TRENTON, NJ – Friday night sparked a media frenzy at ARM & HAMMER Park, as a standing room crowd and more than 150 media members from around the country descended on the tiny, 6,100 seat stadium and 20-person press box. I must say, Bill Cook, the Thunder media relations guru, did a fantastic job keeping all of us writers organized in what was certainly one of the most chaotic nights that New Jersey’s capital has seen in a long time.
Rodriguez went 1-for-2 with a walk on the evening, blasting a monster home run and striking out against the Phillies top pitching prospect, Jesse Biddle. Afterwards, A-Rod took ten minutes worth of questions with media from around the country. Bonus points for our readers if you can guess which question I asked of Rodriguez.
Q: I have two young sons who love the sport and idolize you, what would you want them to know about you and your career?
A: That I love the game. This game has been very good to me for a long time. It’s all I’ve ever done. I love the game, I appreciate the game.
Q: How’d you feel?
A: I felt good. It’s probably the best I’ve felt since we started this process. I feel like I’m there, I’m ready to go. Feel 100%.
Q: Are you confident you’re going to be in Chicago on Monday?
A: Yep. Unless I get hit by lightning, and these days, you never know.
Q: Are you prepared to fight Bud Selig on any suspensions he may hand down?
A: I can’t comment on that right now, there’s still an ongoing investigation. I will follow the due process.
Q: How do you see a happy ending forming?
A: Happy ending? I think to get back on the field, help my teammates win a championship.
Q: What has been the mental challenge of trying to get better, rehabilitate yourself, while also dealing with the hovering suspension?
A: It’s been a challenge. The hips are enoguh of a challenge. It’s been a lot of hard work. I’ve had a lot of great people help me in this process. That alone is a hell of a challenge. Everything else just made it a little more difficult, but that comes with the territory.
Q: With the way you felt tonight, do you think you could help the Yankees tomorrow in San Diego?
A: Oh, yeah. I wish they’d put me on a plane tonight. I wish I could go to San Diego. I can’t wait to see my teammates. I feel like I can help them. I feel like I can help them be a better team.
Q: What do you feel when you hear a lot of people boo. Do you get disappointed?
A: Well, I think there’s a lot of Phillies fans out there, and they probably don’t have good memories from me. That’s part of it. When you’re on the road, and this is a little bit of a road game for us, there’s not a bigger compliment than to be booed on the road, and there’s probably nothing worse than to be booed at home. No one likes to get booed, but on the road, it’s kinda fun.
Q: There were quite a few Yankees fans.
A: Oh there was? Okay. People cheered when I hit that home run. How’d you like it?
Q: Have the Yankees laid out a plan for you?
A: Yeah. So, I spoke to our front office and the plan took place today. Play tomorrow – seven. Short workout Sunday morning and hopefully play Monday in Chicago.
Q: Do you believe you’ll be with the Yankees on Monday?
A: Absolutely.
Q: Do you believe this team feels the same way?
A: Who’s the team?
Q: Your team. The Yankees.
A: I hope so.
Q: You’ve been told the plan is to join them Monday, or thats what you think is going to happen?
A: That was the tentative plan. Of course, I’ve got to get by tomorrow and play Sunday, and that’s the plan. If everything goes well, yes, they told me that.
Q: With all that’s going on, to be so close but which so much swirling around, how does it feel to be that close to getting back?
A: I’m excited, becauase I think I can help the team. I can’t wait to go out and play. I had a great time tonight playing, I felt good. My work was good before the game, and my body’s beginning to react the right way. I think the further I get away from the surgery, the more productive I’m gonna be. I think I’m gonna be better in six months, I think I’m gonna be better in twelve months. But I do like the way the ball is starting to jump off my bat, ball’s coming out my throwing arm, That’s a perfect of example for me of a ball that [in] July, August, September and October I had no chance of really putting in play, and tonight I put it in play for a home run.
Q: I’m thinking more emotionally, in that final week before putting that Yankee uniform back on.
A: I’m excited. I love being a Yankee. I love my teammates. I have a lot of brothers in that clubhouse, we won a World Championship. The plan is to win another one. I’m excited to get back there and compete and keep fighting.
Q: Who did you talk to about the plan for Monday?
A: Cashman.
Q: If these suspensions come to fruition, rest of the season, next year, knowing how much you love playing this game, are you mentally prepared to sit out for almost a year and a half?
A: I’m mentally prepared for five more years. I mean, I’m excited at the way my body’s reacting, especially over the last, I would say. The first ten days in Tampa, those games, I kinda just threw them away. Some of the guys that were here asked if such a long surgery I felt it was going to be so-so. Definitely the last ten games or so, the way my body’s reacting, the ball the way it’s coming off my bat, especially with people throwing mid-90s, I feel like I can play for a long time and be very productive.
Q: If you have to sit out for next year, are you ready to do that?
A: I haven’t thought about it that far. I just know that I’m excited about the way I’m feeling and mentally I’m in a good place because I feel like I can help our team win and be productive.
Q: MLB has supposedly given the players involved until 6 PM Sunday to make a deal. Were you told that?
A: I just came out of a game, it’s the first time I heard it.
Q: Alex, what happens if you’re not allowed to take the field on Monday?
A: There’s a lot of layers to this. So as I go, my job is to do everything I can physically and mentally to go back on the field to help my team win. As for the legal stuff, to me, it’s been confusing. I mean, the one thing I’ve gotten from so many people, so many fans, some teammates, they’re like, ‘What is going on?’ There’s a lot of people that are confused, a lot of people that don’t understand the process, there is a lot of layers. I will say this, there’s more than one party that benefits from me not ever stepping back on the field, and that’s not my teammates, and that’s not the Yankees fans.
Q: Who is it? Who benefits?
A: I can’t tell you that right now, and I hope I never have to.
Q: Do you think that’s a factor in what’s going on?
A: I’ll let you decide that.
Q: You’ve spent 19 years, half your life, as a major league ballplayer. If and when that career comes to and end, should it be your decision?
A: I hope so. Like I said, I can tell you how I feel physically, I can tell you how my body’s reacting, I can be playing against A-ball guys or big league players, to me the competition is with me trying to do what I do. A night like tonight illustrates to me that I can play now and I can play for a long time.
Q: And you want to [for] five more years?
A: I would love to. It’s my life. I’ve said it, I’ve done it my whole life. I’ve been playing it since I was three years old. My father played baseball. It’s the only thing I know how to do. It’s my livelihood.
Q: If it is time to hang it up, what are you going to miss most?
A: I’m not going to answer that question because it’s not time for me to hang it up. I have a lot more fight in me. We have a process.
Q: Why are you being singled out?
A: I’m not sure. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. I think that’s the pink elephant in the room. I think we all agree that we want to get rid of PEDs. That’s a must. I think all the players feel that way. But when other stuff is going on in the back lot and people are finding creative ways to cancel your contract and stuff like that, I think that’s concerning for me, concerning for present, and I think should be concerning for future players as well. There is a process, I’m excited about the way I feel tonight, and I’m gonna keep fighting. Thanks, guys.
