Hank Aaron Questions A-Rod's focus, And I Question Hank Aaron's Logic

I wrote something for The Faster Times the other day criticizing Hank Aaron for his recent comments about Alex Rodriguez criticizing A-Rod's supposed lack of focus. Aaron complained because A-Rod said he had a "great winter" (actually, he said he had a "good winter") and said that Rodriguez should always have a good winter. Never mind that back in Aaron's day, ballplayers -- Hammering Hank included -- worked at jobs during the offseason, instead of on their physiques, and used spring training to get into shape. Aaron is entitled to his own opinion. He's not entitled to his own facts!

Anyhow, check out my article, if you haven't done so already. Thanks!

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Also, in other news, I won a $50 gift certificate from FansEdge.com, thanks to a contest run by Lady Loves Pinstripes. How cool is that? Thanks, Kate, for running the contest!

Get Your Popcorn Ready: A-Rod Seems Anything But "Ballistic" at Press Conference

Yesterday evening, Squawker Jon and I were trying to figure out what would be the big sports story in the tabloids in today's papers. Would it be Hank Steinbrenner dissing Derek Jeter, or would it be A-Rod's very funny, self-deprecating remarks explaining that he really wasn't ticked off over the country seeing Cameron Diaz feeding him popcorn? Jon and I both thought it would be Yammering Hank, but as it turns out, the Knicks' trade for Carmelo Anthony knocked them both off the back page -- and in some cases, the front page!

By the way, I checked today's Chicago Sun-Times to see if Bill Zwecker, the Chicago Sun-Times gossip guy who reported that some anonymous insider claimed A-Rod "really went ballistic" after being seen on camera at the Super Bowl, would have a followup to the story. After all, Rodriguez isn't exactly known for a poker face (or for being a convincing actor), and he seemed pretty pleased recounting the story yesterday, directly contradicting Zwecker's claims. "I thought it was humorous," A-Rod said. "Who would be upset about getting fed popcorn?"

Anyhow, I didn't expect much from Zwecker as a followup, given that the columnist didn't even try to ask for A-Rod's side of the story in the first place. And there was nothing at all today on the Sun-Times' site about what Rodriguez said, although the sports department did have an article about Hank Steinbrenner's mansion-building comments.

Funny thing is, though, that Zwecker, whose source claimed A-Rod "really went ballistic" over being shown on TV, also used the word "ballistic" again in a column today about Miley Cyrus' supposed reaction to her father's disparaging interview in GQ, writing that Billy Ray's criticism of her show "Hannah Montana" is what "really made her go ballistic, according to sources close to the young superstar."

This got me curious as to how often Zwecker, or one of his anonymous sources, uses the word "ballistic" to describe a celeb's behavior. So I did a Nexis search of his Chicago Sun-Times columns, and found that word in Zwecker's column several dozen times. Now, it's one thing if a writer uses the same favorite words over and over, the way I use "good grief," "sheesh," and "puh-lease." But I do find it interesting that Zwecker's anonymous sources also use the word "ballistic" to describe anger. Here are some examples:

* An anonymous source told Zwecker that Cybill Shepherd had "gone ballistic" over her son's arrest -- January 14, 2010

* An anonymous source told Zwecker that Gerald Butler "went ballistic" over being linked romantically to Lindsay Lohan -- November 5, 2009

* An anonymous source told Zwecker that David Letterman "went ballistic" when a Letterman staffer moved in with the man who later reportedly blackmailed him -- October 8, 2009

* An anonymous source told Zwecker that LeAnn Rimes' new boyfriend Eddie Cibrian's wife Brandi Glanville went "completely ballistic" over the reported affair -- July 23, 2009

* And an anonymous source told Zwecker that Ryan O'Neal "went ballistic" when his son Redmond was arrested -- April 7, 2009

All quotes taken from a Nexis search of Zwecker's Chicago Sun-Times' columns. 

What do you think? Tell us about it!  

Shocker! A-Rod gets thrown at - twice - by Red Sox

Not to toot my own horn too much, but I totally called that Alex Rodriguez would get plunked today:

Let me continue with the predictions, since I'm still basking in the afterglow with my correct A-Rod one tonight. I predict that A-Rod will get plunked today as payback for Dustin Pedroia getting hit on Thursday. And so the Sox can get all fired up, ala 2004. Will a brawl ensue? I wouldn't be suprised.

