Alex Rodriguez

AROD.com has a journal where he posted on October 11, 2006:

After we were eliminated on Saturday, the media asked me a lot of questions regarding my future in New York -- whether I want to leave, or if I will be traded, etc. I will tell you what I told them: I am 100 percent committed to being a Yankee now and in the future. I don't want to play anywhere else. I never have (and never will) run away from the responsibility I have to this team. I believe I am part of the solution to winning a championship here. I want to finish my career in New York.

Just about exactly one year later, Rodriguez voided the remaining three years of his contract, leaving a guaranteed $81 million dollars, and opted for free agency instead. This was in full knowledge of the Yankees stance to refuse to negotiate with him as a free agent if he did so.

The announcement came during the middle of the deciding game of the World Series, from an e-mail to the press, after refusing to meet with the Yankees about his decision nor entertain offers for an extension, after refusing to receive collect a Hank Aaron Award at the World Series.

Hall of Fame sportscaster Peter Gammons on the timing of this announcement:

What's unfortunate here is the total disrespect for the game of baseball. This is the World Series, Dustin Pedroia and Jon Lester are doing something Alex has never done - play in a World Series game - and to want the attention on this day is kind of a sad commentary and might be a little bit of a buyer beware because, again, he's never played in a World Series game. Maybe there's a reason.

Perhaps most disingenuous Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, telling a fable that decision is based on not knowing the state of the Yankees after a couple other veteran players declared free agency. These same players were with the Yankees before Rodriguez signed his mega-contract with the Texas Rangers, but he opted for the dollars instead of the chance to win then. Surely this is the same reasoning now.

His trade to the Yankees was scripted as driven by his desire to win a World Series. Of course, the Yankees thought Rodriguez's amazing talents would launch the team into another World Series winning streak. Rodriguez played for the Yankees for 4 full seasons. The the Yankees made no World Series appearances and in the post-season Rodriguez batted .244 with 4 HR and 9 RBI in 94 AB. In the 4 years prior to his arrival the Yankees played in 3 World Series and won 1.

Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner said:

It's clear he didn't want to be a Yankee, he doesn't understand the privilege of being a Yankee on a team where the owners are willing to pay $200 million to put a winning product on the field. I don't want anybody on my team that doesn't want to be a Yankee.

Simply put, a team that made the post-season for 9 years prior to his arrival probably did not need assistance reaching the post-season for the 4 years he played with the team and would not need his help reaching the playoffs for the final 3 years of the contract he terminated. There are only a handful of teams with almost a guaranteed post-season appearance regularity as the Yankees and no reason to believe that Rodriguez has any doubt the Yankees will make the playoffs for the foreseeable future. Nor is there reason to believe that he can help the team win or even make the World Series. Clearly this is not about winning. Instead, he is banking on the idea that another franchise is willing to pay in excess of $27 million a year for his amazing talent. I wonder the foresight of that estimation.