There was an urban legend he waved at the Sox bus after the Boone homer. If true made 2004 even a touch sweeter.I mean, it really was a phenomenal quote by the Boss. He knew how to twist the knife.
Back then the board could crash after a regular season Trot Nixon RBI double.The board might have crashed when it was pointed out the Rangers had taken him out of the picture in their website masthead
Where Are They Now?I had to look it up:
GEORGE STEINBRENNER: “We understand that John Henry must be embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed by his failure in this transaction . . . Unlike the Yankees, he chose not to go the extra distance for his fans in Boston . . . It is time to get on with life and forget the sour grapes.”
“SiaS is burning right now.Where Are They Now?
I still have all of the posts. Unfortunately they are a pain in the balls to import.Or LanternJaw… too bad The Ezboard meltdown a couple years later wiped out a bunch of the archives or we could all go back and relive it… except maybe the few who stayed in in Pripyat, I wonder what happened to them… I wasn't a member until later, but was reading, and sometimes things really popped off. I remember the all night explosion based on a rumor that the Sox were going to trade Nomar for Delgado being a pretty seismic event for one night.
As I remember it the deal was Manny, Lester, and a lot of Manny's salary to Texas for ARod. Then Nomar would've been flipped to the ChiSox or Magglio. It looked like the Sox were keeping the offense about the same, but really improving the defense. OTOH the amount of money the Sox were eating made it seem a bit lopsided, but I might be editing my memories on that side. I think that Magglio wound up having some kind of serious leg injury that season that derailed his offense often gets overlooked as another bullet dodged...
Reading this SiaS quote again, 17 years later, brings back a flood of memories and still gets a reaction out of me. It's another reason why the 2004 experience can never be repeated, not in Boston sports and maybe not for any other fanbase either. We can certainly debate whether the ARod deal would have been good for the Sox, but to have the Yankees nonchalantly walk in and trade for him without giving up much (Oh, Aaron Boone is injured? Guess we'll just have to get ARod then ...), like they waltzed in to MLB Superstars-R-Us - it just felt like the perfect counterpunch to Theo getting Schilling. There were so many individual moments that built the seemingly impregnable Yankees dynasty like bricks in a wall. To have that Sox team topple the MFY's, the way it happened ... it still almost doesn't feel real.I had to look it up:
GEORGE STEINBRENNER: “We understand that John Henry must be embarrassed, frustrated and disappointed by his failure in this transaction . . . Unlike the Yankees, he chose not to go the extra distance for his fans in Boston . . . It is time to get on with life and forget the sour grapes.”
Thats a great way to put it. Seemed like the Yankees could just acquire whomever they wanted, whenever they wanted, even if it was just a luxury item.Reading this SiaS quote again, 17 years later, brings back a flood of memories and still gets a reaction out of me. It's another reason why the 2004 experience can never be repeated, not in Boston sports and maybe not for any other fanbase either. We can certainly debate whether the ARod deal would have been good for the Sox, but to have the Yankees nonchalantly walk in and trade for him without giving up much (Oh, Aaron Boone is injured? Guess we'll just have to get ARod then ...), like they waltzed in to MLB Superstars-R-Us - it just felt like the perfect counterpunch to Theo getting Schilling. There were so many individual moments that built the seemingly impregnable Yankees dynasty like bricks in a wall. To have that Sox team topple the MFY's, the way it happened ... it still almost doesn't feel real.
I had that Tek/Arod pic blown up and put on a shirt.
Baseball Reference says February 16th, but I could have sworn it was Valentine's Day about 3:30. Maximum impact for ruining Valentine's Day plans throughout New England.I was filled with rage when he went to the Yankees. I remember slamming my steering wheel. Valentine's Day wasn't it?
It all worked out.
Yes. The Red Sox wanted to convert money in the contract to giving ARod the ability to use the Red Sox logo in advertisements he did. The Sox maintained that his ability to use the Sox logo in ads he did made him more marketable and was worth more than the money he was giving up and the MLBPA disagreed.I believe the MLBPA objected to the money that Rodriguez was giving up in a re-worked contract with the Sox.
