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A-Rod Deal

Aired February 16, 2004 - 10:28   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's a marriage made in heaven for baseball, at least for the New York Yankees. Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid and some would argue the best player in the game, is one step away from going to what many consider the best team in baseball. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig is expected to sign off on a deal today that would send the Texas Ranger to the Yankees. Under the deal, if you want to know the ins and ours of it, Rodriguez would be paid more than $14,000 per inning. In comparison -- you like the way we breakdown numbers -- second baseman Miguel Cairo would make just over $600 per inning. I don't anyone is crying for him either. Well, A-Rod would be the first reigning league MVP ever traded.
Joining us to talk about the deal and reaction is "Newsday's" Jon Heyman. He was one of the first reporters to break the story.

Good morning,

JON HEYMAN, "NEWSDAY" REPORTER: Good morning.

KAGAN: It is a good morning here in New York City. People are just glowing with this the idea that the rich, rich Yankees get to be even richer.

HEYMAN: Yes, I heard one of the Yankee executives even said George Steinbrenner was happy, which never, never happens.

KAGAN: Now that's a headline.

HEYMAN: It is a tremendous deal for Alex Rodriguez and a tremendous deal for the Yankees. They get the best player in the American League, and probably the best lineup in at least 50 years in baseball, they really do.

All right, let me just speak for the baseball fans outside New York City, and just say gag me.

KAGAN: I'm sorry.

HEYMAN: I'm sorry, I sound like a Yankee PR man.

KAGAN: You know, I mean, Yankee haters are just like oh, please, give me a break, they really needed Alex Rodriguez.

HEYMAN: I know it's ridiculous. It looks like an all-star lineup out there. I mean, Gary Sheffield probably will bat fifth for the Yankees.

KAGAN: Who they picked from the Braves.

HEYMAN: Right, exactly. And, I mean, in previous all-star games, he batted third. So this shows you what kind of a lineup this is. You know, I mean, Miller Huggens (ph) was probably the last guy to ride a lineup out like this.

KAGAN: And interesting, there had to be a little massaging of the egos to make this happen. I mean, a big change on Alex Rodriguez. He's going to play third base instead of shortstop, so Derek Jeter is safe at shortstop.

HEYMAN: For now. We'll see about that. Alex Rodriguez is going to play the good soldier here. I mean, that's part of the reason this is a great deal for him. He gets to keep the money, he gets to come to New York, play for a winner, and he looks very magnanimous. You're going to third base, which is really difficult for these guys to do. We've Seen Mike Piazza struggle to move to first base for years now. So it's not an easy transition at all, so he's doing a good thing. But in the background, we know that they're both shortstops, they both want to be shortstops, and Alex Rodriguez is the best fielding shortstop in baseball.

KAGAN: And has two Golden Gloves and Derek Jeter has none, and they called each other out in the press a little bit.

HEYMAN: Yes, they haven't always gotten along great. They used to be best friends, but they've had some problems, they really have.

KAGAN: Derek Jeter, captain of this team, so we'll see if he holds on to that respect. Also interesting, just for some history buffs out there, Alex Rodriguez likes to wear No. 3. But in Yankee land, No. 3 is only one, Babe Ruth.

HEYMAN: Right, he will wear number 13. He wanted 3, but he understands history. He knows he's not getting 3. So he's going to go with 13.

KAGAN: I mean, you might be arguably the best player today but, you know...

HEYMAN: He's not Babe Ruth, not yet anyway.

KAGAN: He's not Babe Ruth.

So you're talking about this is a good deal for it. Obviously it's a good deal for the Yankees. It's a good deal for Alex Rodriguez, because he gets out of just a totally last place team, that couldn't afford to hire any help with the salary they were paying him. But is it good for baseball to have such a -- and try to be unbiased here. Take off that New Yorker hat. Is it good for baseball to have such fat and happy New York Yankees?

