The Era Of Slappy: 3 Years and Counting

Did anyone else remember this?

February 14th is anniversary. An event that occurred on this day a few years ago seemed to pass with very little notice in the sporting world. And especially in Yankeeland.

Three years ago, the New York Yankees traded Alfonso Soriano to the Texas Rangers for their shortstop, one Alex Rodriguez.

From the reactions to the trade at the time, you would have thought the world was coming to an end in some quarters. In others, the Yankees were patted on the back for "hornswaggling" the Red Sox yet again. Some people even thought the deal was unfair, that the Yankees were too "loaded." The attitude in the media and among the Bronx faithful seemed to be, "why bother playing the 2004 baseball season, just give the Yankees their World Series trophy now."

I emailed a few friends of mine, Red Sox fans, at the time that the Yankees were just swapping one great offensive player for another, and that they didn't "add" another superstar (like they did with say, Reggie Jackson in 1977). And I also made mention another fact that a lot of people were overlooking at the time.

Alex Rodriguez can't pitch.

Funny that I didn't hear yesterday many Yankee fans recalling the great "swindle" the Yankees pulled off back on February 14, 2004, about how they broke the "hearts" (and on Valentine's Day) of Red Sox fans for the 10 millionth time. (Or so the BS at the time went on about.)

Yes, it was three years ago that Alex Rodriguez wore pinstripes for the first time, in a trade that at the time was compared to Babe Ruth being sold by the Red Sox to New York in 1920.

Haven't heard many A-Rod comparisons to the Babe lately, have you?