HAL: WHY A-ROD IS WORTHY YANKEE MENTOR
TAMPA — Hal Steinbrenner has flung the Yankees’ doors open to Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod is expected to join Yankees spring training in the next week as an instructor and adviser. As with the Instructional League last fall, Steinbrenner is particularly interested in having Rodriguez work with the organization’s youngest — and, thus, most impressionable — players.
But should the Yankees owner be doing this?
I have been wondering for a while: How different would it be to have Lance Armstrong around your young Tour de France team than to have Rodriguez around your top prospects?
Both were historic greats whose accomplishments are tainted because of their use of illegal performanceenhancers. Both long lied about their use. More than that actually, both fought vigorously against allegations and went hard after the reputations and integrity of their accusers even as they knew they were covering up usage. Both were hit with suspensions. And only after there were no other avenues to which to turn realistically did they publicly acknowledge use.
Armstrong is still generally perceived as a pariah in his sport. A-Rod is viewed in good standing with the Commissioner’s Office and is held in even higher esteem by the ultimate Yankees decision maker.
“I don’t know anything about Lance Armstrong or cycling,” Steinbrenner told The Post in a one-onone interview in the fourth-floor conference room at the field named for his father, George. “What I can tell you is that Alex has always been tremendous [with young players], as he was with Didi [Gregorius] and [Starlin] Castro. He’s tremendous with younger players, he just is. He has had ups and downs like anybody, but he truly, sincerely loves that job [working with young players].
“There are a lot of other people who are good at teaching, but then we have truly exceptional teachers who excelled at shaping lives and mentoring and I think he is one of those guys. He was in Instructional League and everyone loved him and he truly enjoyed it and that sets him apart from other people.”
Rodriguez is still due $20 million this season on the final year of his $275 million pact and as part of the deal to remove him from the roster, A-Rod and Steinbrenner agreed he would work with young players, because even in rough times, Rodriguez had gained a reputation as a baseball gym rat who loves passing along his wisdom.
“The fact is he truly cares and [young players] pick up on that and, of course, the wealth of knowledge he has,” Steinbrenner said. “He is great to have around our young players.”
Derek Jeter did not have the same baseball-gym-rat persona — he would admit to not watching games when he was not playing. But he also had a pristine reputation and a more glorious Yankees tenure. His number is being retired this season, but he has mainly kept his distance from the organization since retiring. Jeter did not like how his final few contract negotiations went with the organization and his farewell season was not tension-free.
“I don’t want to speak for Derek, but there are no hard feelings there,” Steinbrenner said. “Derek certainly is involved from time to time. [Farm director] Gary Denbo will call him and say, ‘Hey, if I can get [Jorge] Mateo on the phone would you talk to him about this particular thing’ and Derek will do it. Derek is involved. As far as being here in uniform in spring training, when the time is right, he is just a year or two out of this. I am confident he will be part of this organization at whatever level he wants to be. … He knows how I feel. I know he knows there are no hard feelings. He just got married. He’s been in baseball his whole life, maybe he just wants a breather. He knows we are here and we aren’t going anywhere.”
Steinbrenner on a few other matters:
On whether the door ever will be open for another controversial exYankee, Roger Clemens, to be involved with the organization: “The answer is no, I haven’t [thought about it], but I don’t know Roger the way I do Alex. I don’t have that kind of relationship with Roger, but there is no doubt he was a great one. … That is too speculative [about having him back]. I would have to talk to him at some point and see if he would have interest in even wanting to be back. He had an illustrious career; ups and downs, as well.”
On getting under the luxury tax in 2018 to better set up for the big free-agent class after that season: “I have to see what the needs are. I have to see who is healthy and who didn’t perform and what the needs are. … There is an opportunity to do that, but we will put a lot of money back into the club as we always do. It is hard for me to answer that until six months from now. This is the first time in a while that we have flexibility, that we have a substantial amount of money coming off the payroll.”
On expanding the payroll in July if the Yankees are contenders: “I am always willing to do that. If we truly need a piece that makes a difference, absolutely.”