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Have you ever stopped to consider those critical moments in your life when you made big decisions that charted the course for where you are today? Have you ever wondered where you would be if you had made different choices?

I wonder how the Alex Rodriguez story would have been different if we had signed him when I was general manager of the New York Mets in 2000 instead of rejecting him. I wonder how it would have changed my story. 

Every indication at the time was that A-Rod wanted to play for the Mets. It was the team he had rooted for as a kid. But his agent was Scott Boras, who had been posturing that he was going to secure a record-setting contract for Rodriguez. It sure seemed like money was going to be the biggest issue in any negotiation. 

I met with Boras during the general managers’ meetings in Fernandina Beach, Fla., in November. This meeting took place at a time in the off-season calendar when clubs and agents couldn’t negotiate the dollar terms of any deal, but could discuss other parameters. 

Word on the street at the time was that Boras was hoping to land a 10-year, $250-million contract for Rodriguez that included opt-out clauses plus built-in assurances that he would remain the highest-paid player throughout the deal. 

In our meeting Boras explained that Rodriguez was an iconic player who shouldn’t be considered in the way that any other player was evaluated. Boras then went on to itemize the necessities of the deal:

- An office in the stadium for Rodriguez’s marketing representative. The marketing rep would work out of the stadium so Rodriguez could come in and work with him at times. 

- A suite in the stadium for friends, family and business partners. Attendees in the suite would need access to the clubhouse after the game to say hello to Rodriguez and get autographs. 

- Use of the team logo. 

- Access to the organizational scouting reports to see the depth of prospects that would eventually be playing with him.

- A meeting with the marketing department to see how they would market him in New York. Rodriguez isn’t arrogant but he wanted to know how many billboards we would have of him in New York in comparison with Derek Jeter. 

- A tent in spring training to sell A-Rod apparel and merchandise. 

- A private jet at his disposal since he got hassled so much when travelling commercially.

Boras made it clear that he already had much of this in place in Seattle, so these were mandatory components of any potential deal. 

I remember walking back from the meeting and telling our public relations director about all of the demands and saying there was no way I could do the deal. The extra stuff made it a non-starter for negotiations even before the money. 

I believed in the concept of team, and anything that separated and distinguished one player from the rest could compromise the structure and fabric of the 25-man roster.

I told ownership my feelings about the demands and was told to end it. So before the negotiations even began we were out of the pursuit of the biggest and best free agent. I was instructed to blow it out of the water and make sure I crushed any speculation that this was just a negotiating ploy.

So I did that. Regretfully. I addressed the media and told them I couldn’t create an environment that treated a single player one way and the other 24 another.

Mike Piazza was our superstar. He was the most low-maintenance superstar ever. He didn’t have an entourage or a marketing representative. He never made it about him. He was a great teammate who played for the name on the front of the uniform, not the one on the back. 

I have always believed the rules have to be the same for everyone, even if the consequences may be different. I believed special treatment for individual players could create the resentment and animosity that can tear apart a team.

Unfortunately, my description labelled Rodriguez as a selfish player. It stuck to him and I feel bad about that to this day. I could have done a better job of explaining our position, but I was afraid of disappointing my owner.

I wanted it to be clear and unquestionable that we were out, and to make it clear that it wasn’t about the money. We never would have given Rodriguez the $252-million contract he got from the Rangers, but I didn’t want there to be an impression that ownership was cheap. So I sold the extras as the deal-breaking issues and, in doing so, hurt Rodriguez.

I wonder what would have happened if we had re-engaged Boras with a list of things we were willing to accept if Rodriguez wanted to play for us. I wonder if he would have said yes. I wonder if we would have won a World Series. I wonder if the perception of Rodriguez would have been better. I wonder if he would have made different decisions if he had felt the immediate love of Mets fans. I wonder if I would have gotten another contract as Mets general manager. 

We will never know. That was a critical time in Rodriguez’s career and I took away one of the paths at the proverbial fork in the road when I said I couldn’t bend on my beliefs about team. Was I too inflexible? Was I short-sighted? 

