WIPING AWAY ANYTHING AROD

I've noticed an intentional reprogramming of how the New York Yankees advertise with one of their star players... or dare I say, the lack there of.  The first thing I noticed was when my bud showed me his season tickets for the 2013 season a few weeks ago.  On one ticket sheet, there were several of the Yankee stars, each on an individual ticket, from Derek Jeter to CC Sabathia, to even Hiroki Kuroda. Each "star" player was on 1 ticket and it was a sheet of 16 tickets I think (I'm going my memory now.) Which player was missing? Alex Rodriguez.  And I'm not just saying he WASN'T there, I'm telling you, that in a group where there were plenty of Yankee stars already on tickets... ARod was intentionally NOT placed on the Yankees season tickets. That's right, the Yankees most expensive player was absent from the Yankees advertising.  That speaks volumes to me. Why is it? Because it's my opinion that the Yankees are wiping clean anything Alex these days. They are tired of the controversy, the annoyance and the baggage that comes with Alex Rodriguez... and you're hearing this from me... a dude who actually likes ARod.   I mean, if the Yankees aren't trying to wipe their memory of Alex Rodriguez, then he'd be in their ads. He'd be shown off as their franchise player the way he was when they signed him. He'd be on their 2013 season tickets... but he's not. My how things have changed.

Fast forward to yesterday. Opening Day at Yankee Stadium and when the player announcements took place, there was 1 guy not introduced... Alex Rodriguez.  Instead, he stood at the dugout and it was almost like the Yankees just didn't want to be bothered.  It seemed like the Yankees didn't want to spoil the day and hear the boos and deal with anything to dampen an already weird day at the Stadium... without their star players like Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson being in the lineup.  Again, I wondered, "Why?"

Les Carpenter wondered why too.  He wrote a Yahoo Sports piece titled: Yankees keep Alex Rodriguez at arm's length as season opens and wrote:

"He (Alex) did not come out to the field while his teammates hit. He did not banter with anybody or make any real show to the fans before the game that he had any connection to a team that seems to be lukewarm, at best, about him.

When asked if he would be introduced before the game, he snapped: 'I don't need to be introduced to feel a part of this team.'

Pressed further, he smiled.

"I'll tell you what, when I get introduced I want to be on the field [as an active player],' he said." 

I read that quote from Alex and thought "Alex wasn't  truly being the Alex we know."   Look, Alex is a self centered guy, we all know that. So, Alex saying "I don't need to be introduced" isn't something Alex actually thinks.  Sure, he would say it to the press, but Alex loves Alex.  That being said, he also needs to feel like he's getting the shaft here.  There is no doubt in my mind that the Yankees want to figure out a way to distance themselves from this dude.  And in 2 instances... omitting him from the 2013 season tickets, as well as Opening Day announcements... something is happening in Yankeeland... what it is officially... we'll have to wait and see, but short of getting a hit man to knock off this dude... the Yanks are doing their best to eliminate him from anything "Yankee" these days... that's what I think at least.

What do you think? Comment.

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