Can we talk—about Alex Rodriguez? I like to think I understand him, and the effect he has on a baseball team, since (1) I used to like him (when he played for the Seattle Mariners and my adopted Texas Rangers) and (2) I now dislike him (once he began playing for the New York Yankees). He played for the Rangers for three years. During this time, I watched every game on television, saw every one of his plate appearances, read everything he said to local reporters, and listened to what his manager and teammates said about him.

A-Rod is a cancer. It’s hard to articulate why. First, understand that no current teammate of A-Rod’s would dare criticize him publicly. So the fact that A-Rod’s fellow Yankees haven’t said anything bad about him during his time there is not evidence that they liked having him as a teammate. It’s even reasonable to believe that his teammates will say good things about him even if they don’t believe them, for the sake of team camaraderie.

The first negative effect A-Rod has on a team is that he consumes a large proportion of its salary. This means that the team can’t spend as much money on other players. Yes, A-Rod puts up big numbers. He always has and always will. He is a wonderfully talented athlete. But are his numbers big enough to justify the expenditure? Maybe not. Second, there is this thing called envy. It’s one of the seven deadly sins. Every human being experiences it, even if few are willing to admit it. How do you think Derek Jeter feels when he looks to his right while playing shortstop and realizes that A-Rod earns several million more dollars per year than he does? Envy eats away at people. It can’t but hurt a team’s performance. Once again, Derek Jeter would never say that he’s envious, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t. If anything, we know that Jeter wouldn’t say anything even if he were envious. He’s a classy person.

Third, if you listen to A-Rod, he talks mainly about himself. He’s egotistical. His teammates hear this and come to the conclusion that, if push came to shove, he’d look out for himself before sacrificing for his team. Just look at A-Rod’s career. He has always sought the main chance. He fled Seattle; he fled Texas; and now he is fleeing New York. Loyalty isn’t the only thing, to be sure, but it’s important. Players who don’t demonstrate their loyalty, in both large and small ways, forfeit their teammates’ respect and trust. This is not good for a team. Would the Yankees have won more games with Mike Lowell at third base than they did with A-Rod at third? Don’t just mindlessly answer no, based on A-Rod’s numbers. Look at the whole picture, including the intangibles. Players don’t win World Series; teams do.

It would be inaccurate to say that A-Rod cares only about money. He wants to win, and that’s good. But what is he willing to do to win? Is he willing to take a pay cut? Is he willing to sacrifice individual awards? Would he lay down a bunt in an important situation? A-Rod quarreled with Buck Showalter because Showalter told A-Rod that he would no longer be allowed to call pitches from the shortstop position. I kid you not. Several Yankee fans have said during the year that A-Rod was thoroughly integrated into the team. They said that A-Rod’s teammates genuinely liked him. The teammates (it was said) looked on in amazement when A-Rod hit towering home runs, and celebrated uproariously whenever he hit a walk-off home run. All this shows is that A-Rod’s teammates wanted to win. They valued A-Rod’s contribution. This may offset any negative feelings they have about him, but it doesn’t negate those feelings.

I realize that this is not a knock-down, drag-out argument. Much of what I say here can (and should) be contested. It just seems to me, having watched A-Rod for many years, that he has a number of subtle but negative effects on a team. I don’t think it’s an accident that he’s never played in a World Series. I wouldn’t be surprised if he never did.

Addendum: Have you heard the expression, “Love is blind”? Think about what it means. When you’re in love, you literally don’t see the faults in your beloved. Your friends do, but you don’t. I came to dislike A-Rod at about the time he left the Rangers. There are two explanations for this. The first (cynical) explanation is that it’s sour grapes. Keith can’t have A-Rod, so he pretends he doesn’t want A-Rod. The second explanation is that his leaving gave me detachment. I was blinded. When he left, I was able to see things that were hidden from me. (If you’ve ever broken off a relationship, you know what I’m talking about.) The person who is best able to understand A-Rod is someone who has both liked and disliked him. I’m one of those people. If A-Rod leaves the Yankees, as he almost certainly will, Yankee fans will gain the necessary detachment. They will begin to see the subtle ways in which he harmed the Yankees.

Addendum 2: Here is a New York Times story about A-Rod. If you’re a Yankee fan, tell me what you want. Do you want the Yankees to pursue A-Rod as a free agent? Do you want the Yankees to pursue Mike Lowell? Should the Yankees trade for a third baseman? Also, do you think A-Rod will insist on going back to shortstop for whichever team signs him?

Addendum 3: Is Joe Torre going to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers? See here.