Most Yankees fans were feeling good about Alex Rodriguez coming into this morning. A New York Times article brought news that we may see Alex earlier than expected:
“Actually, he’s ahead of schedule,” Philippon said Wednesday. “He’s a very disciplined athlete, very easy to work with. So far, we don’t have any curveballs.”
Philippon said that within a half-hour of the surgery, which was performed March 9, Rodriguez was riding a stationary bike, the normal procedure for Philippon’s patients in order to regain confidence and muscle memory.For now, Rodriguez is limited to pool work and motion exercises that include hip rotations that simulate a swing. The rehabilitation is conducted in a separate part of the clinic.
“He already has better range of motion than he had before,” Philippon said.
The good vibes, however, did not last long, as a new A-Rod scandal is on the horizon. The Daily News is reporting that Alex Rodriguez frequently used the same call girl service as former governor Elliot Spitzer, and even dated the madam that ran the operation:
A former Manhattan madam who supplied Eliot Spitzer with hookers also counted Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez as a customer – and found him so charming she dated him herself for free, former employees of the call-girl agency tell the Daily News.
A-Rod wooed ex-madam Kristin Davis with flowers, jewelry, persistence and heated e-mails, according to the sources.
“Throughout the years, there were a number of clients that I befriended and it was not uncommon for them to want the women they can’t have whether it be the phone bookers or the madam,” Davis said.
Unbelievable. The man cannot go more than ten minutes without another scandal touching him. Personally, I think that stuff like this is nobody’s business but his own. However, that does not absolve Alex for his poor decision making. The man makes some very bad personal choices, and he has to know that his status as a star ballplayer is likely to lead to his infidelities coming to light. We have reached a point at which we just sadly shake our head when we hear things like this about Alex, as if we were just waiting for another thing like this to come into the open. Alex better hurry back and quiet some of this gossip babble with his bat.
Related posts:
Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle never slept around-Arod can never be a true Yankee! oldpep(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 am
I never said that, and being that you are a fairly regular reader, you know that is not how I feel about ALex. That being said, there is a difference between sleeping around and prostitution. Why would a man of his means, who likely has women throwing themselves at him, have to resort to that kind of stuff? I’m an A-Rod fan, but some of this stuff is just comical. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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JD Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Moshe,
Try to stop writing about A-Rod for a week without going into withdrawal. You can do it. I have faith. Please write about the Yankees who are playing. This is a sports blog not US magazine. I could care less. JD(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Whether you like it or not, this is news about a Yankee, and it is something that will come up on multiple occasions. And just because you could care less does not mean that everyone feels that way- if you dont want to read about it, no one is forcing you to. This blog is updated more often than pretty much every Yankee blog on the net, possibly excluding RAB. We talk plenty about other stuff, so skip the A-Rod stuff if you want.
(PS- The last time I wrote about ALex was March 9th. The last non-baseball story about him came on 3/4. Just sayin’.) Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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Let me throw something out for people to consider.
There are reports that the Selena Roberts book is going to get into Alex’s personal life, and there are rumblings that the book will claim he has had some confusion about his sexual identity.
Maybe Alex WANTED this story out there? It comes on the heels of this story:
http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/categories/alex-rodriguez/
Which makes Alex look like a sexual Superman. Also, Alex’s handlers are people who usually work with Hollywood/Music stars. The Gossip pages are generally where they feed their stories to.
Sounds like a media campaign to me. Steve S.(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:16 am
Wouldn’t it be better for him to come out, for his career? I know it sounds ridiculous, but if he was the first player to come out, it would make him a hero and a role model. The media would almost be forced to stop bothering the guy. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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Steve S. Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:25 am
It would make him a hero in the Gay community, and among folks on the political Left who support gay rights. Most of them aren’t big sports fans, however.
Most sports fans are fairly conservative. I personally got more into sports after being a burned-out political junkie in my 20’s. Many people tune in to sports to get away from Politics, Finance, and all the other real life stuff we have to deal with.
