“Monopolized All the Attention”: Former Yankees Skipper Once Revealed How Alex Rodriguez Negatively Impacted the Dressing Room

Alex Rodriguez joined the New York Yankees in 2004 via a trade from the Texas Rangers. It was a transformative move for both the team and the player. A-Rod was coming off an MVP 2003 campaign and would give the team a massive upgrade in the infield. But Yankees’ former skipper once revealed the negative dressing room implications of the move. 

Even then, Rodriguez was somewhat divisive, considering his lack of playoff success. Furthermore, he came off as slightly arrogant as a player. But the Bronx Bombers’ skipper at the time had some honest words to share. 

Joe Torre Revealed the Negative Dressing Room Impact That Alex Rodriguez Had

Alex Rodriguez was an attention-lover when he joined the Yankees in 2004. And according to former Bombers skipper Joe Torre, he loved being in the limelight.

In his book with Tom Verducci called ‘The Yankee Years,’ Torre elaborated on how A-Rod negatively impacted the dressing room. He opened up on Rodriguez’s attention-seeking tendencies and how the dynamic among players shifted after his arrival. 

On page 255 of ‘The Yankee Years’, it read, “Alex monopolized all the attention,” Torre said. “I don’t think that’s important. We never really had anybody who craved the attention. I think when Alex came over he certainly changed just the feel of the club, whether or not that was because of certain assumptions people had just made by Alex being there, that he was this kind of player”.

This was a damning admission by Torre as he seemingly threw A-Rod under the bus. But it had been a massive move at the time, and despite his obvious talent, Rodriguez came with his fair share of troubles.

Read More: After a Rollercoaster Relationship, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez Finally Took the Plunge to Mend Their Ways for World Series Sake

A move to the Yankees’ rivals had fallen through months prior, and Rodriguez has talked about what would have happened had he signed with the Boston Red Sox. 

A-Rod Caused a Lot of Controversy During His Yankees Tenure

Although it may not have been attention-seeking, Alex Rodriguez did bring controversy. Throughout his time with the Yankees, the star infielder made the headlines. Be it for his top play, lack of playoff success, or the eventual PED scandals that engulfed the latter years of his career.

Furthermore, from his statements over the years, Joe Torre did not like A-Rod. But that cannot be said for sure. Despite that, the former Yankees skipper believed Alex Rodriguez to be a negative locker-room presence.

What do you think about his statements on the star infielder?

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