The media misses the real questions to ask about the 'A-Rod' book

So there's a whole to-do today in the media over the fact that after being asked question after question after question about Alex Rodriguez and the new book about him, Joe Girardi finally spoke out in defense of his third baseman:

"I have some issues with it, that it's interesting how the book date got moved up now," Girardi said, "and I get tired of answering these questions. I don't understand why someone would write a book like this anyway, and some people may not care to hear that but I don't understand."

He also said:

“Just going into someone’s life. I have three small kids and there are things in my life that I probably wish I could have a re-do on. I wouldn’t want those dragged through the mud and I’m sure you wouldn’t, either.

Sounds like common sense to me, right? Wrong - at least not as far as the media is concerned. They're all a tizzy that Joe would dare to criticize a journalist.

Newsday's Wallace Matthews is shocked, shocked that after being asked four questions in a row about the A-Rod book, Girardi actually gave an impassioned response. Matthews writes:

Only Girardi knows what he was trying to accomplish....But whatever his intentions, all Girardi accomplished Sunday was this: He helped Roberts and her publisher, Harper Collins, sell a few more books. He left a room full of reporters scratching their heads and wondering what the hell brought all that on.

I listened to the audio on Peter Abraham's LoHud site. If anybody in the media really wondered what brought that on, they are kidding themselves. Joe's been asked questions on this book for four straight days now. And Sunday's New York Post had a story entitled, "Horny A-Rod a Lap Dunce," featuring more lurid revelations from the book. It's not a surprise to me why Girardi might have had enough of this line of questioning.

But you would have thought Girardi had set the First Amendment on fire or something. The Post's Joel Sherman waxed indignant over Joe's saying he didn't understand why books like this were written:

At this point, we can assume Girardi dislikes the Red Sox and the First Amendment equally. Watch out, movie business, you are in trouble in 2010 -- that is, if you actually think Girardi will be working here in 2010.....

Oh, snap! Guess Sherman never heard the old Tony Randall/"Odd Couple" routine about what happens when you assume.

Anyhow, Sherman continues his own rant:

So if Girardi were the Czar of the Written Word, we would never read about how the personal lives of presidents influence their decision-making. Great. Or, in the case of Rodriguez, what influences shaped the most famous baseball player in the world to be so reckless, insecure, self-destructive and egomaniacal -- by the way, all elements that impact the atmosphere of Girardi's team.

Yeah, Joel, you're right. Selena Roberts' groundbreaking reporting, featuring tidbits like how A-Rod had a clubbie put toothpaste on a toothbrush for him, and how Alex "only" tipped 15% at Hooters, is right up there with the best of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough.

And really, we all needed Roberts to tell us that A-Rod is a needy, greedy, insecure narcissist who says and does a lot of stupid things. Thanks, Selena. I had no idea!

Speaking of "elements that impact the atmosphere of Girardi's team," you would think Sherman or somebody else in the New York media would try to do a little investigative work of their own and find out which current Yankees collaborated with Roberts on her book. She has said several Yankees have volunteered incriminating information to her about A-Rod, including after his spring training press conference. It would be interesting to know which Bombers were behind Roberts' biggest bombshell - the fact that A-Rod failed that steroids test.

Oh, but we know that will never happen, much like we're not likely to see any investigation of the other 103 players who failed that steroids tests, or a tell-all about Angel Presinal's other clients (like, um, David Ortiz!). No, the media would like to have us believe that A-Rod is the only baseball player in history to ever do steroids, cheat on his wife, and use clubhouse workers as errand boys.

I don't think fans are buying that line of reasoning, though. And I don't think fans will exactly be buying this book in droves. Even though Roberts' "A-Rod" has gotten five straight days of publicity in the national media, it just cracked Amazon's top #100 today. The book is currently only at #100 (!), behind such books as Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" (which has been only been out for 50 years or so) and the latest Sookie Sackhouse book. Sheesh.

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