I think that move would be a disaster among the people he has to deal with everyday, and be even worse on the road.
Plus, just because a book claims something doesn’t mean it’s true. I don’t believe he’s Gay, I do believe he’s a narcissistic metro sexual. I’ve also heard rumors that he and his wife were swingers, so his sex life is pretty out there but I don’t think he’s Gay. Steve S.(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:42 am
The conservative right wing is already turned off by his prostitute and steroid use, as well as his cheating on his wife. He is already the opposite of family values. On the flip side, people hate being called intolerant or saying something politically incorrect. I think that if there is any modicum of truth to the story, it would make sense for him to come out. Writers would no longer feel comfortable writing negatively about him, for fear of being branded as intolerant. People lose their jobs over stuff like that. And within the sport itself, it seems like the players are already rolling their eyes about him, so he really cant hurt his rep much more. Think about it, he can really alter his legacy. In 50 years, I think that we will be a lot more tolerant of homosexuality as a society, and Alex could be a modern day Jackie Robinson. I know that I would applaud him for his courage if he came out. If he gets wind that the book has any dirt in that regard, he should preempt it and announce it himself. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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Steve S. Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
I said “fairly conservative” not hard core Rush Limbagh listeners. The average fan isn’t going to give this as much thought as you did, they will just be turned off by the whole idea. And as a business,the Yanks can’t afford that. Steve S.(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Quite frankly, the average fan will believe what George King and Joel Sherman tell them to believe, and I have a hard time seeing those guys bashing the fist player to come out. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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Steve S. Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Are you arguing that newspapers are more powerful than ever as they continue to go out of business everywhere across the country? Steve S.(Quote)
Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
No, I am arguing that the media will tell people what to think. Being that the NY Post and Daily News are not going out of business in the next month, A-Rod outing himself now would lead those writers to shape what the public thinks about him. Them and francesa, and Kay, and all the other blowhards. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
Steve S. Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:18 pm
In the internet age, they don’t have that kind of power anymore, if they ever did. And the notion that sportswriters say something and most people believe it is tough to swallow. Steve S.(Quote)
Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Steve, if you are right, then how do explain the Joba poll I posted a while back? Most Daily News readers feel he should be in the pen. They are not picking that up from the internet and blogs. They get it from the incessant pounding on the issue from Francesa and King. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
Steve S. Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:42 pm
He was great in the pen, and they saw that with their own eyes. They saw him break down as a starter last year.
That’s not a crazy theory being shoved down their throats, its a reasonable conclusion to come to. You and I disagree with it, but I’ve never thought the B-Jobbers were idiots. A relief ace can be very valuable. Steve S.(Quote)
BTW-Lets go down the ‘Alex comes out’ road for a minute.
-Can you imagine him being on the gossip pages being photographed with his latest boyfriend?
-Can you imagine him arm and arm with his boyfriend in a limo on a Canyon of Heroes parade?
-Can you imagine him kissing his boyfriend on National TV after the Yanks clinch the ALCS?
You may be OK with all of the above, but Yankee attendance would plummet if he was running around being affectionate with another man. Most people under 50 are OK with the idea of homosexuality, but when they see it, they get repulsed and don’t want to be around it. Maybe its not right, but that’s how they are. And the older fans . . . forget about it. They’re done. As a business, the Yanks simply can’t afford that. Steve S.(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:52 am
Attendance would not be affected at all. Some fans may be repulsed by it, but I think Yankees fans have seen a lot they have not liked over the years, but they kept coming back. No way that they dont go to games because Alex is gay. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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Steve S. Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
This is different Moshe. It won’t work. The average Yankee fan isn’t anywhere near as hard-core as you and I. Were talking about entertainment for most people. If there’s a Hollywood actor who’s politics/lifestyle/actions you don’t like, you as a consumer can simply skip his movie and go see another. In the macho sports world, a Gay athlete will not fly.
