And why did they go get a shortstop to play third base?
Because A-Rod is a damn goof fielder with astounding offensive numbers and young and limber enough to make the switch. Because A-Rod said, “If playing third will put me on the Yankees, I’ll play third.”
And he’s a phenomenal baseball talent. He’s adapted beautifully to the position and he has magnificent range.
You’re not locked into your rookie-year positon, you know. Just ask Craig Biggio or even Babe Ruth. I’d rather have a converted third baseman like A-Rod than a “true” third baseman like Russell Branyan. And I think I can confidently state that anyone who’d rather have Branyan at third than Rodriguez needs to stop smoking crack out of a lead-paint crack pipe.
Even if Boone hadn’t blown out the knee would the Yanks have kept him once A-Rod became available? I never thought (save one big hit) Boone was than good of a player.
Because there were no third basemen available, at least none that could hit like he can, and he’s a fantastically gifted athlete who would have no trouble moving to third. I don’t think they would have gone after him if Boone was healthy, they never made any overtures towards trading for him in the past.
Hamlet, that’s exactly what happened, at least AFAIK. In theory, if a player could take less money as a condition of trade, it could turn into a tactic used to make overpaid players more tradeable. That is, make life lousy for said player so that they’ll give up the money to make a trade happen. Or say to them “You’ll never get on the field for this team, and we won’t trade you at full price, but take 10% less and you can go to that team and play every day.”
WRT to keeping Boone, would you rather have Soriano and Boone or A Rod and Cairo? Cairo is a bit of a hole in your lineup, where Boone isn’t so much, but A Rod is more dangerous a hitter than Soriano, and a better fielder. I think it’s fairly close, but once you injure Boone, the A Rod picture gets way better.
The Yankees made overtures to Boone about playing 2nd base when he returns. He refused.
Boston flubbed picking up A-Rod. Yankees needed a third baseman. I might not have agreed with trading Soriano, as I hate giving up such a talented young player, but A-Rod is in the current baseball elite. Definitely in the top 10 current players, probably in the top 5.
Is he expensive? When you have mediocre (by major league standards) players making $4 - $5 million annually, elite players are going to grab elite money. Texas wasn’t going to win, A-Rod wanted to go to a winner, and the player’s union wouldn’t permit him to go to teams that couldn’t afford him (yes, they do wield considerable say over a signed contract).
Add in all the money that Soriano was getting, and the money they saved by voiding Boone’s contract (since he violated its terms by playing in the basketball game that injured him), and the money that Texas agreed to pay on A-Rod’s contract, and he doesn’t cost much more than the alternatives.
In any case, I was talking about the difference between a play at the plate and interference, which analogy someone else made. You’re allowed to run over a catcher who is blocking the plate. You’re not allowed to grab his arm and wrench the ball out, as A Hole did.
I notice Yankee fans are given to personal attacks. I’ve made none, but pointing out the ugly truth of their teams invites name-calling and death-wishes in mere seconds. What a bunch of class acts. “Greatest fans in sports,” indeed.
Despite your attempt to make it sound somehow admirable rather than an attempt to keep salaries high, I’ll still continue my dislike for the modern game of moneyba… errrrr, I mean baseball.
To a lifelong (over 3 decades) Yankee fan, yes it is. I, too, started following the team during the ‘Horace Clark’ years, when my age was measured in single digits. I remember watching the Yankees play at Shea Stadium as the home team.
ARod had to slow down because the first baseman was on the basepath, without the ball. What if, and I was hoping he would, ARod would have run into the first baseman, and they both stumble, then the pitcher tags ARod out. That would be obstruction, and ARod would be awarded first, jeter to second, right.
Well, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. My hatred is general, not specific. I hate the motherfucking Yankees and their goddam fans, but that doesn’t mean I hate YOU. heck, I have friends who like the Yankees and they know I don’t mean I hate THEM when I rant about the goddamned Yankees and their motherfucking fans.
If you’ve been a fan for so long you should be used to it, since the Yankees are a love-em-or-hate-em team.