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Re: Does Asi Ever Return Emails/calls?
call me late to the party but if suave won't discuss it in public, i will! especially given some of the recent chatter about the real quality of player provenance. have a fun read!:
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NYTIMES:
Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman, became the first player ever to drive in 10 runs in a game at Yankee Stadium in a 12-4 victory over the Angels on Tuesday.
By Thursday, the company, A-Rod Authenticated, was running radio advertisements for signed baseballs commemorating that performance, with a price of $399.
Rodriguez said yesterday that he never signed any baseballs, and that he was never approached about marketing his performance.
He said that his feelings about Tuesday's game are "very special and very sincere" and that he would not try to cash in on it.
"It's just not part of what I'm doing," Rodriguez said, "and it's upsetting to me that someone would take action before even coming to me, or promote something I had nothing to do with."
Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, said Rodriguez had terminated his relationship with A-Rod Authenticated and its president, Scot Monette. Boras said that his company, Impact Sports, would handle Rodriguez's memorabilia business.
"This is something that was just unconscionable, in regard to a player that committed to what he does," Boras said. "
There were advertisements out there that he did not know about. He was approached on Tuesday and asked if he wanted to do anything in regard to this, and he said no."
Monette did not return calls seeking comment. The Web site for the company, based in Clearwater, Fla., features little more than an advertisement for Rodriguez's "V.I.P. Meet and Greet" event with Barry Bonds in December. Fans paid $7,500 then to spend time with the players, and Rodriguez donated his money to charity.
Rodriguez said he did most of his organized autograph signings in the off-season or during spring training. He said that although A-Rod Authenticated had "generic signed baseballs" of his, he questioned the legality of the company linking those balls to his three-homer game.
"They can't do that," Rodriguez said. "That wouldn't even be legal. That's impossible."
Before this season, the Yankees formed a partnership with Steiner Sports, a memorabilia company that has two billboards at Yankee Stadium. Under the agreement, Steiner Sports sells bats used in games, jerseys and uniform pants of Yankee players.
There were no Rodriguez items that were used in games available on the company's Web site yesterday, and Rodriguez said he declined the company's request for his bat and jersey from Tuesday's game.
"I'm keeping everything, are you kidding me?" said Rodriguez, who then showed reporters the bat he used and the jersey he wore on Tuesday.
"This is my daughter's jersey at some point, you know?"
Rodriguez said he was still using the bat from Tuesday, and was not even sure he would give it up if the Hall of Fame
were to ask.
"I don't mess with my equipment, especially if I'm playing with it," he said.
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AROD Authenticated is the brand name for the service, which is managed by Authentic Sports Investments, the Florida-based company that has been working with Rodriguez for memorabilia deals for the past four years.
This is a separate company, operating under our corporate umbrella, to handle Alex’s memorabilia needs,” said Scot Monette, president of ASI.
Monette founded ASI with Brad Wells in 1999.
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NYDAILYNEWS:
Alex Rodriguez yesterday abruptly cut ties with a memorabilia company attempting to sell autographed baseballs commemorating his three-homer, 10-RBI game against the Angels on Tuesday, claiming he never had given permission for such a venture.
The company, known as "A-Rod Authenticated," is a division of Elite Sports Marketing and advertised the "once in a lifetime" opportunity on the radio in New York. The asking price was $399 for the balls, which had A-Rod's signature and his stat line from the game. They were not actually used in the game.
"I reached the people and I said, 'If you're trying to do things without me, that's not right,'" A-Rod said. "I'm very upset about it. ... To go out and sell this crap - that's BS."
Scott Monette, president of Elite, declined comment yesterday. But when a caller posing as a potential customer inquired about the balls, she was told that a "presale" was currently being conducted; A-Rod, according to the sales representative, would sign the balls on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
"Obviously that isn't going to happen," Rodriguez said when told of the claims.
Rodriguez has worked with the company in the past, most notably on "The Ultimate Event," which was a $7,500-per-ticket private function held over the winter at which he appeared with Barry Bonds. Elite has had issues with authenticity (it was formerly known as Authentic Sports Investments), but A-Rod did not comment on any previous problems he may have had with the company, saying only that he was pleased to be free of it and was not pursuing a new memorabilia partner.
"I think there's a lesson to be learned and I've learned it," he said. "There's no relationship with anyone right now, and I'll probably stay idle for a while."
He added that he currently isn't planning to pursue any legal action against Elite because "this should be enough of a sting."
Rodriguez was skewered by fans and talk-show hosts yesterday after a mention of the advertisement appeared in the Daily News, and Gary Sheffield alerted him to the criticism early in the afternoon. A-Rod said he discussed the situation with his representatives and that his agent, Scott Boras, dealt with Elite.
"Once we had knowledge of the situation, we took action," Boras said. "There is a time and place for this sort of thing, and it's not during the season."
A-Rod added that he "doesn't enjoy" signing and donates much of the money made from memorabilia sales to charity. He said he didn't know how much money he stood to lose by ending his relationship with Elite.
Rodriguez said he does most of his memorabilia signing during spring training or after the season. In a request unrelated to Elite, Steiner Sports Marketing & Memorabilia - which has a partnership with the Yankees - inquired about authenticating A-Rod's jersey and bat from the game. Rodriguez declined, saying he is still using the bat ("I'm not that superstitious, but come on!" he said) and wasn't interested in parting with his pinstripes. "That night I want to remember forever as a very special night," he said. "It's certainly not something I want to capitalize on. ... It's not who I am."
