Yankees News: Alex Rodriguez’s Teammates Publicly Support Him

With Spring Training now officially less than a week away, more of Alex Rodriguez‘s New York Yankees teammates are showing their public support of him.  The support has mostly come from young pitchers as Ivan Nova stated that Rodriguez has been a good teammate to him.  Phenom reliever Dellin Betances has also supported Rodriguez by stating first that A-Rod is a great guy and he is looking forward to playing with him again, and then that he doesn’t need an apology from Rodriguez.  Michael Pineda, a pitcher who figures to be a large part of the Yankees 2015 and future plans, also stated in the second Betances article that A-Rod is a nice person, who he likes and respects a lot.

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It remains to be seen if the Yankees veteran leaders will also speak in support Rodriguez, but I would expect the public support to be the same.  The real question is do these players, especially the veterans who have yet to speak, really have Rodriguez’s back?  This is something that remains to be seen, as players obviously will publicly show support of any teammate to avoid clubhouse controversy as well as ticking off their manager.  Yankees manager Joe Girardi has already shown that he is willing to support Rodriguez as he did when Ryan Dempster drilled the Yankees third baseman.  If Girardi wants to have control of his locker room, then expect his players to back Rodriguez.  CC Sabathia, one of the Yankees veteran clubhouse leaders, and Rodriguez have been friends since the former joined the Yankees before the 2009 season.  Sabathia has backed Rodriguez stating earlier this off-season that A-Rod will be welcomed back, with veteran first baseman Mark Teixeira, another veteran leader, also offering support stating upon the season’s end that he had already told Rodriguez he is looking forward to having him as a teammate again.  Catcher Brian McCann, another leader, has stated he is excited to meet A-Rod, who he has somehow never met, referring to him as “one of the better players to ever play the game”.  Brett Gardner showed that he has A-Rod’s back during the Dempster incident, and reiterated that in an interview with Siruis XM saying that Rodriguez will be welcomed back.

As Spring Training gets underway, even more Yankees will be asked for their opinion on having Rodriguez as a teammate, and it may serve as a distraction, but should not.  Although he brings one of the best baseball resumes ever seen, as well as obvious extra baggage, Rodriguez is only 1 of 25, and his teammates should support him the way that they do anybody in the clubhouse.  A team is only as united as each of the 25 individuals, plus the coaching staff.  Considering how much time a baseball team spends together (about 8 months a year), it is imperative that the Yankees continue to support each member on the roster.  Having 24 guys unified, and one outcast is just as bad as having a group of unified individuals, as the Yankees did in the mid-2000’s.

I also feel that Rodriguez received a rep as selfish due to signing the largest contract in baseball at the time, a contract that was unprecedented, yet one that anyone offered would accept.  Nobody views Giancarlo Stanton as selfish for the deal he accepted, and that is because teams spend larger now than they did in 2001.  Rodriguez has also seem far more defeated and less self absorbed in recent years.  He has not carried himself in the manner of a confident man, but rather that of a person fighting for his life, yet the younger guys have stated that he is somebody that they look up to, and a great person.  While this could just be public talk, Rodriguez has many friends in the clubhouse, and even more around the game.  Although he has not made smart decisions, it seems that many still respect Rodriguez, as players recognize his true talent, even if his stats may have been aided.  If Rodriguez comes to camp accepting a role as one of the guys, which he seems willing to do, he should fit right in.  The Yankees players, ownership, coaching staff, and the MLB have all accepted Rodriguez back, now it is just up to the fans to do the same.  Are you willing to move forward from the sins of Rodriguez, a defeated, injured, and aging former slugger, and accept him back?

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