a chuckle at his expense.

Update, 1:00 pm: Rodriguez, through a spokesman, has issued a complete denial of all accusations.

The Variteks don't like the A-Rod picture. I don't care.

Of all the things that Jason Varitek has done during his lengthy career with the Red Sox, none is more recognizable than jamming his catcher's mitt in the face of Alex Rodriguez.  And that's something that doesn't sit well with Jason, nor his father.

Via CSNNE.com:

“It wasn't something that you're proud of. We've been down this road talking with my kids. I was just being a teammate. Things were going on and being said to my teammate and it just happened to happen that way.”
 
He no longer autographs pictures of the incident.

“It became ongoing as soon as the first day my oldest daughter [Ally, now 12] . . . said, 'Oh, Daddy, look: It's the picture of you fighting again,’ ” he said.  “I was like, 'Maybe I shouldn't sign that.' ”

Varitek's father discussed the incident Thursday after the retirement announcement and had slightly stronger feelings than his son.

"I'm not a fan of that picture."

From a 'I don't want my kids to think that fighting is the answer' perspective, I totally get it.  And when anyone talks at length about Tek, this incident undoubtedly surfaces.  You don't want a single heated incident in your past to be constantly shoved in your children's faces.

Even if his children weren't in the picture, I'm sure that Tek would rather be remembered for this or this or this. 

But the A-Rod incident, and the subsequent image, is much larger than Varitek.  That single moment turned the tide for an entire organization and its fan base.  Ask any Red Sox fan and they can tell you where they were the moment Varitek bitch slapped Rodriguez. 

Pushing his mitt into A-Rod's manicured face symbolized Red Sox Nation telling the Yankees that they weren't going to stand idle while the Yankees collected their trophies.  That moment ignited that Sox squad.  The 2004 World Series doesn't happen in October if Varitek doesn't push A-Rod in July. 

The Variteks can collectively despise that picture.  The Captain can refuse to autograph it.  His father can urinate on it every morning when he steps out of bed.  I don't care.  That picture will always bring a tiny smile to my face and goosebumps to my arms.  That picture represents everything that was great and fun and unpredictable and wild about that 2004 season, and the best damn baseball team that I ever cheered for.

A-Rod is an idiot

What should A-Rod do when he is trying to keep his mouth shut and not stir up any controversy? Kick Knicks fans in the nuts by rooting for the Heat.

I don't know if I would label this controversial, but he has to realize that a good number of Knicks fans are also Yankees fans. A-Rod lived in Miami for a while and played his high school ball there, so the Heat are obviously his favorite team. He has to keep those comments quiet and maybe make a statement on it if the Heat do win it all (hopefully they won't), especially when the Knicks think they have a shot. 

With all that said, I hope neither team wins the title.

Bobby V thinks Jeter is full of crap

How do you make your way into the hearts of Red Sox fans, take shots at the Yankees.

Herald:

Asked today for his thoughts on retiring catcher Jason Varitek, Valentine offered the usual kudos, calling the longtime Red Sox captain a “man’s man” and “everything you want in a guy who wore a ‘C’ ” and “the leader of the pitching staff.” Then he paused, likely for effect, and said, “And he beat up Alex,” referring, of course, to Varitek’s famous facewash of A-Rod during the 2004 season.

What does he think about Derek Jeter's famous 2001 ALDS cut-off/throw out of Jeremy Giambi at the plate.

“We’ll never practice that,” Valentine said. “I think (Jeter) was out of position. I think the ball gets (Giambi) out if (Jeter) doesn’t touch it, personally. That was amazing that he was there. I bet it’s more amazing that he said he practiced it. I don’t believe it.”

Get used to this Red Sox fans, he is full of this. Valentine loves to make these type of comments and it gets under the skin of a lot of people. The good thing is, Yankee fans hate him already, so the fire is already burning.

Your Morning Dump... Where A-Rod ruined Iglesias

Every morning we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump...

The conventional wisdom is that Valentine has a choice: Either send Iglesias to the minors to improve his offensive skills, or take advantage of his superior defensive skills by making him the Opening Day shortstop, even though he’ll likely struggle at the dish.

But Valentine made a startling observation yesterday when he said that it’s not a question of Iglesias improving his hitting. Rather, it’s a case of throwing out the kid’s old hitting style and starting over again.

Or to be more precise, getting Iglesias to stop copying the swing of the guy he was working out with in Miami before spring training last year.

That player was . . . Alex Rodriguez.