HEYMAN: Not really. I mean, their team is so much better than any other team on paper right now. Obviously, another team could come up and win the World Series, just like last year. The Marlins were a tremendous story last year. And it's not a given that they're going to win the World Series. Anything can happen in a short series, but the disparity between the first team and the second teams is greater than it's ever been, and I agree, I don't think it's great for baseball.

KAGAN: And two best story lines I think last year were the Chicago Cubs getting so close and the Boston Red Sox. And the Red Sox did a lot to try to rebuild, in fact, came this close themselves to getting Alex Rodriguez. It's got to be a lot of years in Boston this morning.

HEYMAN: Right, it's not a good day in Boston. It's not a good day with the Mets here in New York. I mean, it's another reason George Steinbrenner was excited. He embarrassed Boston and the Mets simultaneously, while landing the best player in the league. So Boston still has a great team, though. I know depression is setting in there now, but they have a tremendous team. I expect them to be in the playoffs, and they still have a chance, as long as they get out of their depression, they have got a chance anyway.

KAGAN: But with this lineup, as you said, it's going to go down as one of the greats in the history of baseball. No way you can pitch around this lineup.

HEYMAN: I don't see how. It's unbelievable. I think they have probably three of the best 10 offensive players in the game, and I'm not even including Derek Jeter in that, tremendous all-around player. Bernie Williams, a great player. They really have potential 100 RBI guy at every position except second base, and who knows what can happen here. I mean, we're not going to count them out if there's another high-priced player out there George Steinbrenner is waiting to take. You never know.

KAGAN: Right, there always is. He's never done, I think. Well, it's going to make for a fun season for you to cover for "Newsday." John Heyman, thank you. You're heading to spring training?

HEYMAN: Tampa I'm delaying because of the press conference.

KAGAN: So you're really about to go.

HEYMAN: I'm ready to go.

KAGAN: All right, well, you fly safe and have a great season. Thanks for stopping by.

HEYMAN: Thank you for having me.

KAGAN: Talking about the big news here in New York, John Heyman from "Newsday."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 16, 2004 - 10:28   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's a marriage made in heaven for baseball, at least for the New York Yankees. Alex Rodriguez, the highest paid and some would argue the best player in the game, is one step away from going to what many consider the best team in baseball. Baseball commissioner Bud Selig is expected to sign off on a deal today that would send the Texas Ranger to the Yankees. Under the deal, if you want to know the ins and ours of it, Rodriguez would be paid more than $14,000 per inning. In comparison -- you like the way we breakdown numbers -- second baseman Miguel Cairo would make just over $600 per inning. I don't anyone is crying for him either. Well, A-Rod would be the first reigning league MVP ever traded.
Joining us to talk about the deal and reaction is "Newsday's" Jon Heyman. He was one of the first reporters to break the story.

Good morning,

JON HEYMAN, "NEWSDAY" REPORTER: Good morning.

KAGAN: It is a good morning here in New York City. People are just glowing with this the idea that the rich, rich Yankees get to be even richer.

HEYMAN: Yes, I heard one of the Yankee executives even said George Steinbrenner was happy, which never, never happens.

KAGAN: Now that's a headline.

HEYMAN: It is a tremendous deal for Alex Rodriguez and a tremendous deal for the Yankees. They get the best player in the American League, and probably the best lineup in at least 50 years in baseball, they really do.

All right, let me just speak for the baseball fans outside New York City, and just say gag me.

KAGAN: I'm sorry.

HEYMAN: I'm sorry, I sound like a Yankee PR man.

KAGAN: You know, I mean, Yankee haters are just like oh, please, give me a break, they really needed Alex Rodriguez.

HEYMAN: I know it's ridiculous. It looks like an all-star lineup out there. I mean, Gary Sheffield probably will bat fifth for the Yankees.

KAGAN: Who they picked from the Braves.

HEYMAN: Right, exactly. And, I mean, in previous all-star games, he batted third. So this shows you what kind of a lineup this is. You know, I mean, Miller Huggens (ph) was probably the last guy to ride a lineup out like this.

