A-Rod, Pitch Tipping, Selena Roberts… Where is the Integrity?

New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez has had a very interesting few last months to say the least.  To throw on top of the steroid rumor talk that he’s been in the middle of, now there are allegations that he was tipping pitches to opposing hitters in lopsided games while playing for the Texas Rangers. Supposedly he did this in hopes that players on other teams would help return the favor so Rodriguez could pad his stats.  For those of you who do not know what the term “tipping pitches” means, it means that a player is somehow relaying a sign or signal to the hitter about what pitch is going to come - this would be a significant advantage for any hitter.  Imagine if a hitter knew Johan Santana was going to throw his filthy changeup instead of a fastball.

This “information” was uncovered and released by Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts in her new book A-Rod:  The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez.  Part of me wants to say leave Alex alone, and that he has been under enough scrutiny as it is - to probe into his personal life like Roberts’ book does it going too far.  However, the other side of me says that if it was revealed and somehow proven that Rodriguez did indeed tip pitches to opposing hitters, that he would have to be punished for it.

If you remember back from the interviews Rodriguez did with ESPN right after the news broke that he used steroids, he admitted to using them while playing for the Rangers, but then followed up talking about how Roberts had a book coming out about him, and not to believe the things she says about him.  He also went on to say that Roberts went to ridiculous lengths to try and get information out of him, at one point the police even needed to be called to get her off of his property.  However, Roberts answered back to that saying none of it was true.  So that has turned into a childish game of he said, she said.

The new problem here is that Alex Rodriguez was potentially tipping pitches off to opposing hitters.  To me, this is questioning integrity, maybe even more so than a player taking steroids.  For hitters on the juice, they are stronger and faster - simple.  They still have to see the pitch and make contact with it and drive it to a part of the ballpark where there isn’t a fielder.  Wouldn’t a bigger advantage for a hitter be knowing what pitch was coming?  Steroids have no effect on hand-eye coordination, but a hitter knowing what’s coming can make all the difference in the world, regardless of the score of the game.    Tipping pitches should go along the lines of a pitcher using some sort of substance to make the ball do something unnatural, or even point shaving to make money off a bookie.

It is important to mention that another theory that has been introduced is that Rodriguez is simply bad at relaying signs to his own team.  Sometimes middle infielders will relay the sign the catcher gives to outfielders so they can position themselves better.  Nonetheless, for a player who has been voted on to countless All Star teams, won MVP and Gold Glove awards, and been widely considered as the best player in baseball, one would think he could figure out a way to relay signs to his outfielders a bit smoother.  Also, I’m not buying that excuse.

Part of what makes baseball America’s pastime is the integrity of the sport.  Pete Rose was banned for life for betting on major league games when he himself was a manager for the Cincinnati Reds (although it is a hotly debated topic on whether or not he should be re-instituted).  What Rodriguez has been accused of doing certainly questions the integrity of the game.  I am not calling for A-Rod’s expulsion from Major League Baseball here, but I am saying that if these accusations are true, he does deserve a punishment.  That is if what Roberts is saying is actually a fact, which is something that is impossible to prove.  For Pete Rose, investigators were able to find betting slips that were Rose’s.  Nobody will be able to prove that A-Rod was actually tipping pitches off to hitters on the other team.  There are only two parties who have any idea of knowing.  Rodriguez himself, and any hitter that may have benefited from his actions.

With that being the case, the only way we will ever find out if this is true, is if someone steps up and says it happened, and has a way to prove it.  It will not be believable if any player says that A-Rod tipped pitches.  Anyone who has anything against A-Rod could say that.  The player who comes forward will have some explaining to do, and will also be under fire for the rest of his career, and the rest of his baseball life.  That is because he would have known A-Rod’s signals, which meant he was partaking in the pitch tipping too, especially since Rodriguez did it hoping that he would get the “favor” returned.

A-Rod has had what must be the most interesting half year of his life with everything that has gone on.  What Selena Roberts apparently did to get information about him was crossing the line, but in the years to come people will forget who Selena Roberts ever was.  Nobody will ever forget about the fame of Alex Rodriguez.  And if it is proven that he actually tipped pitches for his own benefit, nobody will ever forget about the infamy of Alex Rodriguez.

What are your thoughts on this hotly debated issue? Have your say below!