FORT MYERS – There are many layers to the Red Sox’ dislike of Alex Rodriguez, and here is another one: Right-hander Bronson Arroyo long ago forged his opinion of Rodriguez’ on-field behavior.
Arroyo, who was involved in two controversial plays with A-Rod last season, played against A-Rod in high school. In 1993, Arroyo was a sophomore shortstop at Hernando High in Brooksville, Fla., when his team played Westminster Christian of Miami, A-Rod’s powerhouse high school.
What happened on the field that day shocked Arroyo.
“At the time I thought he was the cockiest dude I ever saw,” Arroyo said yesterday. “I’m on second base and he walks up to the umpire in the infield, with a straight face and says, ‘Hey man, tell the guy behind the plate we get those calls back home.’ He was 18 years old. I couldn’t believe that he said it. I said, Holy [cow], look at this guy, a high-school kid talking to an umpire like that.”
A-Rod hit a home run to win that game in extra innings.
“He’s always been confident; he’s not going to change, he’ll be the same guy this year,” Arroyo said. “I’m sure we’ll have some battles in the 19 games we play. . . . As long as I don’t hit him with a four-seamer in the ribs everything will be fine.”
What if Arroyo does hit him again, like last July 24, when he plunked Rodriguez on the elbow pad, igniting the A-Rod-Jason Varitek brawl?
“He’ll think I was throwing at him on purpose on July 24, and we’ll probably have problems,” Arroyo said with a smile.
A-Rod’s respect level has dropped because of that incident and when he slapped the ball away from Arroyo in Game 6 of the ALCS, Arroyo said.
“You have a level of respect for people for what they do on the field, but also for the way they carry themselves,” Arroyo said. “I think a couple of incidents, the [July 24] incident and knocking the ball out of my hand had a lot to do with people’s perception of the way he plays the game, and I think people could perceive him as a little bit of a dirty player and not as likeable as maybe he once was, and I think that’s where the rivalry kind of starts.”
Does Arroyo see Rodriguez as a dirty player?
“Not really. I thought when I hit him he was out of line because I wasn’t throwing at him,” Arroyo said. “But as far as the play at first base, I wouldn’t fault him for it because Game 6, a desperate situation, they’re trying to win a ballgame. Do what you got to do to try to win.”
The Red Sox’ dislike for Rodriguez went from a catcher’s mitt in the face by Varitek to verbal slams by Curt Schilling, Trot Nixon and David Wells. A-Rod has become the face of the Evil Empire.
Earlier this month, A-Rod put his workout regimen on display for ESPN.com. In that report he said he is working out early every morning in his quest to finally capture a World Series ring.
“There are 650 or 700 other players who are sleeping or taking their kids to school, but there’s no way they are going to be running the stairs or doing what I’m doing,” he said.
Nixon took issue with that comment. Varitek didn’t mention A-Rod by name yesterday but said, “As far as defending what work I do in the offseason and be able to still be a father, I don’t need to boast or to show people. . . . I know what work I do and I know how hard I work. I don’t have to worry about what somebody else does. I know I’m ready to be here. I’m physically, mentally ready to be here right now, and that’s all I can control.”
So can this rivalry get bigger? “No, I don’t think so,” Varitek said. “At least not in my lifetime.”
We’ll see about that.
