When Yankees owner Hank Steinbrenner blasted Alex Rodriguez for announcing contract opt-out during 2007 World Series
Retired MLB legend Alex Rodriguez caused a storm during Game 4 of the 2007 World Series when he announced that he was opting out of the final three seasons of his contract with the New York Yankees, upsetting numerous fans in the process.
Scott Boras, his agent at the time, made the announcement on the Yankees superstar's behalf. Boras said Rodriquez was unsure whether his former Yankees teammates Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte would return to the fold, and cited that as the catalyst behind the decision.
The Yankees management was not pleased with Rodriguez's admission, with owner George Steinbrenner's son, Hank Steinbrenner, criticizing the decision.
"We wanted him to stay a Yankee. We wanted to let him know how much we wanted him. The bottom line is . . . do we really want anybody that really doesn't want to be a Yankee? How the heck can you do that? Compare him with [Derek] Jeter. Jeter, since he was a little kid, all he ever wanted to do was play shortstop for the Yankees. That's what we want," Hank Steinbrenner said.
The New York Yankees owners reiterated that they would not attempt to re-sign somebody who didn't want to play for the Yankees.
"No chance," Hank Steinbrenner said. "Not if it's made official."
Boras came out shortly afterward and offered a lengthy apology for the unwanted distraction during a pivotal moment of the season, taking full responsibility for his actions while conceding that he could have handled the situation much better.
"I apologize to the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies and their players, Major League Baseball and its players, and baseball fans everywhere for that interference," he said in a statement. "The teams and players involved deserved to be the focus of the evening and honored with the utmost respect. The unfortunate result was not my intent, but is solely my fault. I could have handled this situation better, and for that I am truly sorry."
2007 was a magical season for Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez became the first player in major league history to have at least 35 home runs, 100 runs, and 100 RBIs in 10 consecutive seasons, completing the feat in 2007.
He led the AL in home runs (54), RBIs (156), slugging percentage (.645), OPS (1.067), total bases (376), and times on base (299). He led MLB in homers and won his third Babe Ruth Home Run Award in the process.
Rodriguez was named American League MVP for the third time in his career after a standout season. He also got the Silver Slugger Award and the Hank Aaron Award that year. Rodriguez was also named to that year's MLB All-Star squad.