A-Rod unlikely to return to Yankees: Daily News

When Tiger Woods got in trouble with his wife and all of his injuries were building up, questions about his future in golf became a hot topic. I boldly predicted he would never win another major. So far I've been right, but judging by his win at Torrey Pines last week I'm not too confident.

But now with this morning's Daily News report that Alex Rodriguez isn't likely to return to the Yankees, the same question with Tiger has arisen. Time for another bold prediction.

Coinciding with the report, I say A-Rod will never put on the Pinstripes again. 

Now, for some eye-openers from the report:

According to numerous baseball sources, the hip surgery Rodriguez is now recovering from will likely derail his playing career, leaving him in such a diminished role that he may consider a settlement or an outright retirement. He still has five years and $114 million left on his contract.

Whoa. That would save the Yankees a pretty penny. 

“I don’t know why he would want to go through the pain of rehabbing and trying to play up to the caliber of player he was, and come back to a game where nobody wants him,” said a baseball official.

This source is right about A-Rod being unwanted, but for $114 million and potentially even more with incentives...

Now, check out bwin if you're into baseball betting,  the question is in your court. Will A-Rod ever return to the Yankees? 

Stan Musial

I published this on my Facebook first, naturally, because this isn't just meant for baseball fans. It's for everybody.

Read this tribute of Stan Musial. Then read some of the tributes in the comments section. I promise that you will feel uplifted and probably a little teary-eyed because he no longer graces the earth with his presence. I also hope reading all of these stories makes you want to be a little more like Stan.

If I could pick one athlete, past or present, to meet, I'd choose Stan (by a longshot), knowing I'd become a better human being.

The George Vecsey biography of Stan was the best baseball book I ever read. I highly recommend reading that as well, baseball fan or not.

Make sure to read the Posnanski one in the comments too, but here's my favorite excerpt: "Stan knew his signature gave people joy so he signed everything. He was simple like that. Pure class."

Please share this post or the linked article because I think it will help make the world a better place.

My blog's belated fourth birthday celebration (and update)

A few nights ago, an old friend had to remind me that it was this blog’s fourth birthday.

A few years ago, I would have excitedly written the anniversary post the night before and scheduled it for the morning.

Yikes, how things have changed.

A few months ago, I had just started working in the New York Daily News’ online sports department. 

A few weeks ago, I had to make one of the toughest decisions of my life. And now I’m working for a company that pretty much only runs headlines on Facebook marketing campaigns.

Wow, things have really changed.

Would Yankees fans ‘YOUK’?

Alex Rodriguez’s impending hip surgery leaves a hole for the Yankees at third base and aging captain Derek Jeter, who is rehabbing from ankle surgery these days, increases the need for defense on the left side of the infield to even more dire levels.

The Yankees must switch their search from a big bat or young arm to an adept glove, and that was reportedly Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s mission* before the A-Rod surgery announcement on Monday.

*Disclosure: This linked news article is from the New York Daily News, my current employer. But this blog entry represents my opinion, not necessarily that of my employer.

But one factor Cashman must be conscious of as he pursues a talented infielder that is often overlooked is team chemistry. 

My first homemade meme

Depending on your Internet tendencies, you may or may not have heard of a "meme" (pronounced meem). These memes are typically generated by slapping some humorous text to match a humorous image. Kinda.

It's easier to just show you rather than trying to explain. So, I present the first meme I created by using one of the many meme generators available online.

I guess you could replace Miguel Cabrera with anybody in the majors at this point, but I think it's worth stressing that the Yankees are really going to start regretting the decision to take on the most expensive player contract in all of sports.

In 2010, Alex Rodriguez completed a stretch of 13 consecutive seasons with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs. In his last two years combined, he barely reached those two plateaus (34 HR, 119 RBI).

Staying on the field has been a problem for A-Rod during this two-year slide. Prior to 2011, his outstanding durability was one of his trademarks, and that certainly helped him secure his lucrative 10-year deal.

Is it time for a position-switch for A-Rod? Should the Yankees make him a primary DH next year and use him at third sparingly?