And guess what? A-Rod got thrown at not once but twice, with the second pitch hitting him. It was pretty obvious what the Sox were trying to do. Remember, the plunking that started the A-Rod/Varitek fight in 2004 came the night after A-Rod hit a game-winning hit at Fenway. (I think that was the first time out of 789 that A-Rod became a true Yankee. Five years later, we're still hearing that nonsense!)

Speaking of which, I wrote a piece for the Faster Times about A-Rod's clutch numbers, which are actually very good this year. Read it here.

More on Alex to come, of course. His saga never ends!

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

How I called A-Rod's walkoff homer for last night's game

I just knew that last night's Yankees-Red Sox game would come down to Alex Rodriguez, so I predicted in the ninth inning on Twitter and Facebook that A-Rod would hit a walkoff to win it. True, it took six more innings to happen, but still. I totally called it!

What a tremendous game last night. Unlike Squawker Jon's Mets, who seem to be aiming for the worst game of the season each day, the Yankees have had a whole slew of great games this year.

I was at the July 1, 2004 game, and last night had a similar "instant classic" feeling to it. Watching A.J. Burnett and Josh Beckett go head to head was tremendous. But tense. Nearly fifteen scoreless innings was nerve-wracking for both sets of fans.

Did you know that A-Rod's walkoff homer was his sixth walkoff hit as a Yankee? He has twice as many walkoff hits in 5 1/2 years as a Yankee than Jeter does in his entire career. Yet some fans still act as if this is first big hit as a Yank ever. I don't get it. Heck, he would have had the game-winning hit in the final game in the Yanks' Fenway series in June if the bullpen hadn't blown it.

I don't want to forget talking about the pitching. Burnett, Phil Hughes, Mariano Rivera, Alfredo Aceves, Brian Bruney, and Phil Coke were terrific. The biggest surprise, of course was Bruney. Finally he has put it together again!

And to top it all off, Francisco Rodriguez blew a save and lost the game for the Mets, and the Yankees have the best record in baseball. Good times!

Let me continue with the predictions, since I'm still basking in the afterglow with my correct A-Rod one tonight. I predict that A-Rod will get plunked today as payback for Dustin Pedroia getting hit on Thursday. And so the Sox can get all fired up, ala 2004. Will a brawl ensue? I wouldn't be suprised.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Whoo-hoo! I got quoted in today's Newsday!

Stop the presses! Newsday columnist Ken Davidoff interviewed me in his column in today's Newsday. Check it out here.

He asked me about the rivalry, and what Yankee fans' reactions would be to Ortiz. I wrote about this subject for the Faster Times last week, and elaborated on it in the interview.

Anyhow, the best part of the piece is that Davidoff wrote the words, "I think Swan is right"! I told Jon I'm going to remind him of that quote every time we argue on something. It could be like a movie blurb!

Davidoff is a great writer who also does a daily blog on baseball. In case you haven't been able to find that blog thanks to Newsday's redesign, go here.

Thanks very much to Ken for writing about me in Newsday!

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"The Greatest Game" writer Richard Bradley linked to Davidoff's piece in his own blog, "Shots in the Dark." Bradley also wrote some terrific analysis on the calculation behind Ortiz. Check it out here.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Off the Wall: Reflections on Michael Jackson and A-Rod

When watching Alex Rodriguez having a great game against the Braves last night, and tying Reggie Jackson's career homer record, I was reminded tonight of what it's like to see undeniable talent in action. And why he is the most famous player of his generation. Watching all the Michael Jackson clips today after his untimely death yesterday reminded me of how much undeniable talent he also had. And why he was the most famous artist of his generation.

Both A-Rod and Jackson had that star quality and charisma that set them apart from their peers. They also both achieved stardom at an early age, and liked to wear white gloves. When A-Rod is "on," as he was against the Braves last night, it takes your breath away. It was much like how seeing an 11-year-old Jackson belt out "ABC" or an older Jackson moonwalk to "Billie Jean" amazed fans.

But then there's all that other stuff - the tabloid fodder, the weirdness, the lackeys and yes-men telling them what they want to hear, the use of dubious substances. It all takes away from what they should be remembered for. Heck, I was just using Jackson as a punch line hours before his death.

It's kind of sad that it was only after Jackson's passing where fans could remember him for being something other than Wacko Jacko. The Los Angeles Times noted the reaction of some employee of Jackson upon hearing a nearby fraternity house blare the King of Pop's music after his death:

"Oh, now they’re playing Michael Jackson," the suited man declared in exasperation into his phone.

