Hitting Back

-So far, it's been a quiet day aside from ESPN's surprising firing of Baseball Tonight's Harold Reynolds. The likeable former Mariner was a terrific lead baseball analyst in Bristol for a decade. He was fun to listen to and even sometimes did demonstrations on set. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago and he was a very happy guy. You could really tell how much he enjoyed his day job. It's ashame that he will no longer be a part of one of ESPN's better studio shows. It's quite sad that such a farce of a network won't even specify why he was axed. Reynolds was one of the most credible voices employed by them. Too bad he wasn't given the proper respect in the end.

-The usual talk on WFAN has centered around A-Rod. Has there ever been such a more despised New York athlete? Back in the early 90's, the Mets' Bobby Bonilla took it on the chin for his big mouth and awful first year at Shea. But he brought it on himself from the beginning after inking a record five-year $29 million deal with this:

"I know you all are gonna try, but you're not gonna be able to wipe the smile off my face. I grew up in New York. I know what it's all about."

He didn't live up to his own hype. Now, one Alex Rodriguez is an extreme case because he is one of the most talented players to ever put on a uniform. The fastest player to 450 homers has already won an MVP here for the Yankees. The highest paid player in the game has taken more abuse than any athlete including Bonilla ever has. Part of it is his continued knack for saying the wrong thing. The latest case in point coming to the NY Post's George King after the Yanks' 6-2 win last night in Arlington:

"Tiger Woods missed three [actually two] cuts and was thrown under every bus. Then he came back to win the British Open. Hopefully I can come back and shut people up."

A few days ago, we wrote a column on this whole thing and concluded that the third base slugger needed to shutup and just play ball. Here we are again. When is he going to realize that whatever he says is just playing into the media's hands? They want him to make these comments. This way they have stories to write. When the public sees this, it just adds to the frustration that this player can't deal with all the attention here. He's just putting more pressure on himself. I'll say it one final time. Stop making such comments and let your play on the field do the talking.

A-Rod's supporters might say, 'What's wrong with what he said?' He comes off arrogant and self centered. Could you see Derek Jeter or Bernie Williams making such proclamations when they're in slumps? It would never happen.

Finally, I don't need to hear what former Mayor Rudy Giuliani thinks. Stick to politics!

-As we head out to cover the Staten Island Yankees, still no word on Scott Gomez' arbitration case. This was supposed to be decided yesterday. Here it is a day later and still nothing's been resolved. What on earth does Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello have brewing?