A-Rod is liked more this year than last year

Alex Rodriguez is by far the most hated Yankee today. Whether it’s his loaded contract, his admitted use of steroids or his “dirty” way of playing his sport at times, non-Yankees fans tend to dislike A-Rod the most.

As it turns out, he’s still the most hated Yankee, but he’s made some progress. This year’s Top 10 of Forbes’ Most Disliked People in Sports for 2010 ranked A-Rod the eighth most disliked. Last year, he ranked third.

2009 Hate Level	2010 Hate Level
57%	45%

Clearly, his stealthy approach with the media has helped decrease the hate level. No more interviews with Peter Gammons. No more Kate Hudson Perez Hilton reports. He’s proven fans right that he can avoid media distractions in 2010.

Unfortunately for him, I think that the latest numbers will rise if he continues to have a sub-par season. When you make as much money as he does, underperforming gets magnified even more.

Yankees are NOT the most hated team!

Now this is surprising. The Wall Street Journal published an article today based on a study from Nielsen Co. that concluded the Cleveland Indians — not the New York Yankees — are the most hated team in the majors.

Here are the full results (click to enlarge):

The study determined no team receives negative reactions, but the Red Sox are the second most hated team — three spots ahead of the Yankees.

I’m shocked at the results. The Yankees probably have the most fans out there, but I still think they also have the most haters.