Tying all this back into the Yankees, I hope we get more of A-Rod the great player, and less of A-Rod the freak show, over the next 8 1/2 years. I don't want to see him become another cautionary tale of the perils of fame and fortune at a young age.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Our long national nightmare is over - Yankees finally win!

It took a home run from an unlikely source - Francisco Cervelli, and a meltdown from Yankee manager Joe Girardi, but the Yankees finally won a game. Oh, and Mariano Rivera got to bat. And yes, Alex Rodriguez actually got a hit.

I was out for a walk last night, listening to the game on the radio, when I heard about Brett Gardner breaking up the Braves' perfect game with a walk, and then getting called out on a pickoff. (And yes, it was a bad call - I watched the replay of it.) Then Joe Girardi got ejected. And the momentum changed.

According to mlb.com's Brian Hoch, Joe Girardi apparently did not use any of the magic words managers usually get ejected for. Impressive! I can't get through one inning of attending a game with Squawker Jon without using at least one of those words!

Anyhow, however Girardi did it, the ejection sparked something with the Yankees. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, the Yanks had some watchable moments, from Cervelli's excitement over his first career homer, to A-Rod getting a big hit, to Mariano Rivera stepping up to the plate. Oh, and Joba Chamberlain finally got another win.

I particularly liked seeing Melky Cabrera giving Mo batting tips, and seeing the entire Yankee team intently watching Rivera's at-bat from the top step of the dugout. And seeing Mariano actually hit the ball, despite being told not to by the coaches!

True, it's only one game, but at least it put the wolves at bay for another day. Speaking of which, I don't quite know what to make about Mark Teixeira's postgame quote about Brian Cashman's surprise visit to Atlanta:

“He was a little fired up,” Mark Teixeira said. “There was no yelling, Cash isn’t that kind of guy. But he was here; he wanted to make himself known. … Sometimes the principal needs to show up in the classroom if the teacher’s having trouble with the students.”

What, is releasing Angel Berroa after he took up a roster spot for three months going to make everybody else worry about their job security? Not as long as Brett Tomko is still gainfully employed by this team. Besides, it's not like anybody's lining up to pick up, say, Hideki Matsui's $13 million contract.

But I do wonder about Teixeira's analogy. If Cashman is the principal, and,teacher Girardi is having trouble with the class, who are the students causing the trouble? And when will demerits be handed out?

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

MMMBop! Hanson stifles Yankee batters

Can't anyone here play this game? Or at least play it with some energy? When Chien-Ming Wang's pitching is perhaps the only highlight of yesterday's loss, that's a bad game. And when the Yankees struggle - again - against another rookie pitcher, it's depressing. And that wasn't even the worst part of the game.

No, the moment that infuriated me the most was what happened after Jorge Posada struck out for the fourth time. The ball got away from Atlanta catcher Brian McCann, but Posada didn't even walk, let alone run, towards first. Unacceptable. If a rookie did what Posada did, there would be a whole to-do over his lack of hustle. But Posada does it, and it's okay? Unreal.

Joe Girardi said after the game he was pleased with the Yankees' effort. Are you kidding me? This team has been batting like they all want to get the game over with for a hot date with Kate Hudson, and Joe's praising the effort? Good grief. My cat C.C. is more motivated, and she sleeps 20 hours a day!

At least Tommy Hanson is a highly touted player (he's even on Squawker Jon's fantasy team) and not a no-name. But still. The Yankees went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position last night. Between A-Rod striking out or feebly popping up, and either Derek Jeter or Robinson Cano seeming to hit into a double play at least once a game, their hitting is terrible.

As Squawker Jon noted, A-Rod's slugging stats are similar to Gary Sheffield's this year, with Sheff's batting average 60 points higher. The numbers, going into Tuesday's game:

Sheffield : 156 AB, 8 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, .276 BA, .389 OBP, .487 SLG
Rodriguez: 136 AB, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 18 R, .213 BA, .371 OBP, .456 SLG

So the Mets, paying the major league minimum, are getting A-Rod-like production that costs the Yankees $26 million more. Oh great.

Fellow blogger J-Boogie of Baseball and the Boogie Down suggested that it's time for the Yankees to fire hitting coach Kevin Long. It's an interesting thought. And it's amazing to me that we're talking about whether Joe Girardi will lose his job, yet Long's job doesn't appear to be in jeopardy. Perhaps it should be.

I don't know if it's the advance scouting or Long or a combination of both, but the Yankees' approach against pitchers they don't know is terrible. How is it that other teams - like the Red Sox - are able to figure out these pitchers, and the Yankees aren't?