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rudy.
call me late to the party but if suave won't discuss it in public, i will! especially given some of the recent chatter about the real quality of player provenance. have a fun read!:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NYTIMES:
Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman, became the first player ever to drive in 10 runs in a game at Yankee Stadium in a 12-4 victory over the Angels on Tuesday.
By Thursday, the company, A-Rod Authenticated, was running radio advertisements for signed baseballs commemorating that performance, with a price of $399.
Rodriguez said yesterday that he never signed any baseballs, and that he was never approached about marketing his performance.
He said that his feelings about Tuesday's game are "very special and very sincere" and that he would not try to cash in on it.
"It's just not part of what I'm doing," Rodriguez said, "and it's upsetting to me that someone would take action before even coming to me, or promote something I had nothing to do with."
Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, said Rodriguez had terminated his relationship with A-Rod Authenticated and its president, Scot Monette. Boras said that his company, Impact Sports, would handle Rodriguez's memorabilia business.
"This is something that was just unconscionable, in regard to a player that committed to what he does," Boras said. "
There were advertisements out there that he did not know about. He was approached on Tuesday and asked if he wanted to do anything in regard to this, and he said no."
Monette did not return calls seeking comment. The Web site for the company, based in Clearwater, Fla., features little more than an advertisement for Rodriguez's "V.I.P. Meet and Greet" event with Barry Bonds in December. Fans paid $7,500 then to spend time with the players, and Rodriguez donated his money to charity.
Rodriguez said he did most of his organized autograph signings in the off-season or during spring training. He said that although A-Rod Authenticated had "generic signed baseballs" of his, he questioned the legality of the company linking those balls to his three-homer game.
"They can't do that," Rodriguez said. "That wouldn't even be legal. That's impossible."
Before this season, the Yankees formed a partnership with Steiner Sports, a memorabilia company that has two billboards at Yankee Stadium. Under the agreement, Steiner Sports sells bats used in games, jerseys and uniform pants of Yankee players.
There were no Rodriguez items that were used in games available on the company's Web site yesterday, and Rodriguez said he declined the company's request for his bat and jersey from Tuesday's game.
"I'm keeping everything, are you kidding me?" said Rodriguez, who then showed reporters the bat he used and the jersey he wore on Tuesday.
"This is my daughter's jersey at some point, you know?"
Rodriguez said he was still using the bat from Tuesday, and was not even sure he would give it up if the Hall of Fame
were to ask.
"I don't mess with my equipment, especially if I'm playing with it," he said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
AROD Authenticated is the brand name for the service, which is managed by Authentic Sports Investments, the Florida-based company that has been working with Rodriguez for memorabilia deals for the past four years.
This is a separate company, operating under our corporate umbrella, to handle Alex’s memorabilia needs,” said Scot Monette, president of ASI.
Monette founded ASI with Brad Wells in 1999.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
NYDAILYNEWS:
Alex Rodriguez yesterday abruptly cut ties with a memorabilia company attempting to sell autographed baseballs commemorating his three-homer, 10-RBI game against the Angels on Tuesday, claiming he never had given permission for such a venture.
The company, known as "A-Rod Authenticated," is a division of Elite Sports Marketing and advertised the "once in a lifetime" opportunity on the radio in New York. The asking price was $399 for the balls, which had A-Rod's signature and his stat line from the game. They were not actually used in the game.
"I reached the people and I said, 'If you're trying to do things without me, that's not right,'" A-Rod said. "I'm very upset about it. ... To go out and sell this crap - that's BS."
Scott Monette, president of Elite, declined comment yesterday. But when a caller posing as a potential customer inquired about the balls, she was told that a "presale" was currently being conducted; A-Rod, according to the sales representative, would sign the balls on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.
"Obviously that isn't going to happen," Rodriguez said when told of the claims.
Rodriguez has worked with the company in the past, most notably on "The Ultimate Event," which was a $7,500-per-ticket private function held over the winter at which he appeared with Barry Bonds. Elite has had issues with authenticity (it was formerly known as Authentic Sports Investments), but A-Rod did not comment on any previous problems he may have had with the company, saying only that he was pleased to be free of it and was not pursuing a new memorabilia partner.
"I think there's a lesson to be learned and I've learned it," he said. "There's no relationship with anyone right now, and I'll probably stay idle for a while."
He added that he currently isn't planning to pursue any legal action against Elite because "this should be enough of a sting."
Rodriguez was skewered by fans and talk-show hosts yesterday after a mention of the advertisement appeared in the Daily News, and Gary Sheffield alerted him to the criticism early in the afternoon. A-Rod said he discussed the situation with his representatives and that his agent, Scott Boras, dealt with Elite.
"Once we had knowledge of the situation, we took action," Boras said. "There is a time and place for this sort of thing, and it's not during the season."
A-Rod added that he "doesn't enjoy" signing and donates much of the money made from memorabilia sales to charity. He said he didn't know how much money he stood to lose by ending his relationship with Elite.
Rodriguez said he does most of his memorabilia signing during spring training or after the season. In a request unrelated to Elite, Steiner Sports Marketing & Memorabilia - which has a partnership with the Yankees - inquired about authenticating A-Rod's jersey and bat from the game. Rodriguez declined, saying he is still using the bat ("I'm not that superstitious, but come on!" he said) and wasn't interested in parting with his pinstripes. "That night I want to remember forever as a very special night," he said. "It's certainly not something I want to capitalize on. ... It's not who I am."
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rudy.
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