Also, the notion that Alex would not engender a strong reaction by huge numbers of fans flies in the face of his entire tenure here. He’s has been incredibly polarizing since Day 1. Half of Yankee fans don’t like him to begin with, this could push many over the edge, away from the team completely. Right or wrong, I see it happening. Steve S.(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I dont see it that way. Ultimately, they care about the product on the field. And how often do your hear racial slurs at a game? Not too often. I think the fans will act similarly regarding a gay player. And you know what? Even if you are right, eventually a player needs to come out, if people are ever going to learn some tolerance. So if some fans are not going to come back, to bad on them. It has to happen eventually, and why not Alex? I dont think his rep could be hurt more anyhow. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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Steve S. Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Oops, replied to the wrong post Steve S.(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Definitely, and my next post will make that point. However, if you think that the average fan is not swayed by what the media writes, I think that you do not know enough average fans. i have people spew King’s opinions right back to me in arguments all the time, often word for word. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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I still don’t see how this is a story. Pro athletes tend to go to strip joints, chase skirts, and buy hookers all the time. It’s ‘news’ only when Alex does it.
A lot of Americans-especially sports fans-hate gays. Arod coming out before he retires would be a disaster for him. And that’s if he really is gay (I don’t think he is-gay men don’t tend to buy female hookers.) oldpep(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Yeah, the gay thing was more of a theoretical. My point was that he is pretty much hated right now anyways, this would at least show some courage on his part, and paint him as a martyr. In regard to your first point, I dont know that they buy hookers all the time, being that most of them do not have to. Baseball teams have groupies just like rock bands. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Oh, and just as an aside, using a prostitute is illegal. Not saying A-Rod is going to jail, but this is illegal behavior that we are discussing. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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I’m not saying I think it’s 100% a non-issue. I just think that sportswriters tend to overlook this kind of stuff with everybody except their whipping boys. If this was Manny Ramirez, it’d be on page 8, and the writer would be making light of the whole thing.
Some athletes (and others) prefer buying prostitutes over scoring groupies. Hugh Grant comes to mind. If somebody as charming and good looking as Hugh Grant does it…
And why are taking what sounds like the bragging of a madam (def: female version of pimp) as gospel?
BTW I’m not making an issue of you posting it here (I wouldn’t do that). I’m commenting on the newspapers making it into an issue at the start. Like I said, anybody but Arod and it never makes the papers. oldpep(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Agreed. As I said in my initial response to you, I think this is none of our business, and it should not be reported initially. However, once it is out there, it becomes a topic for discussion, and we are going to cover it. In regard to the reliability of the report, agree with you that the tone of my post was too accepting of her word. That probably has to do with this feeling like par for the course for Alex. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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ClayBuchholzLovesLaptops Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 3:27 pm
If I was a celebrity and looking for sex, I’d rather go to a callgirl then to a groupie. With a callgirl the chance is better it’s not becoming public. ClayBuchholzLovesLaptops(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:00 pm
That’s a fair point. Still, it has a more unseemly feeling about it. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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People are always making stuff up and if its true more power to him. if he gets a rings and world series mvp 90% of this crap disappears. Ace II(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 5:01 pm
I’m dying for him to come back and hit 55 HR’s and dominate the postseason. What would they write then? Suddenly the writers would all be A-Rod fans…..or they would say that he must be back on roids. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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Ace II Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
Lol, that roids comment is so true. I’m not going to lie i make that joke on alot of players (e.x. anytime giambi would get hot at the plate). Ace II(Quote)
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Moshe,
I was wrong you can’t stop writing about Alex. jd(Quote)
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Moshe Mandel Reply:
March 22nd, 2009 at 6:33 pm
As I said above, I have not written about Alex in two weeks. If you do not want to read about it, just skip the post. Moshe Mandel(Quote)
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