It's very hard to understand the mentallity that existed back then.Reading this SiaS quote again, 17 years later, brings back a flood of memories and still gets a reaction out of me. It's another reason why the 2004 experience can never be repeated, not in Boston sports and maybe not for any other fanbase either. We can certainly debate whether the ARod deal would have been good for the Sox, but to have the Yankees nonchalantly walk in and trade for him without giving up much (Oh, Aaron Boone is injured? Guess we'll just have to get ARod then ...), like they waltzed in to MLB Superstars-R-Us - it just felt like the perfect counterpunch to Theo getting Schilling. There were so many individual moments that built the seemingly impregnable Yankees dynasty like bricks in a wall. To have that Sox team topple the MFY's, the way it happened ... it still almost doesn't feel real.
I respectfully disagree. My votes would be:I was a member back then. The 2003-2004 SoSH contained what I believe are the top 10 mega threads in SoSH history.
1. Game Thread Game 7-2004 ALCS (a/k/a Win It For thread)
2. Game Thread Game 4 -2004 ALCS
3. Game Thread Game 5 -2004 ALCS
4. Game Thread Game 6 -2004 ALCS
5. ARod Trade Thread
6. Schilling Trade Thread
7. Game Thread Game 4 WS
8. Game Thread Game 3 WS
9. Game Thread Game 2 WS
10. Game Thread Game 1 WS
It was the first time in my life I learned that F5 could be pressed to refresh a webpage. I feel like I smashed that button to pieces for days on end during this saga.Several months later the Nomar trade was a seminal moment in the board’s history. Pre-smartphone and social media era it was much more difficult to get info real time so it was all SOSH. Moving Nomar was even more stunning to me than the failed ARod pursuit.
I think the Sox were also going to give ARod a bunch of additional opt-outs that he didn’t otherwise have in his contract.Yes. The Red Sox wanted to convert money in the contract to giving ARod the ability to use the Red Sox logo in advertisements he did. The Sox maintained that his ability to use the Sox logo in ads he did made him more marketable and was worth more than the money he was giving up and the MLBPA disagreed.
Not only did the Yankees get A-Rod, they got him for a player (Soriano) whose value was but a fraction of Manny's; Manny really would have been a no-doubt HoF'er except for getting caught doing what most of MLB was doing around that time anyway.It's very hard to understand the mentallity that existed back then.
The Yankees are still a team with more money than anyone and can still outbid others and sign the mega contracts like they did Gerrit Cole, but back in 2003 it was another level.
They had come from LF and outbid the Sox for Contreras (which earned them the Evil Empire monicker).
And now, after the Sox deal fell through they went and got Arod. Not only did they get him (and I syill do not like how they got him) but they actaully made him switch to 3rd base. This is a big deal. Arod was aiming to be the best SS in history, and he actually moved positions with a lesser SS staying put.
My recollection is that it was a weekday, so the 16th checks out for me.Baseball Reference says February 16th, but I could have sworn it was Valentine's Day about 3:30. Maximum impact for ruining Valentine's Day plans throughout New England.
Yeah, that was rough. I like Millar, but that was ill advised.The worst part about the near trade was Millar getting on the mic and saying he'd rather have A-Rod.
Soriano was much younger and a 2B at the time, his bWAR from 2004 on was 18.8, Manny's was 22.7. More interestingly, the Rangers got a short list of NY prospects to choose from to complete the deal, and they chose Joaquin Arias (who?) instead of Robinson Cano. A-Rod had 54 bWAR from 2004 on, Cano had 69.5.Not only did the Yankees get A-Rod, they got him for a player (Soriano) whose value was but a fraction of Manny's; Manny really would have been a no-doubt HoF'er except for getting caught doing what most of MLB was doing around that time anyway.
But, as we all know, those benefit the team. So there was no additional value there.I think the Sox were also going to give ARod a bunch of additional opt-outs that he didn’t otherwise have in his contract.
Yeah in the comparison between Soriano vs. Manny, they would have been better off with Manny but not hugely so. The real killer for the Rangers was exchanging Lester (who went on to give the Sox something like ~28 bWAR for very little money) for Arias, who ended up being the epitome of a replacement-level player (career bWAR of 1.0, most of which was from a single decent season he had on the Giants).Soriano was much younger and a 2B at the time, his bWAR from 2004 on was 18.8, Manny's was 22.7. More interestingly, the Rangers got a short list of NY prospects to choose from to complete the deal, and they chose Joaquin Arias (who?) instead of Robinson Cano. A-Rod had 54 bWAR from 2004 on, Cano had 69.5.
(This is just adding some facts, I have hated A-Rod since he was on TEX)
Would that have been considered tampering?Yeah, that was rough. I like Millar, but that was ill advised.