“What we’ve identified with him is that he’s always been a guy who tried to imitate players rather than try to be himself, and he was going away from what worked for him,” Magadan said. “We’re trying to get him back to the kind of set-up approach that he had when we first signed him. (Minor league hitting coach) Victor Rodriguez has done a great job kind of getting him to buy into that.”

Herald - Jose Iglesias needs reboot

This is equally bad and good news.  I'm thrilled that there's a logical reason why Iglesias suddenly couldn't hit.  I understand trying to be A-Rod in an attempt to duplicate his success.  But it simply doesn't work like that.  It's cute when you're in Little League and you want to mimic Tony Bautista's crazy open stance.  It's another thing to do it when you're trying to make a big league roster.

The flip side is that Iglesias' swing is going to have to be completely re-worked.  And if he's spent his baseball life always trying to imitate other players (as Magadan suggests), Iglesias may not know what is natural for him.  It's not something the hitting coaches are going to be able to fix in a couple weeks.  This is going to be a long process. 

Ideally, Iglesias is going to get some more time in AAA to get comfortable at the plate.  But Valentine isn't dismissing his chances at starting the season with Boston.  Bobby compared Jose to Rey Ordonez (who could never hit) and Ozzie Smith (who struggled at the plate his first few seasons), stating, "It’s whether you can play at the major league level. I don’t think it’s just about hitting."

The Red Sox offense is going to be fine regardless of the man playing short.  I have no doubt that they can carry a .200 hitter.  It may be frustrating, but they can do it.  Whether that's the best thing for the club, or Jose, is the question Bobby has to answer. And while I'd love to watch a full season of Iglesias in the majors, it's probably best for all involved if he stays down for a while. 

You know, to get all that A-Rod out of his system.

Rest of the links:

Herald - Andrew Miller’s chances truly Young at heart | Manny Ramirez says he’s just happy to be with Athletics | Catch Bobby Valentine’s drift | Globe - This Chris Carpenter has something to prove | Critical error | Motivational interior decorating for the Red Sox | WEEI - Trags Bag: What the Red Sox need from David Ortiz | Pedroia: 'Whatever [Braun] says I believe' | ESPN - Video: One-on-one with David Ortiz

A photographic tribute to Mr. April ending the Yankees season

As you may have read in the dump, A-Rod became "K-Rod" again as he whiffed to end the Yankees season.  It was a thing of beauty that has been documented in photographs for all eternity.

So pour yourself a big cup of schadenfreude, and enjoy a photographic tribute to Alex Rodriguez striking out to shut down Yankee Stadium for the season.

Look at that extension.  That form.

From the other side.  Nice of the Tigers to let Nelson into their dugout for this special moment.

I like the stunned looks from the Yankee faithful.  

And now a series of photos that... well... I just don't get.  Why the hell does A-Rod stare at the whole celebration?

Your Morning Dump...where the Yankees had no punch

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Humber held the Yankees hitless until Alex Rodriguez grounded a single up the middle with one out in the seventh inning Monday night and the Chicago White Sox made the effort stand up with a 2-0 victory over New York.

"When I was young I had big dreams. I thought I was going to go out there and dominate every time," Humber said. "It hasn't worked out that way to this point."

Humber was making the sixth start of his career for his fifth team and had a career record of 3-3. Orginally drafted by the Yankees in 2001 -- he turned them down to go to Rice -- Humber never expected this kind of success against the All-Star lineup.

"You don't expect to hold an offense like that down especially just giving up one hit but you got to make pitches and not worry about who's up there at the plate," he said.

ESPN | Phil Humber takes no-hitter into the 7th as White Sox trump Yankees

The Yankees had no solution for Humber last night, getting shut out and nearly no-hit. The White Sox shaky bullpen -- did you realize their "closer" Matt Thornton has 0 saves and 4 blown saves? -- even managed to shut the door. A rally appeared to be building, but Mark Teixeira grounded into a double play, and A-Rod struck out, ending the game.

In other Bomber news, New York's homegrown pitching gem Phil Hughes continued to get bad news, as he was shut down due to dead arm. A tough break for the Yankees' answer to Clay Buchholz, but they couldn't just keep trotting him out there after getting shellacked all year. Now they need to focus on building up arm strength and finding his lost velocity.

The Yankees remain in first, but are just 2.5 games up on Tampa and 3 up on the Sox. The Yankees remain the only team in the AL East with a positive run differential at +25, but the Sox are only -3, so they should be joining New York soon on the plus side.

On page 2, Tek is a changed man.

Your Morning Dump...Where the AL East is turned on its head

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

The Orioles’ 4-0 beginning equals their best start since 1997, and they are one win shy of tying the 1970 club, which won its first five games.

