Confessions of a She-Fan (30 page)

Tonight Michael and I watch game four of the World Series. I am sick of those happy-go-lucky, feel-good Red Sox—especially when they jump out to an early lead over the pathetic Rockies. I am about to turn off the TV when Ken Rosenthal, a Fox reporter, breaks in with a bulletin: A-Rod is opting out of his contract with the Yankees.

I look at Michael.“What the hell is this?”

He is equally shocked. “I guess he doesn't want to be a Yankee anymore.”

“We're not good enough for him?”

“He and Boras are giving baseball the finger by making the announcement in the middle of the World Series.”

We turn up the volume on the TV. In a statement, Boras referred to Hank Steinbrenner's use of the word
transition
to describe the Yankees and said Alex was concerned about where the franchise is headed.

“Then why didn't he go sit across the table from Hank and Hal and ask them?” I am standing now and yelling at the TV. How dare A-Rod leave us—and at the very moment when our archrivals are winning their second championship in 4 years!

“He made himself bigger than the World Series, bigger than Major League Baseball,” says Michael. “His reputation will take a huge hit.”

I am not paying much attention as the Red Sox finish off the Rockies 4–3. I could care less. I rush to the computer to read everything I can about the A-Rod opt-out. Boras says he tried to reach Cashman by phone to inform him of A-Rod's decision but was unsuccessful, so he left a voice-mail message as well as an e-mail and a fax. How lame is that? There was plenty of time to wait for
a callback before crashing baseball's biggest night of the year and letting the Yankees hear the news along with everyone else. The nerve of these two!

I stagger out of my office and go watch
Desperate Housewives
. Housewives. I am feeling pretty desperate myself. Never mind A-Rod's PR gaffe. Never mind that he blew off the Yankees and their fans. Who can we get to replace him at third base next year—someone who will hit over 50 home runs and more than 150 RBIs? Where will the run production come from? Will we sign Mike Lowell? Will A-Rod become a Red Sock?

On Monday Hank Steinbrenner
tells the media he is incensed that A-Rod announced to a national television audience that he doesn't want to be a Yankee anymore. He reiterates that both he and his brother invited A-Rod to come to Tampa and meet with them and that Alex never had the courtesy to reply. He stands firm that he will not negotiate with him now that he has opted out.

Lost in all the A-Rod chatter is the big news that the Yankees made a formal offer to Girardi to replace Torre. Once they agree on terms, they will make it official.

And here is another bulletin: The
Post
is reporting that Torre will be the next Dodgers manager. Will Jorge and Mo move west, too? And what about A-Rod? This is all so unsettling.

I go for a beach walk. When I get home,there is more Yankee news. Boras has apologized—to the Red Sox, the Rockies, the fans, baseball—for the timing of his announcement. announcement. He says the whole thing was his fault, not his client's,and that he wishes he had handled things better. Ya think?

Later, I check Peter Abraham's blog. He not only confirms that Torre is the Dodgers' new manager but that Mattingly is about to join him as a coach.

I hurry into the living room to tell Michael, but he already knows. He is watching Keith Olbermann's show. At that very moment, Keith is saying, “These are great times for people who hate the Yankees.”

On Tuesday it is official: Girardi has accepted the Yankees' offer and is the team's new manager.

But today's media coverage is all about A-Rod. There are rumors that Boras has a nine-figure deal in place for his client. There is a story that the Mets are A-Rod's possible next stop. And there is reaction to his defection from Johnny Damon, who says he is sad his teammate is leaving and wonders where the runs he produced will come from.

Good question, Johnny.

My anxiety over all this is not helped by the e-mails I am getting from friends here in California. “Are you going to become a Dodger fan now?” they ask.

I would never give my heart to the Dodgers just because Torre and Mattingly will be sitting in the dugout at Chavez Ravine. My love for the Yankees trumps my affection for anyone person. person. If I learned anything over these last few months, it is that.

Mark Feinsand is reporting on his
Daily News
blog that Mo is at Legends Field right now meeting with Cashman, Levine, and the two Little Steins. Mark says the Yankees will offer him a 3-year deal worth $40 million but that he may want to test the market and see what else is out there. Another cliffhanger. And why is there no news about JoPo and his deal? Have they not made him an offer? And how about Pettitte? Is he coming back or retiring?

Peter Abraham's blog has audio of Cashman's conference call with the beat writers about A-Rod's opting out. Cashman says he regrets not having been given the opportunity to meet face-to-face with Alex and talk to him about the team's future but wishes him and C-Rod well.

As Michael and I drive to dinner with friends, I say, “It's sort of odd that Cashman was so laid back about the A-Rod thing.”

“Maybe he's a laid-back guy.”

“Come on. He always looks like he's on the verge of a nervous collapse.”

“What's your point?”

“He might be leaving the door open for A-Rod to reconsider.”

“Hank made it clear. If A-Rod doesn't want to be a Yankee, the Yankees don't want him.”

“This is the Yankees we're talking about. Anything can happen.”

