Schadenfreude

Since I became a mother, I have made a conscious effort to be a nicer person – to be a little less snarky and a little more forgiving.  It’s been almost 11 years and I think I’ve made some progress.  However, I cannot seem to be nice about one person.

I do not like Alex Rodriguez.  Every time he experiences a little bit of misfortune, it makes me a little bit happy.  For the record, my schadenfreude only applies to him – I was truly sorry to see Mo Rivera injured last year and recognize that no one plays shortstop like Derek Jeter.  All of my anti-Yankee sentiment is reserved for A-Rod.

There’s so much to dislike about A-Fraud on and off the field that the laundry list is kind of a bore.  Suffice it to say that he’s a cheater (steroids), a dirty player (e.g. the ’04 ball slap) he doesn’t play by the same code of fair play that other MLB players do (“mine, mine!”) and, he's clearly a narcissist.  

Of course I realize that I have access to a very small sliver of his life and that he could be the most clutch postseason hitter of all time, a wonderful husband, a beloved teammate and a good father.  

This is all to say that the latest news – that he could be out for all of 2013 following hip surgery – provided me with another opportunity to smile at this turn of bad luck.  Hearing “hip labrum” also reminded me that one of the most galling things that he ever did was to try to overshadow the Red Sox 2007 World Series win with a late inning announcement about his going into free agency.  That night belonged to the Red Sox and my favorite, Mike Lowell.  Lowell not only was the “Gallant” to A-Rod’s “Goofus” but retired due to his own hip ailment.

So as the Yankees face a season without A-Rod, all I can say is “heh heh.”  And oh yeah – thanks Tek.  

CMC