Third Degree Burn, Take Deux

Sorry this post is so late, spent all day doing work on...well, you know...

Anyway. You may be interested to know that on his blog, Phil Hughes has posted an email address for fans to "drop him a line."

I'm all for players interacting with fans, it's what makes part of the experience so much fun, but I've got to go ahead and say that the under/over on him reaching the gmail email storage limit is three weeks.


So today's Pete Abraham question/topic I'm going to address is fairly timely given recent events:

The return of prodigal son Alex Rodriguez.


As you probably know, A-Rod was interviewed by the press the other day and in typical A-Rod fashion uttered a comment about being tested by MLB 'nine or ten times' instead of a properly phrased exaggeration of '100 times'. So, in typical NY media fashion, there was a big hubbub, and A-Rod actually had to issue a statement saying that he was only exaggerating and he hadn't really been tested nine or ten times.

Now, if that wasn't crazy enough, A-Rod's also made a comment about Jeter going to have an MVP-like season...and he's getting blasted for it.

It really does make you wonder, just what does he have to do to get people off of his back?

It's great he's returned. Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of ten-year-deals, but A-Rod's (knock on wood) stayed healthy throughout his career so far, and I'd much rather have him with the deal than, say...well, you know who I mean.

However, can the man do or say anything without getting scrutinized to the point that it's a bona fide miracle he came back?

I'm not the hugest A-Rod fan, and I'll be the first to admit it. However, he's a part of the team and as such I will respect him and defend him (to a point) if need be. The chances that this season he produces like he did last season are slim. It doesn't mean he won't produce, but, say, instead of hitting 55 home runs, are we all going to get on him if he hits "only" 40?

If you call yourself a Yankee fan, then you want him to win a Series while he's in pinstripes, and I can almost guarantee that there's no one that wants it more than him. He could retire today and he'd have a Hall-of-Fame caliber resumè, but a ring would probably get him in with a record percent of the vote.

More importantly, maybe, a World Series ring would keep the media lambasting him when he praises Derek Jeter, his teammate.