"I don’t think anybody’s ever had a bad 4-0 start. It’s been awesome," said Roberts, who drove a 1-2 pitch from Rick Porcello just over the right-center-field wall with no outs in the fifth. "Certainly, I’ve been through a lot...we all know that...and I think with the expectations coming into this year, to still be able to go out there and do that, I think it’s been great for us."

Herald | Brian Roberts' three-run homer lifts Orioles to first 4-0 start since 1997

Rodriguez lined his 615th homer in the first, then Posada connected the next inning for his third home run in two days. At 39 and now a full-time designated hitter instead of an All-Star catcher, Posada seems to have adjusted nicely to his new role.

"I think everybody's fresh and it's April," Posada said. "If I was catching or DHing, I think I would feel the same way."

ESPNBoston | Yanks ride A-Rod, Posada HRs to win

So, not only at the Red Sox terrible, but now the Orioles are good? What's going on here?

Their lineup is solid, and actually hasn't been bad for years now, but their pitching has been a surprise thus far. Through four games, they've given up four runs. That number might sound familiar -- it's the number of runs given up by John Lackey in six seconds.

Are the Orioles for real? Obviously, it's pretty early for us to proclaim that. They swept the Rays -- who I spent all offseason defending, but certainly don't look good -- and beat the Tigers once. A four-game losing streak is just as easy to develop as a four-game winning streak, and again, we all know it's early.

But many of us dismissed Tampa in 2008, too.

Meanwhile, the Empire wrapped up a win over Minnesota with their usual nonsense. A-Rod homered, Teixeira looked like he needed to use the bathroom, and Soriano and Rivera locked it down in the 8th and 9th to preserve the W. It was only one game, but I will say: the prospect of Soriano in the 8th was pretty frightening. He was dealing.

Now we can turn our eyes to the business of the day, and that is Josh Beckett:

Don't Rent From A-Rod

You know all of those awful names that you scream at Alex Rodriguez when he comes up to bat?  I'm sure you can rattle off 15 without even pausing to think.  Well, not that you were running low, but we have a new name to add to your arsenal:

"Slumlord"

While most of the world knows the New York Yankees' third baseman as ‘A-Rod,’ a tenant of Normandy Park calls him something else.

“He’s a slumlord,” says Vince, who would only give his first name. “I’ll call it just as I see it.”

According to a Florida corporate records search, Rodríguez owns Newport Property Ventures, a real estate company that owns and operates eight properties in the Tampa Bay area.

“You got leaky faucets, leaky bathrooms, screens coming off, dog feces everywhere,” said a tenant who did not want to be identified.

“It’s amazing,” said another who would not give his name. “It’s amazing a person that’s got that much money can have properties that look like this.”

"Dog feces everywhere."  Fantastic!

Is it sad to watch a grown man hurl insults at another grown man?  Sure.  But if you haven't been paying attention, this is what A-Rod has done this Spring: .404/.451/.936, 6 HR's in just 47 at-bats.  If resorting to name calling is what it takes to cool him down, hand me the bullhorn.

Your Morning Dump...Where A-Rod likes what he sees

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Red Sox shortstop prospect Jose Iglesias has a staunch supporter in Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

“That kid is going to be sensational,’’ said Rodriguez yesterday from Yankees camp in Tampa.

Rodriguez invited Iglesias to work out with him in Miami over the winter, and said, “I was so impressed with him. He works hard and he’s such a good kid.

“His hands . . . great hands. Really, really stood out for me. He’s going to be a good one. The Red Sox fans should be very excited to see this kid in the future.’’

Globe | Rodriguez admires kid's glove

The more I read about him, the more excited I am for Jose Iglesias to get the call. I know I should be more focused on whether Marco Scutaro will hold off Jed Lowrie at short this year right now, with the 2011 season finally in our crosshairs. But let's face it -- Marco is gone after this year, and Jed will either be hurt or traded, because there's no room for him.

And while A-Rod is unsavory in every way possible, he does know a thing or two about the shortstop position, and was a fine defensive SS before the steroids gave him hip problems. And before the Yankees chose Jeter over him.

And speaking of the Yankees, is anyone else enjoying their drama as much as I am? The CC-opting-out talk was one thing, but then Hank Steinbrenner running his mouth about the player being too busy building mansions instead of focusing on winning (when Derek Jeter was building a house last year) is gold. I can really see them taking a significant step back this year, given how old they are.

On page 2, we turn out focus back to the Sox but stick with the "old" theme.