Red Sox Rundown

A few articles have been written by various Boston sportswriters on how this year’s spring training in Fort Myers has thus far been, to use GM Theo Epstein’s term, “tranquil,” with no Curt Schilling or Manny Ramirez to spice things up. “Tranquil,” in sportswriterspeak, translates to “boring.” Sure, we have the upcoming position battle between Julio Lugo and Jed Lowrie and the injury watches on Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew, and Big Papi, but Boston fans aren’t happy unless we have something to complain about NOW. For all the things Manny Ramirez wasn’t (the term “team player” comes to mind), he certainly was interesting. But that’s in the past – and let’s leave it there – so what else can I use for my first blog post?

Oh, yeah. Let’s travel 150 miles north of our peaceful spring training in Fort Myers to a Yankees camp in Tampa Bay that is, erm, not quite so serene. This offseason has been anything but quiet in Steinbrenner Land, which has made Red Sox fans alternately cry and cheer. First, the free-agent signings of AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia, and Mark Teixeira. Then, a book by former manager Joe Torre, in which he reveals Alex Rodriguez was not-so-affectionately nicknamed A-Fraud in the Yankee clubhouse when he first arrived there in 2004. Then, of course, the steroids. The newly christened A-Roid was the only name leaked among 104 players who tested positive in a supposedly confidential drug testing in 2003. The player the New York Post dubbed A-Hole admitted using steroids while with the Texas Rangers from 2001-2003. With all these new nicknames for Rodriguez, Fenway won’t know what to chant when he makes his first plate appearance of the season in Boston.

Let’s take a walk down memory lane. Before the 2004 season, the Red Sox were in the A-Rod hunt before losing the sweepstakes to (who else) the Yankees. Many Boston fans cried themselves to sleep after he signed with the Yanks, although I admit I never wanted the guy on my team. I never wanted him on the Yankees’ team either, but that’s beside the point. But let’s think here: The Red Sox wanted him. The Red Sox wanted him when he was coming off a season when, we now know, he was using steroids. What if the Red Sox got him? How would you feel, Red Sox Nation, if you found out that one of the key players of the first world championship team to play home games at the Fens in 86 years had juiced just the season before? Would it be cheapened somehow? Would you feel disappointed, angry, disillusioned, or all of the above? Or would you love your boys of ’04 anyway, believing that A-Rod – not to mention the rest of the team - did not use steroids in 2004?

Which brings me to my point. The Yankees had no way of knowing in 2004 when they signed A-Rod that he had done steroids. There’s no reason to vilify the organization on this point alone, although if you’d like to do so for any other reason, please don’t let me stop you. Andy Pettitte is a generally well-respected guy, as far as Yankees go, and he admitted using PEDs just as A-Rod did. No one has crucified Pettitte, but Pettitte wasn’t commissioner Bud Selig’s poster boy for playing the game clean. At any rate, A-Rod has taken the relatively high road since his name was leaked. If we’ve forgiven Pettitte and others who ‘fessed up, we have to forgive A-Rod as well, at least for the steroid scandal. If we’re angry, it should be at Bud Selig and the rest of baseball for turning a blind eye to PEDs in general and allowing us to get in this mess in the first place. There are 103 other players on that 2003 list, and it’s likely some of them played for the Red Sox at least at some point.

Another valid question is why A-Rod’s name was the only one leaked. How did this Sports Illustrated writer manage to get a hold of A-Rod’s name alone? It was no accident that one of the biggest names in baseball was the one name that “happened” to slip out. This is what needs investigation. Until this is resolved, the issue should cause more than a little unease among baseball fans. It’s debatable whether or not the other 103 names should be released, but until that’s decided you can bet there are many players who sweat every time the issue comes up. But that’s not for the fans to decide. In the meantime, we do have one thing to make up our minds on. When A-Rod comes to the plate at Fenway in 2009, which new nickname will we chant? Or will we grumble over something that matters, say, why did this Sabathia guy win the 2007 Cy Young over Beckett anyway?