ARod and allegations of pitch tipping

[cjclong]

Micheal Young was quoted in a column by Randy Galloway in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram yesterday (Sunday May 3) as saying that ARod was not tipping pitches while Young played next to him at second base during ARod's tour with the Rangers. Galloway also quoted two other members of the Rangers who anonymously said they they were sure ARod was not tipping pitches. The two who spoke anonymously did not want to get involved in the controversy. Young said there was no way that ARod was tipping pictures. Young said the controversy was over ARod CALLING pitches. The new catcher, ELinar Diaz, was having trouble calling pitches and ARod started trying to call them for him. ARod felt the ptich selection was bad and wanted Buch Showalter to fire the pitching coach Orel Hershiser. Showalter felt Alex was trying to take over the team and exceeding his authority as a player and there was a permanent break between them. That is something that is totally different from pitch tipping. It will be interesting to see if the "well regarded" author who wrote the current book interviewed Michael Young who played next to Alex at seoond base and was ready to go on record by name and say ARod didn't tip pitches. I'm sure she didn't quote the anonymous Rangers who also say ARod didn't tip pitches atlhough she was perfectly willing to quote anonymous people who say he did. The thing that is sad is the rest of the media isn't also talking to a well regarded player like Michael Young who says ARod didn't tip pitches but is willing to quote an author who quotes annoymous people (we can only assume they really exist ) in order to sell a book that appears to be just a hit job. This is not a defense of ARod. He lied about taking PED's and he will have to live with that. But he or anyone else should not be accused of things without viable proof.

[ironmanfan]

I watched Harold Reynolds last evening on the MLB Network and he said that Michael Young would not be a good person to judge whether or not A-Rod was tipping pitches or not since he would only be looking over to him to see who was covering the bag on an attempted steal (obviously in steal situations only) and that Young's focus would be on the batter the majority of the time...Also, I heard Jim Duquette interviewed on Friday on XM Radio and he said that he had heard for years that A-Rod was tipping pitches and that this allegation was nothing new.....

[sportscentury]

I value the presumption of innocence. I also value the principle that one should not be punished more than he deserves. While I'm not interested in ARod being blamed or punished for things he did not do, would it really surprise us to learn that ARod was tipping pitches or cheating via other avenues? As much as I wish it were not the case (as I used to be a huge ARod fan), he is a known/admitted cheater and liar.

[quiggle28]

those who purchased the book today, did it also touch upon that play most deemed "bush league" when he was rounding the bases in a game and distracted the fielder from catching the ball?

[quiggle28]

I apologize but I clicked on the submit button too quickly

I also want to know how the topic of Game 6 2004 ALCS is treated when he slapped the baseball away from Brandon Arroyo.

[cjclong]

A guy who played with him every day for three years would have no idea if he was tipping pitches. Give me a break. The allegation he was tipping pitches isn't a one way street. The allegation is he was tipping pitches so the person he was tipping pitches to would do the same for him. So who was tipping pitches to Alex? We don't hear any names do we? So these guys that are ratting out ARod won't say who was tipping him off on the pitches. Maybe because no one was? Anybody find that interesting. And as I said, if this author is so interested in the truth did she talk to anyone who might have a different story that might not help sell the book?

[KrAzY3]

I don't know what to make of the tipping pitches situation. I think one could try to figure out what hitters (if any) did especially well when they were playing a team A-Rod was on and vice-versa, but it's not the type of thing you are likely to get either party to admit to. It does sound far fetched, but with millions of dollars at stake I can imagine why players would try to pad their stats (not that I justify it).

A-Rod seems like a good target right now. As bad as some of the stuff he's done seems, he's still just one cheater among many. I'd like MLB to stop covering for the steroid users and let it get out in the open so people stop making assumptions and have facts to go on.

[ironmanfan]

We don't hear any names do we?

We also didn't hear any names about the "un-named" source who outed A-Rod as one of the 103 who tested positive in 2003...A-Rod was the ONLY guy named by this "un-named" source and instead of denying once it came out in February, he did that softball interrview with Peter Gammons (about his cousin with the Boli in the DR...lol)...How come now when these un-named sources are used about tipping pitches, you don't hear A-Fraud disputing them?

[cjclong]

Well you don't hear the names do you? Unlike the drug situation ARod could lie about this if he chose to because it would be his word against theirs unlike his word against a positive drug test. So the fact he doesn't comment on this doesn't prove anything. If the anonymous sources knew ARod was tipping pitches for a particular batter they also would know that batter was tipping pitches to ARod. If they didn't tip pitches for him their would be no point in his doing it for them. But you have not heard one word about anyone tipping ARod off on the pitches coming his way. Why not? Myabe because it never happend. If the anonymous sources know he was tipping pitches they would know who for. Lets hear this anomymous person or person NAME the players they claim he was tipping for. This is key to the claim. If they can't say who he was tipping for, specific names, then they have no proof he was tipping. Did the writer ask the anonymous sources WHO ARod was tipping for. Could they have given names. I would not be surprised if the answer is no on both.

[gameused]

I thought this was pretty funny, found it on the Boston Dirt Dogs site