NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez has millions of dollars in his
investment accounts, three AL MVP awards for his trophy case -- and
zero World Series rings for his fingers.
"There's definitely a huge hole in the resume. And I mean, it's
my third MVP and I'm here to say that I would trade all three for
one world championship. I wouldn't think twice about it,"
Rodriguez said.
Of course, a World Series will have to wait. But for now, he has
the satisfaction of his latest MVP, won Monday in a romp over
Detroit's Magglio Ordonez.
While A-Rod wouldn't address why he opted out of his old Yankees
contract or the reasons for his decision to reverse course and
return to New York, he did slip this into a 30-minute conference
call: Yankees general manager Brian Cashman asked him after the
2006 season, after he was dropped to eighth in the batting order in
the playoff finale against Detroit, whether he'd prefer a trade.
"I had many, many opportunities," Rodriguez said. "There was
a lot of interest from a lot of other teams and I felt I didn't
want to go anywhere."
Cashman later confirmed that he approached A-Rod after the 2006
playoff elimination and asked the star third baseman whether he
wanted to be traded. Despite four seasons in New York that filled
more tabloid headlines than most players get in a lifetime,
Rodriguez wants to stay. If and when he breaks Barry Bonds' career
home run record, he wants to do it with the Yankees.
"It's something magical when you go in that field in front of
55,000 people, and then when you make championships and all-time
records. I mean, the potential of it is exciting," he said.
By then, the Yankees will be in their new stadium, one Rodriguez
hopes to put his stamp on. He admitted playing in the glare of the
Big Apple took a long time to get used to.
"I banged my head against New York; New York didn't bang me
against the head. I felt like I made a lot of mistakes," he said.
"I was trying to please everybody rather than do what made me
happy."
His new attitude produced his best season and it showed in the
MVP race. Rodriguez received 26 first-place votes and 382 points in
balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, while
Ordonez had two firsts and 258 points.
Rodriguez won his first MVP in 2003, his last season with the
Texas Rangers. He also won with the Yankees in 2005. Those yearly
fluctuations bother him.
"It's something I'm aware of and something that needs to
stop," he said. "I'd much rather have above average every year or
great every year or good every year."
Rodriguez started this year with 14 homers in his first 18
games, hit .314 for the season and led the majors with 54 homers,
156 RBIs and 143 runs. He was the first player since New York's
Roger Maris in 1961 to lead the majors in homers, RBIs and runs,
according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
An 11-time All-Star, Rodriguez became the ninth player to win
the MVP three or more times. Barry Bonds holds the record with
seven -- all in the NL -- and Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Joe
DiMaggio, Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial and Mike Schmidt
won three apiece.
"I'm expected to do great things, I mean, for a lot of reasons,
and I understand that," Rodriguez said.
The only two first-place votes that didn't go to Rodriguez were
from Tom Gage of The Detroit News and Jim Hawkins of The Oakland
Press in Pontiac, Mich.
"Magglio is a friend and had an unbelievable season,"
Rodriguez said. "I've been on that side of the fence many, many
times."
He remembered back to his first full season in the majors with
Seattle, when he finished three points behind Texas' Juan Gonzalez
in MVP balloting.
"I was almost in tears in 1996 when I didn't win the award, and
it was very painful," Rodriguez said. "At the time, I was 20
years old and thought I would never get another chance to win it."
Still, there is the absence of a title. He's spoken with
quarterback John Elway about the need for one to validate a career.
"Definitely the exclamation point in his career was the two
championships at the end, and I have tremendous faith that I will
be a world champion," Rodriguez said. "What better place to do it
than in New York?"
Rodriguez didn't want to talk about his negotiations with the
Yankees that are leading toward a $275 million, 10-year contract.
"There is a finish line in sight," Rodriguez said, adding he
would talk about the contract "when the time is right."
He also wouldn't detail the advice he was given by investor
Warren Buffet.
"We usually visit every year. Warren is a friend,"' Rodriguez
said. "He's done a great job of foreseeing things in business. Now
he's doing it in baseball, too, so that's pretty good."
A-Rod struggled in the playoffs again this year as the Yankees
lost to Cleveland in the first round. He went 4-for-15 (.267) with
one RBI against the Indians, leaving him in an 8-for-59 (.136)
postseason funk dating to 2004 and hitless in his past 18 playoff
at-bats with runners in scoring position.
He had talked about his desire to get more postseason at-bats,
but that didn't happen.
"Part of the reason I'm not getting those at-bats is because
I'm not performing," he said.
As soon as Rodriguez arrived at spring training this year, he
took a new approach. He finally admitted he no longer was best
buddies with Yankees captain Derek Jeter, ending a charade that had
gone on for three seasons.
"I thought being honest was the best policy," he said. "It
made me feel a lot better about myself. It took a lot a weights off
my shoulders. And, you know, at the end of the day, I think the
truth will set you free. Whether some people like it or some people
don't, I could care less."
He realizes that with the Yankees, only titles please.
Everything else matters little.
Notes
A-Rod earned a $1.5 million bonus for winning the award,
which completes the contract he opted out of last month. He earned
$185.45 million over seven years in that deal, including bonuses,
an average of $26.49 million annually. ... It was the 20th time a
Yankees player won the MVP award.