Check out this stat from the New York Times' Tyler Kepner:

In their last nine games, the Yankees faced eight starters they had never faced before. Those pitchers have a combined earned run average of 2.54, and only one allowed more than three earned runs against the Yankees.

The Bergen Record's Pete Caldera has even more depressing numbers. On June 9, the Yanks were in first place, and had won 19 of 25:

Since then, they've been swept (again) by the Sox. They've been shut out three times. They've lost 9 of 13, lost six games in the standings, and they've lost six games since June 13 to starters they'd never previously seen.

Time for the Yankees to start hitting - or for somebody's head to roll.

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

This Cooperstown baseball game is a classic

While I missed most of what was happening in Yankeeland this weekend, we did get to see some baseball Sunday. We went to the Hall of Fame Classic game in Cooperstown, featuring MLB Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Fergie Jenkins, Paul Molitor, Brooks Robinson, and Phil Niekro, and dozens of other former players.

This Old Timers' Day for Major League Baseball replaces the Hall of Fame game. What a great idea, and what great fun it was to see it in person. Bob Feller may be 90 years old, but he can still pitch. He started the game, and even threw inside to Bobby Grich!

Former Met George Foster was there (albeit in Reds gear.) Former Yankees in the game included Mike Pagliarulo, Kevin Maas, Jim Kaat, and Lee Smith.

Since there were a ton of pitchers participating, some of them played in the field instead of pitching. So Squawker Jon and I got to see retired Red Sox Bill Lee and Mike Timlin play right field, near where we were sitting.

One of the cooler things about seeing a game like this is watching the way players interact with the fans. And I have to say I was impressed with the players we saw up close.

We saw Bob Feller up close after he had just signed autographs for fans, and he has such an iconic presence I was in awe. Jeff Kent, believe it or not, was very friendly to fans.

Mike Timlin was totally into the whole experience - he had all the other players sign his shirt, and he also signed autographed baseballs for fans who tossed him balls during the game.

We saw Bill Lee - who was wearing such an old-school Red Sox uniform it didn't have a name or a number on the back! - after the game on Main Street. He was signing autographs on the street and talking animatedly to somebody he knew. I was going to ask him if there were going to be any more 70s Yankees-Red Sox reunion games - he participated in one in Scranton last year - but he had to leave before I got the chance to talk to him.

I'll have to go back to Cooperstown later this year - we didn't get the chance to tour the Hall of Fame itself - but the day was still a lot of fun.

After a relaxing weekend in upstate New York, we headed back to the city this afternoon. To get caught up on what's been going on with the Yankees while I was away this weekend, I put on sports radio. Big mistake. Was A-Rod out late with Kate Hudson Friday night? Did he beg out of the game? Was there friction between him and Joe Girardi? A little of this talk goes a long way; when I heard Steve Phillips opine on the situation, it was time to turn the radio off for the day!

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Happy Fathers' Day. Greetings from upstate New York. Will be headed to Cooperstown soon to - weather permitting - see that Hall of Fame Classic game.

A few quick notes before hitting the road:

Love the Jimmy Buffett reference with the name of Florida's stadium. Land Shark Stadium is named after his Margaritaville-brand beer. Did you know that he also has an album called Now Yer Squawkin'? Imagine if they named the ballpark after that!

Depending on which Florida paper you read, either A-Rod turned his back on the city of Miami and selfishly demanded Friday and Saturday off, or the Yankee higher-ups demanded he be benched, saying "you're hurting the team." Color me confused!

Hopefully, we will get to see baseball - and not just rain - this afternoon. And that goes for South Florida, too!

What do you think? Leave us a comment!

The dog days of June wear down the Squawkers

I told Squawker Jon last night I was bone-tired and running on empty. I said I needed a break from this relentless pace of Squawking. "I've written every day this season," I told him. "Give me a day off now."

But Jon insisted upon putting me into the Squawker lineup. "Better keep on writing," he demanded. "We have fans expecting to read you."

There were rumors that we spoke sharply to each other and needed a conference call with Yankee higherups to work things out. At any rate, I got a little more than 24 hours away from Squawking, before having to pinch-Squawk tonight. I feel like A-Rod or something!

Here's the real story. One of my brothers was in New York State this weekend for a basenji convention, of all things. Basenjis are dogs that don't bark - they kind of howl and yodel!

So Squawker Jon came along with me to keep me company on the drive upstate. We're in Syracuse now with a whole mess of hounds. It's kind of how what it would be like to put Met fans, Yankee fans, and Red Sox fans in the same room. They might get along, but there could also be some howling!

