A-Rod Would Have Been A Disaster With The Red Sox
By Conor Hawley
Boston Red Sox fans are glad Alex Rodriguez never became apart of the franchise.
As baseball’s latest villain Alex Rodriguez rode into the sunset on Friday night in rainy New York, most baseball fans, even Yankee fans, booed and heckled with glee seeing the washed up veteran pushed out of America’s game. As a Boston Red Sox fan, I wiped the sweat off my brow and let out an elongated sigh. I’m just glad he didn’t bury our franchise.
For Red Sox Nation, we are left to wonder what would have happened if Boston had been able to acquire Rodriguez. Well, let me be clear. I’m not thinking about any of the “good” that Rodriguez would have brought with him to Boston, since there is not much to ponder there.
In the offseason before the 2004 season, the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers had agreed upon a deal that would send Rodriguez to Boston in exchange for Manny Ramirez and Jon Lester. This deal would have happened if the MLBPA had not prevented Rodriguez from leaving money on the table so he could go to Boston.
That’s right, Rodriguez was going to leave millions on the table in order to be the starting shortstop for the Red Sox and try to break the Curse of the Bambino. With approval from MLBPA, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, and Jon Lester would have all been traded while Boston would have received Magglio Ordonez, Brandon McCarthy, and Alex Rodriguez in deals with the Rangers and White Sox. The direction of the franchise could have been completely different.
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In 2004, Ramirez certainly outperformed Rodriguez offensively, and combined with David Ortiz to create the most formidable 1-2 punch in baseball.
Ramirez hit an impressive .308 and accumulated 43 home runs as well as 130 RBIs during the 2004 regular season, while Rodriguez posted a .286 average with 36 home runs and 106 RBIs. More importantly, Ramirez was a huge catalyst in the postseason that year, earning World Series MVP, and Rodriguez was extremely pedestrian toward the end of the 2004 ALCS, taking a lot of heat for his lackluster at-bats.
Besides a stellar 2009 postseason with the Yankees, Rodriguez has remained very mediocre in big spots. While Yankees like Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams are always applauded for their clutch play, Rodriguez has lacked the individual playoff performances that define a player’s career.
With Rodriguez coming to Boston, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, Dave Roberts, Doug Mientkiewicz, and Orlando Cabrera would not have played a single inning for the 2004 Red Sox. Many of these memorable “Idiots”, who endeared themselves to an entire region and brought joy to many, were integral to the team’s success that year.
Would the Red Sox still have won a World Series that year if the trade was approved? Probably not.
Not only that, Rodriguez could have put an irreparable scar on Boston’s franchise with his steroid use. Throughout franchise history, the Red Sox have endured some painful moments both on and off the field. From the perceived racism of long-time owner Tom Yawkey and his refusal to sign Jackie Robinson to 86 years without a championship, the history of failures for the Boston Red Sox are well-documented.
As it stands, Rodriguez will retire as one of the most hated players in baseball, because of his steroid use and repeated denial of it, in spite of the overwhelming evidence. The way he has represented himself throughout the accusations has frustrated and angered baseball fans. For much of the legal process, the Yankees had to suffer financially in backing Rodriguez, whose production in New York has waned significantly over the last few years. This is without even mentioning how his presence has been a huge distraction for the team since 2009, when Sports Illustrated first reported that Rodriguez had tested positive for steroids.
With Rodriguez in Boston’s clubhouse, the bad press would have been a constant distraction for everybody. There would likely have been a brighter spotlight on David Ortiz and the franchise’s knowledge of steroid use among its players.
Although Ortiz has consistently denied using steroids and the proof against him is suspect, his name appeared on a 2009 report that provided names of players who tested positive for steroids. MLB and the MLBPA would later clarify that the list could not confirm the guilt of any individual player due to many factors.
Currently, Ortiz is a 40-year-old with nagging leg problems and injuries. By having a career year at the plate in his final season, many critics believe that he should be investigated further for substance-abuse. A combination of Rodriguez and Ortiz in Boston among other suspected steroid users would have caused a significant stir in the media and a PR mess for the Red Sox.
At the time when Rodriguez was being shopped around baseball, Larry Lucchino and Boston ownership believed that they needed to think “bolder”, in order to be successful. Rodriguez’s retirement is a reminder how the best deals are the ones that are never made. Everybody wanted him here and believed it would have been the difference to change the fortune of a heartbroken franchise and fan base. Now, it’s easy to realize that Rodriguez could have crushed the Red Sox and doomed them for years to come.
Next: Boston Red Sox: Momentum Grows for Pitching Staff
Rather than discussing the illustrious career of David Ortiz right now and a potential fourth championship in twelve years, we may be lamenting 98 years without one.