Whether we like it or not, this is a news story in Yankeeland.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Alex Rodriguez's torrid start has reaffirmed his intentions for after this season: He wants to stay in pinstripes.
Rodriguez, whose 14 homers are tied for the most ever in April, said Tuesday that he has no plans to leave the New York Yankees after the season, when the third baseman can opt of his contract.
"I want to stay in New York, no matter what," Rodriguez said in the Yankees' third-base dugout before Tuesday night's game at Tampa Bay.
"I love New York. It's the greatest place for me to play."
Rodriguez is entering the seventh season of his $252 million, 10-year contract, a deal he signed with the Texas Rangers. He can terminate the agreement after the season, forfeit the $81 million owed in the final three years and become a free agent.
There is a long list of players who have told the media during the season they wanted to stay with their respective clubs -- but then bolted once the season ended. I wouldn't read too much into this supposed "revelation" because anything can happen between now and crunch time when A-Rod ultimately makes his decision in the off-season.
However, I am very pleased to see the way A-Rod has handled the media over the last few weeks. Of course, it's much easier to do so when you are off to the best start in MLB history, but he has been very short with his responses to questions and saying all the right things. More importantly, he's got giving his detractors and the NY-media mob anything to run with these days.
I guess A-Rod finally took that Public Relations 101 course last off-season to go along with his intense training regimen and his motivation to give everyone the proverbial finger this season after treating him like a dog for the last 3 years.
I just hope he continues to do what he's been doing both on and off the field because we've all said a thousand times that he should just simply "shut up and play" since the day he first donned the Pinstripes and this is the first time he's done so with any regularity.