However, he's still a damn good player.
In yesterday's loss to Oakland, ARod ran the bases after Robinson Cano popped up in foul territory. On the way back to first base from third, he ran over the pitcher's mound, stepping on the rubber. The pitcher was NOT on the mound. But the A's pitcher Dallas Braden took exception to this and barked at ARod to 'get off his mound' during the game.
Braden didn't let it go and ranted to the media about the situation calling it an unwritten-rule, one I have yet to hear someone say they have heard before.
Here's Braden's rant.
ARod mostly laughed it off and said: ""He just told me to get off his mound. That was a little surprising. I’ve never quite heard that - especially from a guy that has a handful of wins in his career."
Clearly, ARod takes a dig at Braden with the last piece of his comment.
Braden also said ARod should look at his captain and he might learn something.
I read this exchange last night and thought ARod didn't do anything wrong here. He didn't skewer the kid as Braden clearly tried to do with ARod. Additionally, I've never heard of this 'rule' and neither has any other person I've read heard about it including former players.
Many have said they wouldn't have done it, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.
If there are unwritten rules here, what about the one where young kids shut their mouth? Ted Williams was a piece of shit, but do you think any player with 50 career starts would tell Williams to get off my mound?
Braden sounds more like an 80-year-old man yelling at the neighborhood kids than a 26-year-old.
I'm also sick of the ARod and Jeter comparisons. Jeter is a class act. He will probably never do something that is going to embarass himself, his family or the Yankee organization. Clearly, the same will never be said for ARod.
I just don't think this is a situation that does that.
It's at the point where people dislike ARod so much, his autos
autos can be found pretty cheap comparatively to where they were just 3-4 years ago. They certainly don't like in the Derek Jeter
and Albert Pujols
category. 
I don't get the big deal here, either. I've never heard of this 'unwritten' rule. I do it all the time in my adult league games - run over the mound going back to a base or between innings. Why? Because I'm not a pitcher so it's fun to get on the mound!
ReplyDeleteBraden comes across as the jerk here, not ARod. What's up with the temper tantrum after getting a double play to end the inning?!
If anything, that magazine cover makes him a punk....bitch that is.
ReplyDeleteLeave it to two Yankees fans to say that A-Rod isn't a huge jaggoff. Take the blinders off for a few minutes, and expose your eyes to the sunlight.
I never said ARod is not an ass. I'm just questioning this incident.
ReplyDeleteThis one.
I think there are so many people who want to hate him that every little thing he does is blown up.
That's fine. But call him out when he does something that is shitty and handle it like a man. Apparently, there is no repercussions for Braden handling the situation like a 7-year-old, but ARod is thrown to the fire in this case.
I don't think the Braden incident makes Arod a punk, but it was something definitely NOT to do. When confronted with a similar situation, most players go out of their way to avoid crossing paths with the pitcher, and steer clear of the mound completely. Arod didn't. Did he mean anything by it? Doubt it, but it fired up Braden.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Braden keeping his mouth shut, it's something he clearly was passionate about and had all the right to go off. It's not like he struck out Arod and then did cartwheels. He felt that Arod broke the code and disrespected him, and we all know that when someone feels slighted in baseball one of two things are going to happen: 1) someone will find a reporter and vent, 2) someone is going to get hit. Braden chose the former.
Braden did overreact, and does look foolish in retrospect, but he's not under the same scrutiny that A-Rod is. He's under a microscope, not only because he is a star, but because he has a reputation (a mostly negative one) that precedes him.
ReplyDeleteI used to be a pitcher, and you would have gotten thrown at during your next at bat if you pulled that shit with me. I wasn't very accurate though, so I may have thrown at you anyway.
Braden said he has no intention of throwing at him, also because he doesn't throw 95.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as far as he's concerned the situation is over. Then, went on for another while, but you get his point.
Both are probably at fault. A-Rod seems to have a habit of doing stuff like this. While I haven't necessarily heard of the "unwritten rule," common sense tells you the pitcher probably isn't going to like it too much if you run over his mound during a game. Pitchers are particular about where they work.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Braden over-reacted. Perhaps as a youngster he's trying to make sure people don't walk all over him, but he seems to have a temper issue.
Braden does come off as the bigger jerk. But that's because A-Rod is more sneaky. He's always sneaky. I don't like sneaky.
Yeah, ARod is definitely sneaky, which is why I don't always believe everything he says.
ReplyDeleteNever Heard of the rule and I played a lot. Arod is a punk, but not for this. The Pitcher is being a whiner.
ReplyDeleteWith as much work as pitchers put into grooming the mound before they pitch, I can certainly understand the objection. I guess it would be similar to ARod smoothing the dirt in front of third base with his feet, and then having Braden run over and kick a divot out of it. Maybe there's no "unwritten rule", or maybe that why they call them unwritten, but it wasn't very nice of ARod.
ReplyDeletePlus, isn't it a rather odd coincidence that the route Arod chose back to first included going up a hill, and just happened to land his foot right on the pitching rubber?
OK, really this is the dumbest thing that Braden could have given attention to. I don't see why A-Rod felt the need to walk onto the mound and the rubber, but who cares.
ReplyDeleteIt would have annoyed me too, and I would have said something but I would not have made a spectacle of myself looking like a crybaby after the game.
Braden may have over-reacted a bit here. That's entirely possible. But when thinking about these types of things I usually end up at: 'There's probably more of a back-story than either party is letting on'. Maybe not but fans certainly aren't privy to a good deal that happens on the field.
ReplyDeleteI don't think this in itself makes A-Rod a punk - but rather it's his uhh...body of work when it comes to these sorts of things that get people upset.
Interesting tweet from J. Crasnick:
'I once did a story on AJ Pierzynski-the-agitator, and someone mentioned how he crosses the mound after outs to annoy the opposition.'
I think it is common sense to stay off the mound as a runner. That said, I think Braden might be wound a little too tight here.
ReplyDeleteWhy run up a small hill if you don't have to?
Beardy - I'm certainly not trying to say that ARod isn't a punk. I just don't totally understand Braden's complete overreaction.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe ARod is totally innocent here, either. He seems to find pleasure in ticking people off, I'll give ya that.
And if ARod had taken a bat to Braden's landing spot, or something like that, sure, Dallas has a right to be mad. But just running over the mound? Come on now, be serious. They're both acting like kids.
To me, what stands out is Braden's tantrum AFTER getting out of the inning with a double play!!
All that said, ARod is either completely oblivious to the spotlight he's under, or he just doesn't care. Who knows... and who cares.
When I think of Arod, I think of nancy boy. I can't help it. Ever since that pussy slap play in '04. And that "ha" deal.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see if Arod runs across Braden's mound again.
Was Arod a little bitch before he got to New York? I don't remember any stupid incidents when he didn't play in the center of the universe.
Does this make A-Rod a punk?
ReplyDeleteNo, because he was already a punk. But it was a punk move. I have no doubt he did in on purpose (and does it regularly) because he knows it annoys pitchers. Good on Braden for calling him out.