I’m a Dad of two boys and a youth baseball coach for both.  They both look up to A-Rod as well as other players.   The greatest player of our time, who is idolized by young ball players all over the world, has been caught cheating.   Add to this his less than upfront way of handling it with the media and you have a really bad mix when it comes to how kids will see all this.

Thankfully younger kids probably won’t understand the gorey details, nor should they be exposed to them.   Here are some thoughts about how to explain this to kids (depending on age).

1. On illegal drug use…. Drugs of any kind are only good for you if a doctor recommends them to help you. Any person that takes any drug without a doctor’s permissions is not doing the right thing or possibly breaking the law. A-Rod did the wrong thing by taking those drugs and he knows it now. He wants his fans to know this… especially kids.

2. On telling the truth… Life can be complicated for adults. Some adults have a difficult time being honest with themselves and others. You can learn from this… make a commitment to yourself that you will always be truthful with yourself and others.

3. On being a good teammate… When your part of a team it’s part of your responsibility to be a good teammate and help your fellow players. The other Yankee players were there to support A-Rod because he is going through a tough time.   When any player is having a rough time you pick him up.  But it is A-Rod’s responsibility to do the right thing.

4. On his baseball stats and records… While records are cool to talk about, they are not what baseball is all about. A-Rod has probably learned that having good teammates behind you and playing the game are the most important things about baseball.

5. On cheating by using PEDs… It’s wrong and illegal for players to use PEDs.  MLB, NCAA and High School all have policies that deter players from using them.   The way to increase strength is through diet and exercise.  The way to improve baseball skills is through proper training and practice.   There are no short cuts… it takes hard work. The lesson to learn from A-Rod and others is if you cheat you will get caught.

6. Is A-Rod still a good player… A-Rod is a great player. He is fun to watch and you can learn a lot from watching him play the game. He made a mistake, he’s trying to say he’s sorry and he wants to move on and play baseball. He wants all kids to know that what he did was wrong.

Maybe it would have been helpful if A-Rod had something similar to the above in his written statement yesterday.   You can’t just throw money at this problem.  You have to start early with proper education.  Hey A-Rod, Man Up! For the kids!

Speak Out: Yankee Fan Forum

The entire interview will be on ESPN at 6pm eastern.  A portion is on ESPN.com.   He did them for 3 years but doesn’t know what kind of substance he took?    It’s admirable that he is not pulling a Roger Clemens and denying his use.  However, I hope after I see the 6pm interview with Gammons his position is credible.

Speak Out: Yankee Fan Forum

Jorge Posada

During the last Yankee road trip Cashman had a chat Posada and asked him if he could “catch 120 games in 2009?”.   “He looked me in the eye and he swears that he’s going to be back, as good as ever,” Cashman said earlier this month. “It’s up to us to buy into that or not.” 

As for Ivan Rodriguez?  All signs point to Pudge signing with another team in 2009.  Having Jose Melina as a back up catcher makes this choice an easy one for the Yankees.  Melina has told Yankee brass that he plans to train in the off season as if he will be called on to catch 100+ games.  That’s the kind of back up catcher any club would want.

:: Donnie23