In fairness, he was a vastly superior SS to Jeter and the only reason he played third instead of short was Jeter's pouting. If Jeter was the leader and captain the media made him out to be he would have moved to third for the betterment of the team.I hated the deal at the time. I recognized his skills but always thought ARod was the definition of entitled a-hole. He was insufferable and I didn't want him anywhere near the Red Sox. I still feel the same way about him. He should do more mirror self-kiss pics. It defines him well.
As I recall he had a lot of trouble getting the big hits in Yankee playoff games. I can't imagine how this place would react if he put up a playoff or World Series Ohfer, all with runners on. ARod did it routinely for years, often grounding into DPs IIRC.
His arm's length, always strained relationship with Jeter put some tension in the Bronx clubhouse too. He didn't care. He wanted to be the SS. I swear he pouted about it for his entire time there.
The Red Sox in the end, dodged a bullet, IMO.
No, because Millar was a player. And players can say almost anything they want about players on other teams.Would that have been considered tampering?
I can remember being at my mother's house, refreshing SoSH and BDD constantly through the then 5pm(?) trading deadline. At 5:15(?) or so I came downstairs to join the rest of the family entertaining some family friends, and one of those friends, who didn't know a damn thing about baseball, somehow knew and told me. Must have gotten a text from a friend, something like that. Totally gobsmacked me, but I was over Nomar's attitude that season (the Jeter extra inning affair seemed egregious at the time). I remember where I was sitting when they told me and everything. Ran back upstairs and probably didn't come back down til dinner.Several months later the Nomar trade was a seminal moment in the board’s history. Pre-smartphone and social media era it was much more difficult to get info real time so it was all SOSH. Moving Nomar was even more stunning to me than the failed ARod pursuit.
OK, but in 04, he went 2-17 with 1 HR, 2 RBIs, and 3 BBs in games 4-7, when the Sox were orchestrating the greatest come-from-behind abusement in sports history.ARod wasn't a great playoff performer overall, but he was pretty awesome during their 2009 title run.
.365/.500/.808/1.308, 5 2b, 15 r, 6 hr, 18 rbi, in 52 at-bats
And from 2004-2010 with the Yankees, in the playoffs he hit .275/.402/.517/.919 with 10 hr and 30 rbi in 48 games. Which, going up against the best pitching in the game, is pretty good. He really tailed off at the end though, as from 2011-2015 in the playoffs he hit .106/.204/.106/.310 in 13 games, which really sunk his overall playoff numbers.
Ha! For sure. We will conveniently forget that if Roberts gets thrown out (and he was safe by like an inch), ARod's ALCS line would have been: .368/.455/.789/1.244, with 8 r, 2 2b, 2 hr, and 5 rbi.OK, but in 04, he went 2-17 with 1 HR, 2 RBIs, and 3 BBs in games 4-7, when the Sox were orchestrating the greatest come-from-behind abusement in sports history.
Not. Clutch! That's what we most remember.
I still can't really believe it all happened.Ha! For sure. We will conveniently forget that if Roberts gets thrown out (and he was safe by like an inch), ARod's ALCS line would have been: .368/.455/.789/1.244, with 8 r, 2 2b, 2 hr, and 5 rbi.
But Roberts was safe and the rest is history.
I am glad we are remembering these days, when I first started lurking on SoSH. Way back then I wrote a haiku about A-Rod's ALCS performance, which I will share with you because you are my people.OK, but in 04, he went 2-17 with 1 HR, 2 RBIs, and 3 BBs in games 4-7, when the Sox were orchestrating the greatest come-from-behind abusement in sports history.
Not. Clutch! That's what we most remember.
No doubt A-Rod was the better SS but two pouters is better than one!In fairness, he was a vastly superior SS to Jeter and the only reason he played third instead of short was Jeter's pouting. If Jeter was the leader and captain the media made him out to be he would have moved to third for the betterment of the team.
Wasnt he a BALCO guy?Who knew he randomly put up a 1029 OPS season at age 33 bookended by two good not great years?
Magglio Ordonez: Implicated
Ordonez, currently a member of the Detroit Tigers, was named in a New York Times article on Jan. 24, 2008. The story reported sources who said Canseco offered to keep Ordonez's name out of his second book if he would invest in a movie project with him.
It seems a shame to bump an A-Rod thread this late in the playoffs, but someone was asking in tonight's game thread, so . . . here it is.too bad The Ezboard meltdown a couple years later wiped out a bunch of the archives or we could all go back and relive it