Yesterday I get a call from my brother, and he told about this "30 for 30" "What If" Alex Rodriguez story. Telling how good it was and how I should watch it. Though, I didn't want to see because I thought it was gonna be about the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004 -- being a Yankee fan, I don't want to relive that time.
But my brother told me: no, it's not about that, it's a story about how A-Rod came close to becoming a Boston Red Sox and ended becoming a New York Yankee. So I said: okay, I'll watch it.
I saw it last night on my computer, around midnight, and loved it. ESPN -- who I don't like very much -- always do a great job in these "30 for 30" stories. I loved the "Fab Five" story and the Ben Wilson tragic story.
But this A-Rod film was really good. I loved how dark it was. It's a baseball story, but if you were watching it on your computer, without headphones or with the volume down, you would've thought it was one of those murder stories. Lol. I like that. I even liked the dark music.
It was a fascinating story. And it's amazing how both teams and companies changed their ways, because of A-Rod.
The Red Sox, before 2004, was a team that just threw money at players at free agency and in desperate need of winning championship and trying to be better than the Yankees, while the Yankees, before 2004, was a company who grew players from the farm.
Ever since A-Rod became a Yankee, the tide changed. The Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years and became a lot smarter in their acquisitions of players, while the Yankees became the big spenders and kept losing in the playoffs.
But, if you really think about, no one lost. Well...maybe the Texas Rangers did.
The Rangers, who did get a great player in Alfonso Soriano back from the A-Rod deal from the Yankees, but also acquired Joaquin Arias. The Rangers could've easily had Robinson Cano -- but decided to acquire Arias. And if the Rangers-Red Sox deal would've went through, they would've acquired Nomar Garciaparra(which isn't a big since he was in a decline) Manny Ramirez and Jon Lester.
Though, Yankees and Red Sox didn't lose in this deal. You may think the Red Sox were the only winners, but, the Yankees were really fine; it's just their high expectations of winning a World Series every year or bust mentality. Though really, Yankees made it to he postseason seven times out of nine with the Yankees. And in 2008 when they missed the postseason, they won 89 games.
Also, A-Rod won two MVPs with the Yankees.
The way (former Red Sox GM) Theo Epstein and (current PO of the Sox) Larry Lucchino talk about this trade, you can tell, it still hurts them not getting A-Rod. Especially Lucchino -- he was really pissed that the MLBPA decline the deal.
After this film, now I can't wait to see A-Rod play again. Lol.
