TAMPA – Hal Steinbrenner has flung open the Yankees doors to Alex Rodriguez.
A-Rod is expected to join Yankees spring training in the next week as an instructor and adviser. As with instructional league last fall, Steinbrenner is particularly interested in having Rodriguez work with the organization’s youngest – and thus, most impressionable – players.
But should the Yankees owner be doing this?
Each spring, Steinbrenner gives me a one-on-one sit down to discuss the state of the organization, and we chatted for about 35 minutes Friday. I have been thinking for a while: How different is it to have Lance Armstrong around your young Tour de France team from having Rodriguez around your top prospects?
Both were historic greats at what they did whose accomplishments are tainted because of their use of illegal performance enhancers. Both long lied about their use. More than that actually, both fought vigorously against allegations and went hard after the reputations and integrity of their accusers even as they knew they were covering up usage. Both were hit with suspensions from their sports. Only after there were no other avenues realistically to turn did they publicly acknowledge use.
Armstrong still generally is perceived as a pariah in his sport. A-Rod is viewed in good standing with the commissioner’s office and is held in even higher esteem by the ultimate Yankees decision maker.
“I don’t know anything about Lance Armstrong or cycling,” Steinbrenner said in the fourth-floor conference room at the field named for his father, George. “What I can tell you is that Alex has always been tremendous [with young players], as he was with Didi [Gregorius] and [Starlin] Castro. He’s tremendous with younger players. He just is. He has had ups and downs like anybody, but he truly, sincerely loves that job [working with young players]. There are a lot of other people who are good at teaching, but then we have truly exceptional teachers who excelled at shaping lives and mentoring, and I think he is one of those guys. He was in instructional league and everyone loved him and he truly enjoyed it, and that sets him apart from other people.”
Rodriguez and the Yankees worked out his release last Aug. 13. He still is due $20 million this season on the final year of his $275 million pact, and as part of the deal to remove him from the roster, A-Rod and Steinbrenner agreed he would work with young players. Even in rough times, Rodriguez gained a reputation as a baseball gym rat who loves passing along his wisdom.
“The fact is he truly cares, and [young players] pick up on that and, of course, the wealth of knowledge he has,” Steinbrenner said. “He is great to have around our young players.”
Derek Jeter did not have the same baseball gym rat persona – he would admit to not watching games when he was not playing – but he also had a pristine reputation and a more glorious tenure with the club. His number is being retired this season, but he has kept his distance from the organization since retiring after the 2014 campaign. Jeter did not like how his final few contract negotiations went with the organization, and his farewell season was not tension-free.
“I don’t want to speak for Derek, but there are no hard feelings there,” Steinbrenner said. “These guys have played baseball since they were 5, some want to take a few years off. Derek certainly is involved from time to time. [Farm director] Gary Denbo will call him and say, ‘Hey, if I can get [Jorge] Mateo on the phone, would you talk to him about this particular thing?’ and Derek will do it. Derek is involved. As far as being here in uniform in spring training, when the time is right, he is just a year or two out of this. I am confident he will be part of this organization at whatever level he wants to be. … He knows how I feel. I know he knows there are no hard feelings. He just got married. He’s been in baseball his whole life. Maybe he just wants a breather. He knows we are here and we aren’t going anywhere.”
Steinbrenner on a few other matters:
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