Expensive time off

[Brian Shannon]

Ok since I am a die hard Red Sox fan it isn't in me to feel ANY compassion for Yankee fans. Yet IF (and man I can't make that if big enough) I were a fan of theirs or did have some feelings towards those who root for the pin striped bums from NYC, I think I might be a little ticked off at A-Rod. He is currently batting .244 which is 41 points LOWER than his worst full season in the Majors...which was 1999 while with the Seattle Mariners. He is just flat out struggling. Still my Sox only have a game lead currently over the juicer's club.

Yet that isn't the big thing that would fire me up if I followed them. It's that Manager Joe Girardi stated a couple of weeks ago that he was going to give A-Rod a game off each week until after the All-Star break. It doesn't matter if they have a day off or not Alex will be sitting out one game each week. So since he said that and until after the July 14th game A-Rod will cost his team, get this, $1,018,522 to sit out! So we all know who foots the bill for Alex, the fans. The Yanks average ticket price is $72.97, which by the way is up 76% from last years $41.40 average ticket price and nearly $25 dollars more than Boston. Their premium ticket price comes in at $510.08. I would hate to see what a full season ticket holder would have to pay.

With all that cost on fans they should be upset that A-Rod is sitting out some games, especially the home games. The ones where they fork over all that cash to see him play. For crying out loud the guy makes $203,704.40 a game. That is ABSURD! What takes an average American family over 4 years to make, he does in one game. That figure also is DOUBLE what his opening day backup, Cody Ransom, will make all season.

So during these tough times where people are losing their jobs, benefits or having their salaries cut, Alex Rodriguez is being asked to take a few days off. No worries though, it isn't going to cost the fans any more money, the Yankees already budgeted for their first born when they resigned Alex.

Here are his stats in case you care.