Today is without a doubt the most anticipated day in baseball’s spring training history. Alex Rodriguez is scheduled to arrive at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa Bay, FL sometime in the afternoon where he will answer questions for the first time since admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs.
Rodriguez made his way into the lede of ESPN.com writer Jerry Crasnick’s Feb. 16th column about the most compelling position battles going into spring training. That’s despite the fact that Rodriquez will be the Yankees 3rd baseman for the next nine years and his replacement is probably playing little league this year.
Yesterday NBC Channel 4 New in New York posted the top six questions that will be surely be answered at the press conference on their website. Now it's necessary to read a Q&A without the A?
New $180 million dollar 1st baseman Mark Teixeira showed up for his first day as a Yankee one day early. MLB.com managed to keep A-Rod out of the first two paragraphs of its Teixeira coverage (although "human growth hormone" did make it into the lede). The arrival of huge free agents into Yankee camp used to be big enough news. But that ceased to be case and an afterthought sometime around February 16, 2004.
The facts are these - Steroids have changed the sports landscape forever. Alex Rodriguez no matter what he does will always be story. He is the biggest name in baseball. He screwed up. And as long as he does stupid things, journalists will write stupid articles about it.
Today the circus is setting up their tents in Tampa. Rodriguez's arrival to the 2009 season has now become an appointment event for even the most marginal of sports fans. Will A-Rod actually say anything of note? Perhaps but probably not.
We all know how he has performed in the big spot during his time in New York. For Rodriguez, now is the time to really step up to the plate.
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