Rodriguez didn’t speak to me after that for years, even when I was within an arm’s length speaking with other players. He was mad. I understand. He actually said at the press conference when he signed with the Rangers in December 2000 that he hoped he could run into me in a dark alley with his 24 Ranger teammates. I have to admit I avoided dark alleys after that. 

But I got to experience a different Rodriguez last year when we shook hands and said hello around the batting cage. I apologized for not handling things better and he said that it was okay and that things were just crazy back then. It made me feel better.

One thing I have learned is that it is not easy being a superstar player. We sometimes forget they are people. They have stuff to deal with, just like we have stuff. Sometimes their stuff conflicts with the job and the lifestyle. 

I am rooting for Rodriguez in his post-playing career. He showed last year in the playoffs that he can be an excellent analyst if he desires. He has always been a student of the game, so he could be a coach like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds. Who knows what else the future holds? 

Five years from now his Hall of Fame status will be talk radio gold. There is no doubt in my mind that Rodriguez is one of the best players ever to play, and his ability and numbers warrant first-ballot recognition. 

However, unless the Hall of Fame guides the baseball writers on how to handle the steroid era, his chances of election seem remote. The writers have been clear with their ballots that if a player is directly connected to performance-enhancing drugs they won’t gain induction to the Hall. 

If I had a vote, Rodriguez would get mine every year he is on the ballot. I wonder if we had signed him in 2000 if he would have gone into the Hall of Fame as a Met. We will never know.

 

Spitting Seeds

- Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow announced he is holding a showcase for MLB teams to evaluate his skills because he wants to play baseball. Tebow, 29, hasn’t played baseball since his junior year in high school. I like Tebow, but this is insulting to people in the game. The fact that he thinks he can jump right in and become a major leaguer shows a complete lack of understanding of how tough the game is. I have a better chance of becoming an NFL quarterback than Tebow has of becoming a big-league player.  Heck, Tebow has a better chance of being an NFL quarterback than playing baseball.  It is much more difficult to hit a baseball than it is to complete a pass.

- Prince Fielder announced his retirement on Wednesday because he is unable to physically perform due to his second neck surgery. It’s a sad story because he loved to play the game. The tears at his press conference were real.  He ended up with the same number of home runs (319) as his father, Cecil.  He will still collect $20 million a year through 2020. The Rangers will get some relief from a disability insurance policy they had on his contract, plus they are still receiving money from the Tigers. 

- The Astros designated centre fielder Carlos Gomez for assignment on Wednesday. This has been a dismal season for the very emotional Gomez.  A change of scenery may do him some good.  He is only 30 years old. With outfielders Jose Bautista and Kevin Pillar on the DL, he may be a play for the Blue Jays as long as he is a minimum salary risk after being released.

- Bautista’s negotiating leverage has all but disappeared considering his diminished performance and injury-laden season. If he had been able to stay healthy all year or performed well in his injury-shortened season he would have maintained some leverage. Ironically, the issues he has had may give the Jays the best chance to keep him because no other team may jump to sign him. 

- Yasiel Puig certainly isn’t showing that he is learning how to be a better Dodger.  After his demotion to the minor leagues he sent out a series of videos on Snapchat of him and his Oklahoma City Dodger teammates partying and swearing. If I was in charge of the Dodgers, Puig would have just forfeited any chance of a September call-up. 

- You need to know the name Alex Reyes. He is a power-armed right-handed pitcher the Cardinals just called-up to the majors.  He will be in their rotation in the future but will serve in the bullpen now.  He topped out at 101 miles per hour on Tuesday.  Once he relaxes, he may throw even harder.  How do the Cardinals do it?

- For those who doubt that being a manager is stressful, just ask Bruce Bochy and Terry Francona.  Both managers were taken to the hospital this week for evaluation and treatment.  Bochy, who had two stents put in his heart in February, fell ill on Sunday and missed the Giants game on Monday in Miami.  Francona had chest pains prior to the Indians game on Tuesday but was back in the dugout on Wednesday.

Steve Phillips was general manager of the New York Mets from 1997 through 2003, helping lead the club to a National League championship in 2000 and its first World Series appearance since 1986. His analysis appears each week on TSN.ca, TSN Radio and SportsCentre.