Alex Rodriguez once discussed his preference for Red Sox move before eventual Yankees switch in 2004
New York Yankees legendary third baseman Alex Rodriguez once opened up about his preference of going to Boston Red Sox ahead of the Yankees.
The MLB Players' Association had forbidden A-Rod from accepting a voluntary wage cut. Moreover, they had also overruled the player's agreement to be transferred from the Texas Rangers to the Boston Red Sox in a blockbuster deal in the winter of 2003.
However, Rodriguez had a very different theory about going to the Red Sox. He thought that Red Sox would become a successful team down the line, so he wanted to be a part of them:
"I thought the rivalry of Yankees-Red Sox was ripe. 03 was the year that (Boston) almost beat the Yankees. They couldn't. They lost that crazy Game 7 when Aaron Boone walks off in extra innings off (Tim) Wakefield."
He continued:
"I thought they were just one step short. And I knew once I met with (then-Red Sox general manager) Theo (Epstein) and (assistant to the general manager) Jed (Hoyer) -- we met here at the Four Seasons, kind of underground, we kind of snuck in the hotel.
"I saw the way these guys thought and the way these guys architect a house and put it all together, and I go, 'Holy shit, these guys are really, really smart."
Later, as Boston won two of the next World Series in 2004 and 2007 (at the expense of the Yankees in '04, no less), Rodriguez's premonitions proved to be accurate.
Alex Rodriguez went to New York instead of Red Sox
It's true that fans wanted to A-Rod, a.k.a, Alex Rodriguez, to come to Boston Red Sox, but destiny had some other plans.
The ultimate franchise cornerstone and superstar, in theory, could have aided them in beating the Yankees. It seems like the love and respect between A-Rod and his fans were mutual, but fans do not wish to have him on their side anymore.
The paths of A-Rod's failure and the Red Sox's triumph are not quite parallel. As a reminder that A-Rod did assist the Yankees in winning a championship, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman essentially mic-dropped his 2009 championship ring at a news conference. However, the Red Sox won three championships in that perriod.
According to fans, Red Sox would have been out on a lot more had they had not missed out on Alex Rodriguez. The ideal comeback in the 2004 ALCS would have been missed. However, no matter what fans say, Rodriguez achieved a lot in his career for the Yankees, so they must be proud of him.