On Wednesday the Yankees announce their coaching staff for 2008. But I want to know what they are planning to do about actual players.

Mo says he wants to remain a Yankee, but there must be an aspect of the deal he doesn't like, or he would have taken it by now.

Pettitte tells a Houston TV station that he won't make the decision about whether or not to retire until November 7.

JoPo is saying nothing.

Jason Zillo has scheduled a 1 o'clock press conference at Yankee Stadium to officially introduce Joe Girardi to the media. The event feels anticlimactic, since Girardi has done two conference calls with the writers, and everybody already knows he won the job. Moreover, the Dodgers choose today to announce the hiring of Joe Torre as their manager.

I approach the press conference with a blasé attitude and focus on other Yankee matters in the meantime. Mark Feinsand comments on how “sluggish” the organization seems in their effort to keep Posada. The same goes for Mo. What if they both sign with other teams? And how about Bobby Abreu? I thought they were picking up his option, which lapses tomorrow.

Mark also says the Yankees are talking to the White Sox about Joe Crede to fill the vacancy at third base. I do not want Joe Crede playing third base for the Yankees. He may be a stellar human being, but I want A-Rod back. There. I said it. I want those homers and those RBIs. I want that hustle on the base paths. I want that gun-of-an-arm. I even want the odd, needy personality and those overly glossedlips. Besides, he would be too cold in Chicago and too hot in Anaheim, and no one would pay any attention to him in LA because the paparazzi are too busy with Britney Spears. He belongs in New York. Maybe he is the most disingenuous man alive—a “big phony jerk” is what Michael calls him—but I want him on our team, not somebody else's. Love is funny. He has thrown my Yankees into the very disarray I was so worried about, and yet I am not ready to let him go.

But Cashman tells the media today that A-Rod is out of the picture. He uses the word
unequivocally
. He says the Yankees made many attempts to reach Alex but did not get a response. When he mentions the possibility of moving Cano to third, I feel the muscles in my neck tense.

He goes on to say that Jeter will not have surgery on his bad knee but Matsui will have surgery on his; that Shelley, Giambi, and Betemit will share time at first base (I will miss you, Doug); and that Joba will be in the starting rotation unless Mo leaves.

Unless Mo leaves
?

I am now feeling queasy
and
tense. The Dodgers are practically throwing a parade for Torre on the other side of the country, and Cashman is talking about what remains of my team. What will we do without our old, dependable manager and our old, dependable players?

Someone needs to restore order. George is no longer the Boss, and his sons are only Bosses-in-Training. And judging by his almost daily trips to Tampa, Cashman's power has been eclipsed by the reemergence of the Florida Faction. So who, exactly, will right the ship?

It is nearly 10:00 p.m. by the time I get around to watching the video of Girardi's press conference on the YES Web site. He may be a smart man who had success managing the Marlins, and he is probably a whiz when it comes to stats and matchups and percentages. But he seems to lack gravitas. He has not been around long enough to have the wisdom to handle dramas in the clubhouse. He has not convinced me that he is the right man to lead both the veterans and the young players. He not only needs to restore order but also restore the image of the Yankees.

I lean closer to the computer screen and hit play on the video. Brian Cash-man introduces the Girardis and hands Mrs. Girardi a dozen long-stemmed red roses. A blizzard of flashbulbs go off, and Mr. and Mrs. Girardi do their best to stand there and smile while getting blinded by the lights. I see Jason Zillo hovering in the background. I have never met him, of course, but he must be the guy who is directing traffic. I recognize his voice from all those conference calls. He is wearing a dark suit, is not very tall, and looks comfortable telling people what to do. He is good at being the gatekeeper. I am proof of that.

Next, Cashman presents Girardi with his brand-new Yankees jersey. Joe will be wearing number 27 this time out, to symbolize the 27th World Championship he will endeavor to bring to the franchise. He puts the jersey on over his shirt and tie, along with a Yankees cap, and stands for more photographs. And then he steps to the podium to make a statement before taking the media's questions.

“I know you didn't take this many pictures of me when I played,” he says with a laugh.“I can't tell you how honored we are to put on this uniform for the third time. This is the place to be. For the Girardis, this feels like home.”

Okay. He has a nice folksy manner with his Midwestern vowels—I love how he says “coach,” with the elongated “O”—and he seems genuinely thrilled to have gotten the job. But if this is all the emotion he shows, it will be a long season.

“Just on a personal note,” he continues, “my father hasn't spoken in a month.” He pauses, choking up. “And when the lady who takes care of my father—he has Alzheimer's—showed him the picture of me as the new Yankee manager, my father said, ‘Oh,
yeah
.' This means a lot to our family, our whole family.”

I am moved. There is more to this man than I realized.

“How surreal of a moment is this for you?” a reporter asks. “You're just getting emotional speaking of your father. So when you think about
I am the
Yankees manager
…”

“It's something,” says Joe. “I got a call from Yogi last night. And you realize the stature of the position when Yogi calls you at your house and says, ‘Do I still get to come to spring training?'”