Can You Blame Him??

"You know, identical twins are never really identical. There is always one that is prettier, and the other one does all the work. "

Hell hath no fury like a scorned lover...and there isn't a fan in Yankee Universe who know just how scorned Joe Torre felt. OK so it is old news but I have to throw my two cents in for the few people who haven't joined me in wonderful world of Facebook (which once again...I am on several times a time). I don't really care about most of the bullshit that Joe spun in his latest betrayal of the Yanks...but I can't help but talk about the "Single White Female" like obsession that A-Rod supposedly had for Derek Jeter. True or not...this is not the question. In fact there is only one question and that is....

Can you blame him?

A-Rod and Derek started their careers at practically the same time...playing the same position, both young, handsome and the world of baseball was theirs for the taking. Everyone compared the two rising stars...hell I seem to remember that they were both featured in People Magazine's 50 Most Eligible Bachelor issue in 2000. And they were best friends.

In spite of all of the similarities...A-Rod could have and should have been the clear winner. He had the obvious advantage. A-Rod was the rising star on a team that would have sold their soul to sell his merchandise....while Derek was a merely a single sparkle in the greatest collection of diamonds in sports. The Yankee teams prior to this decade had made themselves known for having a collection of high caliber players...but no single star. The cards had been dealt and A-Rod had the winning hand.

And yet he lost. He has since become one of the most hated players in sports..hated by even his own fans...and no matter how many records he breaks, no matter how much money he makes, no matter who he dates...he will never rise above the star that is Derek Jeter. EVERYONE loves Derek. Do a google search of A-Rod and you will get more Anti-A-Rod sites than you will sites for him. More importantly...you do a google search of Derek Jeter and the negative thing you will find about him is that he is a gay with A-Rod...which is still a stab at A-Rod more than Derek.

Derek might not have the sheer talent, killer smile, outrageous bank account or sexy accent that A-Rod has but he is most beloved man in baseball. And that must baffle the shit out of poor Alex.

But the truth is that as much as he wanted to...Alex couldn't Derek for his success...he became consumed by the need to understand it. In his quest to understand how he held all of the winning cards and still lost...Alex became consumed with the man who beat him. It isn't a gay thing...or a scary thing...it is a sad thing.

When you think of it like that...I ask you again...can you blame him?

I am loyal fan to Derek...and always will be. I am forever disappointed in A-Rod the Yankee. And yet I find myself pitying A-Rod the man. His evil ex-wife should have never steered him towards New York. Alex never would have become the legend that Derek is regardless of where he was at...but going to New York sealed his fate and forever cast him as the bastard child in the Yankee family. Since day one he has been surrounded by people who will forever think of him a impostor...a pretender and challenger to throne of their beloved Jeter.

Of course the man would lash out by being a boisterous asshole. Of course he would call attention to his records. He was (and still is) a desperate man who was grabbing at the only straws within his reach...and all his grabbing just made his house fall even faster.

Think of this and ask yourself...can you blame him?

And now I say to you...look at Derek...

See him in his glory and ask yourself...could you blame anyone for becoming so obsessed with him? Hell...I would take him and keep him as my own if I could. I suspect that for me an obsession with Derek would be far less painful me than it is for Alex...so offer him the chance to change places with me....

So if you're reading this A-Rod...look me up on Facebook.