Anyhow, I missed seeing most of last night's game, and also missed much of tonight's game. I think A-Rod's time off was long overdue, and I'm glad to see good pitching performances out of Andy Pettitte and A.J. Burnett. Just wish the Yankee bats would wake up a little more.

Tomorrow afternoon, we're going to Cooperstown on the way back to the city to see the Hall of Fame Classic. It's the Old Timers' Day featuring five Hall of Famers and 20 other retired big leaguers. We're looking forward to seeing the 90-year-old Bob Feller start the game!

What do you think of the state of the Yankees? Leave us a comment!

Imagine! John Lannan shuts down Yankee bats

So much for my partner in blogging being the good luck charm for Yankee walkoff wins.

Squawker Jon and I have seen two of the most exciting Yankee thrillers of the year in person together - the Melky walkoff/Brett Gardner inside-the-parker against the Twins, and the Luis Castillo dropped ball game on Friday.

And for a while there it looked like we were going to see our third walkoff win together this year. But Robinson Cano hit into a double play, and there was the end to that dream.

I had a whole vision in my mind of what would have happened if the Yankees had somehow hung on and won the game. What if the Yanks had gotten wind of it, and decided having Squawker Jon watch their games in person was their good luck charm? What if the Yankees had decided to have Jon attend all their games until his streak ended? Is that a good movie idea or what - a diehard Yankee hater ends up inadvertently being the good luck charm for the team he despises! Alas, it didn't happen.

Squawker Jon has already covered much of our experiences yesterday. We met "Confessions of a She-Fan" author Jane Heller, Rebecca of This Blogger Bleeds Pinstripes, and Squawker reader Peggy at a very loud Stan's Bar for Jane's book signing. We also were excited to meet LoHud's Peter Abraham on the main concourse before the game.

In addition to those blogging names, there were many members of the New York Giants in the house, including Tom Coughlin, Justin Tuck, and Eli Manning. Eli's big brother Peyton was also spotted. You know, he's really got a great personality. Maybe he should do some commercials or something!

A few other observations:

It's getting old to see the Yankees struggle against a starter they've never seen before. I know John Lannan actually is a good young pitcher, but he's not that good!

Chien-Ming Wang was pretty decent, all things considered. Even though he got the loss, he can look back on this as a successful start, and hopefully build upon this.

Why is it that Alex Rodriguez is getting criticized for walking last night? I don't get it. And the booing of him by so-called "fans" is getting really old. Do they really think it's going to help him?

Jeanne, one of our readers, asked why Joe Girardi didn't have Alex try to steal second, or have Angel Berroa pinch-run for him. I don't know the answer to that. If Berroa is going to serve as a part of this team, that should have been the place to have him in. (Then again, he literally hasn't stolen a base since 2006, which makes me wonder - again - why he is on this roster if he's not even going to get A-Rod a day off once in a while.)

It stunk that Robinson Cano hit into a double play, but 1) at least he did a gutty at-bat, and 2) he also hit a homer earlier in the game, so I can't get on him too much. The Yanks shouldn't have had to need ninth-inning heroics again to win this game.

Speaking of which, as soon as Derek Jeter gets back in the lineup, can Girardi please, please give A-Rod a game or two off already? Thanks!

Oh well. At least I still have this memory, from the Subway Series game Squawker Jon and I attended. (I saw this video on New York Sports Jerk):

Dog bites man! Kyle Farnsworth's bulldog goes wild

Former Yankee Kyle Farnsworth is back in the news for something other than blowing games. Kerosene Kyle got bitten by one of his two bulldogs, while trying to break up a fight between the pooches. Farnsworth had to get four stitches in the index finger of his non-pitching hand. The dogs' names - Strike and Rambo!

Congrats to Chien-Ming Wang and his wife on the birth of their son, Justin Jesse. Here's hoping Wang pitches a great game tonight. Squawker Jon and I are planning on being there after attending Jane Heller's book-signing at Stan's.

Pretty cool of Alex Rodriguez to meet the fans in Monument Park yesterday. But why is it that David Letterman apologized to everybody else regarding his tasteless joke involving A-Rod and Sarah Palin's daughter....except for A-Rod?

Jose Veras got designated for assignment upon the return of Brian Bruney. While Veras hasn't exactly been good this year, and he's the pitcher who most deserved to get DFAed, I still wonder why Angel Berroa is on the Yankee 25-man roster, given that he literally plays about one day a week. And why hasn't Joe Girardi given Alex Rodriguez - who is slumping bigtime - a day off and had Berroa fill in for him?

