Mugger: GREAT SCOTT
Consider this a plea to the countrys sportswriters, especially those in New York: Scott Boras, the abrasive, cunning, obnoxious and brilliant agent whose most famous client is currently Alex Rodriguez, will not be retiring in the near future. In fact, as Major League Baseballs revenues continue to increase each year, Boras, whos about as shy as Donald Trump, will loom even larger in the sports landscape, so if his negotiating tactics are so outrageous and offensive, why not just ignore his theatrics and simply report on his transactions?
That wont happen, of course, because every subset of American popular culture is required to have a villain, and now that pumpkin-headed Barry Bonds has surpassed Hank Aarons home-run record, his ability to create a commotion within the sanctimonious community of baseball writers and analysts has deteriorated almost as severely as the former San Francisco Giants legs. Even if Bonds is indicted on tax evasion chargesas has been rumored for several yearsthat wont knock Boras off the back pages of the Daily News and Post for more than a day or two, since an ongoing legal battle isnt nearly as compelling as the continuing saga of the 54-year-old agent who is now held responsible for besmirching the games integrity. As anyone who follows baseball is well aware, Rodriguez will apparently not be returning to the Yankees next year, because he and Boras have decided to gamble that the socially insecure slugger can make more money with another team. Fair enough, it seems to me, and though the howls of disloyalty to the team that some writers still, unfathomably, refer to as the class of sports franchises wouldve been loud in any case, it was Boras timing of the announcement that propelled a sudden cottage industry built on self-righteousness.
The News Mike Lupica, whose columns I generally like, was beside himself, claiming that A-Rod was being used by Boras, as if the MVP is completely brain-dead. He wrote on Nov. 4, If A-Rod doesnt think so, then he ought to check the reaction hes been getting since Boras made the announcement about A-Rod becoming a free agent during Game 4 of the World Series, when the Red Sox were about to win again because a cancer survivor named Jon Lester was pitching the game of his young life.
Now, thats just cheap, pulling out the cancer card to make a dig at Boras. (And, for accuracys sake, when FOX passed on the A-Rod news to its audience, Lester had already given way to his bullpen.)
ESPNs Peter Gammonsa former Boston Globe baseball writer whos a member of the Hall of Fame, even while far more worthy and historic figures like Curt Flood and Marvin Miller are nottook the opportunity to crucify Boras and A-Rod upon last weeks news that Bostons Curt Schilling would return to the team for another year at a reduced guaranteed salary. According to Gammons, This is admirable, because there isnt anyone who cares about the game who still doesnt have a hangover from the vile announcement of the A-Rod opt-out as Jon Lester closed out the World Series.
What nonsense. As some readers might remember, Im a lifelong Red Sox fan, through thin and occasionally thick since 1962, and while watching Boston polish off the Rockies on Oct. 28 the A-Rod news didnt strike me as vile. Sure, Boras timing was calculated, maybe out of the Elmer Gantry playbook, but thats his style of business, one that has made millions over the years for those athletes he represents. And its worth noting that Boras, as The New Yorkers Ben McGrath wrote in a recent profile headlined The Extortionist, while far from a pauper, has a take-home salary thats far less than that of his veteran clients.
Besides, the perceived transgressions of Boras pale next to any number of truly abominable aspects of MLB in the 21st century.
Such as: Televising post-season games at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, thus making it impossible for kids to watch more than a few innings. Or the fact that the American and National Leagues still cant agree to have a uniform policy on designated hitters. Or that with all the gnashing of teeth by management over escalating salaries, most owners are tremendously wealthy and, unlike their counterparts 60 years ago, didnt acquire teams to put bread on the table.
For example, the Minnesota Twins continually plead poverty and will most likely trade their star pitcher Johan Santana since hes expected to land a contract of more than $20 million a year when he becomes a free agent a year from now. The Twins, as a small-market team, complain they cant compete with the likes of the Yanks, Red Sox, Angels, Dodgers and Mets. What isnt emphasized enough by those who pillory a relative minnow like Boras is that Twins owner Carl Pohlad is a billionaire who could, if he desired, sign or retain any player he wanted.
Likewise, the Orioles owner Peter Angelos is another billionaire who refuses to woo high-priced free agents on the grounds of fiscal integrity, even as his team has now suffered 10 consecutive losing seasons and has seen attendance drop precipitously.
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who once upon a time occupied the villain niche in baseball for his blustery and often irrational behavior, nevertheless spent millions upon millions of dollars to give New York a winning team. Now approaching 80 and in declining health, Steinbrenner has largely handed over the team to his sons, one of whom, Hank, promises to continue his fathers legacy of headline-grabbing pronouncements. After A-Rod opted out, Hank said, He doesnt understand the privilege of being a Yankee I dont want anyone on my team that doesnt want to be a Yankee. Thats posturing, obviously, for if Boras finds no takers for the services of his marquee client, hell go back to the Yankees and the Steinbrenners and both sides will concoct some elaborate spin to save face.
Its called doing business. And no matter what fans and, more important, baseball owners think about Boras aggressive strategy, hes not evil, hes not the devil, just a sports entrepreneur who happens to be better than his peers at performing his job.