A Bittersweet Return???
July 8, 2007
I have been a fan of the Texas Rangers since the mid 90’s, through thick and thin, for better or for worse. As fans it is our job to question to moves of our teams’ owner and his managerial staff. We may not always agree with the moves, but if nothing else, they provide decent water cooler talk.
But in the latest column of the Bergen County Register – a New Jersey publication – Tom Hicks who – if this even has one bit of truth- proves that he likes being the laughing stock among Texas Ranger fans.
Could Tom Hicks really be this asinine? With how this season has gone, with the team’s less than stellar record and with the team supposedly committing to a youth movement how could you possibly even think about brining Alex Rodriguez back?
I’m sure Hicks wants us to think that signing A-rod would increase the number in the win column. But the only number that is going to increase with this deal is going to be the attendance. And Mr. Hicks know this. This is purely for public relations, Tom Hicks doesn’t care what place this team finishes he is in it purely for the money. He actually reminds me of the Cleveland Indians owner in the film Major League.
I am a huge fan of Alex, i’ve got nothing against him as on individual person or player. And I’m not going out as far as some to say that he is a team cancer, but let’s face it the team was not very good with Alex. The rangers finished in last place all 3 seasons he was here and his outlandish contract hampered the team from making any financial moves that could benefit the club.
So unless Alex Rodriguez decides to give Tom Hicks and Jon “Boy” Daniels a huge discount, I don’t see anyway this is a positive move.
That HAS to be one of those wacky unfounded July rumors. Even Hicks has said he regretted giving ARod 10 years the first time (he repeated that as recently as the Laufenberg interview). Hicks may be insane enough to bring ARod back, but not for 10 years. AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, ARod’s not dumb enough to make the same mistake twice.
I’ve been planning a post on this for a while, but I still think the ARod signing was good one. If you go back and look at it from the point of view of the time – ARod was a great addition, even though the contract to get him here was 2-3 years too long and several million $ a year too high.
The problem was the lie behind it. And that turned out to be ARod’s problem with it too. One that making him Captain couldn’t smooth over.
As important as the length and dollars in the contract was Hicks’ promise to ARod that his financial committment to ARod would not prevent him from adding other pieces to make the team a winner. That didn’t hold true. And that’s what made ARod leave. And I doubt he’ll ever return as long as Hicks and Hart are still around. They’d have to sign Zambrano and Buehrle, keep Tex and Gagne and get a new catcher just to have a chance to beg ARod to play here again.
I don’t think there is any truth to that rumor. Some writers just don’t have much of clue what they’re talking about and this guy is one of them.
As far as the first A-Rod signing, it’s still setting this team back. Hicks acted like an idiot when he signed A-Rod for so much over what other teams were offering and then felt obligated to go out and sign Chan Ho to another horrible contract so they could “win now”. Chan Ho’s contract just ran out last year and hampered us (in the form of Phil Nevin) and Hicks is still paying Alex 7 mill a year to play for the Yankees. Not to mention all the money Hicks deferred to Alex to pay him in future years so that he could go out and make those “win now” signings. I can still remember Alex saying, “I don’t care if it’s Hicks paying me or Hicks JR.” Well I care because that’s always going to be money we can’t spend to help this team.
Alex is not a bad baseball player, but he was a bad signing then and I couldn’t believe that he would give a discount to come and play for us again.
I love your line: “(Hicks) actually reminds me of the Cleveland Indians owner in the film Major League.” Greatness.
Here’s the post I mentioned I was working on:
http://rangersorrobbers.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/alex-rodriguez-contract-extension-and-tom-hicks-contribution-to-the-yankees-future/