Rodriguez Won't Talk Back

Yankee Is Coy When Grilled About Red Sox' Gibes

Third baseman Alex Rodriguez fields a ball during a workout following his arrival at training camp. (Tony Gutierrez -- AP)

TAMPA, Feb. 20 -- They poked and prodded, tentatively at first, then with increasing brazenness, these bloodthirsty hunters who had come to stalk the biggest of big game and who now had their quarry cornered in the New York Yankees' spring training locker room. What would the great beast do when provoked? Would he defend himself?

Alas, the hunters went home disappointed, because the great beast -- Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez -- was having no part of this game as he met with members of the media on the day Yankees position players reported to camp.

Offered over and over the chance to respond to a growing wave of derogatory comments from the rival Boston Red Sox regarding Rodriguez's character, ability and Yankeeness, Rodriguez rebuffed reporters' attempts to get him to fan the flames.

"I have no idea. I can't get in somebody else's brain," Rodriguez said, when asked why he thought the Red Sox were attacking him in the media. "The only thing I can say is, they're the world champs and I have the utmost respect for them." Rodriguez even feigned ignorance, asking media members to bring him up to speed with what has been said.

There was Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling using the phrase "bush league" in regard to Rodriguez -- specifically, his attempt to slap the ball away from Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo during Game 6 of last October's American League Championship Series.

There was Red Sox right fielder Trot Nixon calling him a "clown" and saying he wasn't a "true Yankee" in the sense that Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams and others are.

There was Red Sox lefty David Wells accusing Rodriguez of acting "like he has two or three [World Series] rings," when in fact he has none.

There was Arroyo, catcher Jason Varitek, reliever Mike Timlin and -- just Sunday -- first baseman Kevin Millar piling on, lobbing more "hand grenades" (to use Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman's phrase) at Rodriguez.

Rodriguez's response? "I don't get into that bulletin-board stuff," said baseball's $252 million man. "They won. They earned the right to say whatever they want. . . . The only team I'm worried about is us."

The closest Rodriguez got to defending himself Sunday was when he addressed the "slap" play in which Rodriguez, after slapping the ball from Arroyo in a critical moment in the series, initially was awarded first base, then was called out after the umpires conferred. The Yankees lost the game and, ultimately, the series.

"I thought it was a brilliant play," Rodriguez said, "and we almost got away with it."

Sunday's media session underscored one other disturbing point: Rodriguez has an image problem.

Twelve months ago, having tired of the Texas Rangers, he engineered a trade to the Yankees (after first seeing his engineered deal to the Red Sox fall apart) and arrived in New York as the universally regarded Best Player in the Game -- and a fine, highly marketable person to boot.

But he got off to a slow start and began to hear boos from the home crowd. Then came the playoffs and "the Slap." Then came the Red Sox' string of stinging comments. Then came a deafening silence from his teammates, not one of whom took a strong stand in Rodriguez's defense. Then came Jose Canseco's book, in which the self-described "Godfather of Steroids" labels Rodriguez a phony.

"You only care about the opinions of those who are in your inner circle," Rodriguez said with a shrug on Sunday, suddenly looking weary. Asked if anyone in the media pack surrounding him at that moment was part of his inner circle, Rodriguez said emphatically: "No."