THE AROD CHRONICLES: THE FANS SPEAK OUT

Yesterday was nuts on BYB.  I received praise and threats because I merely suggested that ARod haters needed to bite their lip and stop the hate when it came attacking ARod fans.  The point was, if you hate ARod, why the hell are his fans tortured in the process?  The whole thing is ridiculous and I just thought maybe something needed to be said.  Well, I'm glad I said something and I'm glad so many of you, pro and con responded.  Feedback rules and I wanted to share some of the comments I collected after posting our piece: I DON'T CARE IF YOU HATE AROD. IT'S JUST BASEBALL.

Check these out:

Sidney wrote:

"I don't hate ARod. I do appreciate the lack of ARod posts over the past year. I have to wonder if he would have made a difference this year if he hadn't screwed up and he wasn't Selig's favorite whipping boy. I resent that he always puts himself first and that's just not the Yankee way. Where will he play next year? I see him mostly as a DH and frankly don't expect much."

Jessica wrote: 

"It's a great piece and we ARod fans thank you for writing it!"

Jimmy wrote:

"I thought your ARod thing was amazing and well done. Whatever you do, don't ever stop BYB! It's awesome."

Brendan wrote:

"In the grand scheme of things, you are correct. When I was a kid, I would get upset when they lost. My dad brought me back to reality by saying, "If they win, the mortgage is due and if they lose, the mortgage is due." However, I have been following the game for over 50 years. I read the articles and books, watch in person and on television. I wear the garb, decorate the walls, use the mugs etc. The game is in my blood, and I bleed Yankee midnight blue. He defiled the game that I love. The game that I have shared with generations of my family. By enhancing his performance, he diminished the game. My game, your game, our game. It was not just a "loosey goosey" time in Texas. It was not a mistake. It was a conscious decision made repeatedly over a period of years. It was putting himself before his team. He is a recidivist who was forgiven and went back and did it again. Repeatedly. You reap what you sow."

 Edward wrote:

"Braun is a way worse of a piece of shit than ARod, yet Brewer fans forgave him and love him. I don't get the hatred for ARod. If Yankee fans don't back him, no one will. He's on our team. He's our guy, so you best believe I will be cheering for him next year!"

Delia of Bronx Baseball Daily wrote: 

"Great piece! Fans are allowed to love/hate Alex, but at the end of the day, the team needs him."

Will wrote:

"I read the article. No matter what, he's still ARod...and he's a baseball player. He did his mistakes. He didn't murder or did any domestic violence under his name. That's all."

Staci wrote:

" I never loved ARod. I never hated ARod. He is what he is and I will welcome him back with open arms if he can still produce, because I root for the uniform. However, there NO WAY in hell ARod can still play SS. He can't move like a SS anymore. He isn't built like a SS anymore. He isn't a SS anymore by any stretch of the imagination, and he hasn't been for years. The idea of him playing SS is as ridiculous as Mark Teixeira or Brett Gardner moving to SS.  ARod will be a full time DH."

Kathy wrote:

"Yes need thick skin sometimes to be ARod fan. But it's pretty fun trying to cheer over the boos at Safeco."

Daniel from Greedy Pinstripes wrote:

"Just read the A Rod post and I wish I could agree with you more but I can't. Can't stand ARod haters! Keep fighting!"

Mark wrote:

"I read it too and I can't stand ARod, hope he never comes back!"

Ron wrote:

" I don't hate A-Rod, but I've lost most of the respect I once had for him. I follow and agree with much of what Robert Casey is saying in this blog; the hate does sometimes go over the top. But I think he fails to acknowledge that most of that "over the top" hate comes from fans that hate the Yankees in the first place. Just look at the pictures he has posted within the blog, all but one shows A-Rod being mocked with derision at away games. Maybe I'm a little naive, but I think that all Yankees fans have the "Class" Casey is calling for, and we understand that ARod is a card we we're dealt and we just have to deal with it. Sure we grumble, and a small percentage will go to the extreme, but once he hits a go-ahead home run, there's going to be nothing but cheers in the Bronx. And for a brief moment all will be forgotten until the game is won."

Robert Casey says he knows he's going to get hate mail and doesn't understand why. If he gets any from Yankees fans, then maybe he should read what he wrote about them. If he didn't want the hate mail, than the last two paragraphs would have been enough to get his point across."

 Bald Vinny wrote:

"Read this RT @BleednYankeeBlu: I DON'T CARE IF YOU HATE AROD. IT'S JUST BASEBALL http://bit.ly/1DnC0dP "

Joann wrote:

"There have been many, many bad boys that have disgraced the Yankees. I could see if he murdered someone, or sexually abused kids, or even beat his mate... that is disgracing the Yankees. People need to start embracing the Yankees as a team, trashing players, and people trash a different player every day- is disgracing the Yankees. We need to turn the page and start supporting the team."

 Erica, one of our BYB writers wrote: 

"Thank you, Casey! This is what I have been saying for the longest damn time! It doesn't matter whether or not you like ARod. He's a member of the team. To root for his failure is to want the TEAM to fail. And to attack each other over personal feelings towards the guy is ludicrous!"

I love my writers. I love my readers, pro and con, we can have a constructive conversation. No hate.

There were many, many more comments all over the place.  The response was huge. I understand it had not as much to do with my piece, and more to do with Alex Rodriguez, I'm not stupid, but I was blown away by the commenting.  Thanks.

Anyway... today's a new day. You know where I stand, where WE stand here at BYB.  Thanks for reading this, and all of our posts daily.  We're here for you, the fan, and we thank you for your support.

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