It's funny how things work - Veras was one of the peacemakers, along with the Mets' Mike Pelfrey, in Sunday's confrontation between Francisco Rodriguez and Bruney. And two days later, Veras loses his spot on the Yankees to Bruney, and Pelfrey gets chewed out by David Wright!




What do you think? Leave us a comment!

Will A-Rod and Mark Teixeira get along as Yankee teammates? Peter Gammons says no

Would-be president of Red Sox Nation Peter Gammons caused some controversy this weekend with his comments on Boston radio station WEEI about the Mark Teixeira signing. He said:

As you probably remember, there was a lot of testiness between Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira when they played in Texas together . . . and I don't think Alex really cares about communicating with other players, we know [that] from Derek Jeter.

Actually, I never heard anything about the two of them having "testiness" in their one year together, when Mark was a rookie. The one issue between them was this, according to the New York Post:

Rodriguez was traded to the Yankees that offseason, and told ESPN Magazine he never would have signed with Texas if someone had said, "'Alex, it's going to be you and 24 kids.' Never. For no amount of money."

And Teixeira was openly offended by the comment, and said so in the media at the time.

However, I think Gammons is blowing up one argument from five years ago into a whole to-do. He seems openly bitter about the Yankees' Teixeira signing. And given that Gammons is supposed to be objective in his capacity at ESPN, that's a bit much. Take a look at what else he said on that radio show:

Teixeira is Scott Boras's ultimate client, and he's very well-programmed . . . The Red Sox didn't know it, and in the end there was nothing they could do about it. He wanted to go to the Yankees, his wife doesn't like Boston -- apparently she doesn't like the stores on Newbury Street or something -- and in the end that's the way it goes.

I know Gammons is well-respected around the game, but he shouldn't be well-respected for comments like these. He previously compared Boras to Sirhan Sirhan's lawyer, which was over the top.

And now he suggests that Teixeira is a robot, and that his wife is a vapid, shallow woman who chose New York over Boston because of the shopping. I'd like to hear the sourcing on that tidbit about how "apparently she doesn't like the stores on Newbury Street or something." It's a cheap shot, and Gammons should apologize for it.

Do you think A-Rod and Mark Teixeira will get along? And what do you think of Peter Gammons? Leave us a comment!

A jolly good idea for A-Rod

The baseball hot stove league may not be on fire just yet, but Alex Rodriguez continues to blaze his way across the news again. Unlike previous offseasons, where he ticked off the likes of Trot Nixon by bragging about his workout regimen, it looks like the most running A-Rod is doing these days is of his mouth.

First off, according to A-Rod's good friend David Ortiz, Alex has decided to play for the Dominican Republic in this spring's World Baseball Classic. Remember in 2006, Alex played for the U.S. team after he first said he wasn't going to play at all. His mother and wife argued it out for two hours, with his wife wanting him to play for Team USA, and his mother wanting him to play for the D.R. I guess now that C-Rod is out of the picture, Alex will do what his mother wants.

But what about Madonna? What if she demands that he play for her adopted homeland, England? True, they don't have a team in the tournament - yet. But that could always change. What ever Madonna wants, Madonna usually gets!

I'm just worried that Alex will pick up Madge's phony British accent. Imagine him talking all highfaluting with Kim Jones in the postgame. That's all we need.

Then again, the Material Girl and No. 13 are supposedly not really dating. Alex claimed to People.com that there is no hanky panky going on between him and Madonna, saying, "We're friends - that's it."

The article also says:

While rumors have swirled that the slugger and the singer, 50, have been carrying on a romantic relationship and flying around the country in order to spend time together, "I can tell you this," Rodriguez says, "I have never been on a plane with her."

Hmmm, really? Then why did TMZ.com run pictures last week of Madonna and Alex getting off a private plane together?

One of the infuriating things about A-Rod is that he says dopey things to the press. And this comment wasn't just dopey, it was dishonest. And easily proven false. It makes me long for the days when he was bragging about skipping spending time with his child in order to work out.

I still think Alex is the greatest player of his generation, but he also needs a nice steaming cup of shut the heck up. Ever since he opted out during the World Series, he's made one blunder after another, with no end in sight. Sheesh.

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In other news, our DVD giveaway is now closed. We will announce the lucky winners next week. Thanks for your interest - we received hundreds of entries!

What do you think about A-Rod? Leave us a comment, or send us an email at subwaysquawkers@gmail.com!