KAGAN: And interesting, there had to be a little massaging of the egos to make this happen. I mean, a big change on Alex Rodriguez. He's going to play third base instead of shortstop, so Derek Jeter is safe at shortstop.

HEYMAN: For now. We'll see about that. Alex Rodriguez is going to play the good soldier here. I mean, that's part of the reason this is a great deal for him. He gets to keep the money, he gets to come to New York, play for a winner, and he looks very magnanimous. You're going to third base, which is really difficult for these guys to do. We've Seen Mike Piazza struggle to move to first base for years now. So it's not an easy transition at all, so he's doing a good thing. But in the background, we know that they're both shortstops, they both want to be shortstops, and Alex Rodriguez is the best fielding shortstop in baseball.

KAGAN: And has two Golden Gloves and Derek Jeter has none, and they called each other out in the press a little bit.

HEYMAN: Yes, they haven't always gotten along great. They used to be best friends, but they've had some problems, they really have.

KAGAN: Derek Jeter, captain of this team, so we'll see if he holds on to that respect. Also interesting, just for some history buffs out there, Alex Rodriguez likes to wear No. 3. But in Yankee land, No. 3 is only one, Babe Ruth.

HEYMAN: Right, he will wear number 13. He wanted 3, but he understands history. He knows he's not getting 3. So he's going to go with 13.

KAGAN: I mean, you might be arguably the best player today but, you know...

HEYMAN: He's not Babe Ruth, not yet anyway.

KAGAN: He's not Babe Ruth.

So you're talking about this is a good deal for it. Obviously it's a good deal for the Yankees. It's a good deal for Alex Rodriguez, because he gets out of just a totally last place team, that couldn't afford to hire any help with the salary they were paying him. But is it good for baseball to have such a -- and try to be unbiased here. Take off that New Yorker hat. Is it good for baseball to have such fat and happy New York Yankees?

HEYMAN: Not really. I mean, their team is so much better than any other team on paper right now. Obviously, another team could come up and win the World Series, just like last year. The Marlins were a tremendous story last year. And it's not a given that they're going to win the World Series. Anything can happen in a short series, but the disparity between the first team and the second teams is greater than it's ever been, and I agree, I don't think it's great for baseball.

KAGAN: And two best story lines I think last year were the Chicago Cubs getting so close and the Boston Red Sox. And the Red Sox did a lot to try to rebuild, in fact, came this close themselves to getting Alex Rodriguez. It's got to be a lot of years in Boston this morning.

HEYMAN: Right, it's not a good day in Boston. It's not a good day with the Mets here in New York. I mean, it's another reason George Steinbrenner was excited. He embarrassed Boston and the Mets simultaneously, while landing the best player in the league. So Boston still has a great team, though. I know depression is setting in there now, but they have a tremendous team. I expect them to be in the playoffs, and they still have a chance, as long as they get out of their depression, they have got a chance anyway.

KAGAN: But with this lineup, as you said, it's going to go down as one of the greats in the history of baseball. No way you can pitch around this lineup.

HEYMAN: I don't see how. It's unbelievable. I think they have probably three of the best 10 offensive players in the game, and I'm not even including Derek Jeter in that, tremendous all-around player. Bernie Williams, a great player. They really have potential 100 RBI guy at every position except second base, and who knows what can happen here. I mean, we're not going to count them out if there's another high-priced player out there George Steinbrenner is waiting to take. You never know.

KAGAN: Right, there always is. He's never done, I think. Well, it's going to make for a fun season for you to cover for "Newsday." John Heyman, thank you. You're heading to spring training?

HEYMAN: Tampa I'm delaying because of the press conference.

KAGAN: So you're really about to go.

HEYMAN: I'm ready to go.

KAGAN: All right, well, you fly safe and have a great season. Thanks for stopping by.

HEYMAN: Thank you for having me.

KAGAN: Talking about the big news here in New York, John Heyman from "Newsday."

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com