A-Rod keeps tarring image

Rodriguez hasn't been able to escape headlines.

By EDUARDO A. ENCINA
Published June 3, 2007

Alex Rodriguez may want to stay out of the headlines, but he keeps getting himself embroiled in controversy.

The Yankees third baseman was pictured Wednesday on the cover of the New York Post sheepishly ducking into a Toronto hotel with a blond who is not his wife.

In the series finale that night, with his team leading 7-5 in the ninth, Rodriguez was on first and ran hard when Jorge Posada popped up. As he ran near 3B Howie Clark, Rodriguez said something. Clark thought he heard "Mine, " conceding the catch to SS John McDonald, who was a few steps behind Clark, and the ball dropped for a run-scoring single.

"It's disappointing, that's not proper, that's not the right thing to do, " said everyday 3B Troy Glaus, whose Jays lost 10-5. "I've never seen it in 30 years, except in the movies."

Rodriguez isn't the cleanest player in the game. Remember when he slapped the ball out of Bronson Arroyo's glove during the 2004 ALCS?

A-Rod claims he said, "Ha, " adding, "I was just excited running around third base. I don't know what my intention was."

"He may have been excited about the fact that we were leading the ball game, " Yankees manager Joe Torre said Friday before his team's series opener at Boston. "It was probably inappropriate to do it at the time he did it, but you can't change it, unfortunately."

But at least one manager had no problem with the play.

"I don't care what people say, " the White Sox's Ozzie Guillen said. "Why not do it? He'll do everything he can to win games, and they need that."

STREAKY: The Astros won Thursday after dropping 10 in a row. When the streak began, they were at .500. After losing Friday, they were just one game ahead of last-place Cincinnati but only two games out of second place in the NL Central.

"We have not hit the ball, " manager Phil Garner said. "We went a bunch of times without scoring runs when (Roger Clemens) was pitching, and I called that stupid, but this is bordering on stupid now, too."

The Astros gave up more runs (72) during their losing streak than they had hits (71).

"I've seen a couple of guys struggle a little bit, but not as many as we have right now, and that's frustrating, " said 2B Craig Biggio, who made two errors Friday. "We need to get this monkey off our back and get a W and hopefully get more guys contributing and pitching in and doing the little things to win baseball games."

ALL GROWN UP: When Padres closer Trevor Hoffman saw Tony Gwynn Jr. staring back at him in the ninth inning May 27, he had a flashback.

Hoffman remembered Gywnn as the 10-year-old son of the Padres legend in 1993. Gwynn was the same age then as Hoffman's oldest son, Brody, is now.

"I'm staring down the barrel, trying not to look at him, and all I could think about is my (three) little guys now, playing in the outfield (before games), and thinking that's where we started, " Hoffman said.

Gwynn, 24, said the moment was equally surreal. He singled off Hoffman, his only hit in eight at-bats in his hometown of San Diego.

"I'm sure it was weird for him as well as it was weird for me, " Gwynn said. "Him watching me grow up as long as he did, and now he's throwing a baseball at me."

FUNNY FACE: Twins 1B Justin Morneau has rebounded from a tough opening month, when the reigning AL MVP hit .274. He batted .314 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs in May. Teammate Torii Hunter has taken notice of Morneau's swing and the fact that his eyes bulge and cheeks puff just before he makes contact.

"That face should be in the cartoon section, " Hunter said. "He puts everything he has into that swing. I like that. That's what I do: swing hard in case I hit it. He's sick strong. When he swings, from here to here, he's as strong as anyone in the game."

ALL TALK: After a players-only meeting May 22, 2006, the Royals managed five hits and no runs in the 10th of 13 consecutive losses. In 2001, they called at least three players-only meetings, and their record in known post-meeting games was 1-2. The Royals had players-only meetings in 1998 (lost three straight), 2000 (split their next eight) and 2004 (lost five straight).

After their meeting Wednesday, prompted by a six-game skid, they lost 3-0 to Baltimore, falling to 19-35. As former Royals manager Bob Boone said: "Winners win and losers meet."

AROUND THE HORN: Entering Saturday, the AL West-leading Angels had the third-best record in the league (34-22) and one of the best home marks in baseball (20-8). Imagine if they hadn't started 1-8 on the road. They've managed to even their road record at 14 since. ... After starting 0-8, Cardinals RHP Anthony Reyes was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Reyes and RHP Kip Wells have combined for a 2-17 record. ... Giants slugger Barry Bonds on the possibility of commissioner Bud Selig being a no-show when he breaks Hank Aaron's homer mark: "Bud is his own man, just as I'm my own man."

Quote board

"A one-legged, .210-hitting All-Star."

Detroit 3B Brandon Inge's reaction when told he was third in the fan voting among AL third basemen behind New York's Alex Rodriguez and Boston's Mike Lowell

"Must be the biscuits, gravy, chicken and sweet tea from Bojangles. Louisville manager Rick Sweet told me he ate lunch there both days. Best biscuits and chicken in the south."

Reds manager Jerry Narron on OF Josh Hamilton hitting home runs in his first at-bat on consecutive nights during a rehab assignment with Louisville at Charlotte

"New York travels well. It would be nice to have that kind of support around here, but we can't get that. ... It's okay. I like pitching on the road at home."

Marlins left-hander Scott Olsen on a crowd of 23, 622 on May 27 at Dolphin Stadium, mostly Mets fans

Eduardo A. Encina can be reached at eencina@sptimes.com

[Last modified June 3, 2007, 01:07:39]