As Alex Rodriguez was giving his latest version of the “truth” from the Yankees camp in Tampa on Tuesday MLB Network analyst Barry Larkin was sitting on the set in Studio 3 in New Jersey. Larkin knows a little bit about controversy. He was part of the Reds team that had owner Marge Schott — who seemed to have a pension for speaking her mind — and former manager Pete Rose — who at the time was being dogged about allegations of gambling.
Larkin spoke to me about a number of issues starting with the A-Rod controversy and noted, “This is just the beginning. Alex is going to be followed in ever city that he visits and then he goes home to New York and this is far from over.
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“I think the Yankees, who should have been talking about their great offseason signings like CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira, were forced to talk all A-Rod all the time. So if Alex does well, it is because of his taking something illegal. If the team doesn’t do well, then it will be A-Rod’s fault. He can’t win and it will be a tough season for him and it could be a tough season for the Yankees.”
Larkin switched gears and talked about the progress of the Nationals, where he was employed as a special assistant before joining MLB Network.
“I enjoyed my time working with Washington and because of my new job with the MLB Network, I can’t consult with the team now. Adam Dunn will really help the Nats — and most of all Ryan Zimmerman. With Dunn in the lineup, I think Zim will have a great season. Washington could really have a very competitive season, score plenty of runs but it all comes down to the pitching.”
The former All-Star raved about the Nats’ big offseason addition of the perennial 40-HR, 100-RBI man Dunn.
“Adam gives Jim Bowden the ability to make some trades that could really help this team get better fast. They have a ton of outfielders and if Nick Johnson is healthy then Jim has plenty of good players to wheel and deal.”
Lastly, Larkin made it clear that he would love to be a coach and eventually one day be a big-league manager. But right now he is doing a great job on “Hot Stove,” the primetime show on MLB Network.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this! on dcexaminer.com.
