Alderson Puts Up "Keep Out" sign on clubhouses...

[b-ball-lunachik]

It appears that Alderson has set a new rule that only team employees, representatives of Major League Baseball, and the media will have access to major league facilities including clubhouses, weight rooms, and trainer's rooms. Giambi is having a bit of a fit over this issue...here's the entire article:

Giambi has a fit about his trainer

Wednesday, April 03, 2002

By HOWARD BRYANT
STAFF WRITER

http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?...3&page=3032861

BALTIMORE - Even though the season is but two days old, Jason Giambi is mad, not yet with the Yankees, but with an explosive issue that threatens to throw his new life as a Yankee into chaos.

Giambi is concerned about a directive that came down last week from Sandy Alderson, the major league's executive vice president of baseball operations, that only team employees, representatives of Major League Baseball, and the media will have access to major league facilities including clubhouses, weight rooms, and trainer's rooms. The directive also prohibits outside personnel from traveling on the team plane or, as well as securing hotel lodging, unless specific permission is granted.

If may sound like harmless bureaucratic speak, but it explains why Giambi has been distracted recently. According to the directive, Bob Alejo, Giambi's personal strength and conditioning coach, is barred from working with Giambi in any major league ballpark, including Yankee Stadium, and is not allowed to travel with him on the road.

This certainly wasn't part of the deal, and Giambi has let the Yankees know he isn't happy about it. On Tuesday, Giambi wasn't even willing to consider the possibility of losing this battle, which would mean Alejo and Giambi could not work together unless it was in an outside facility and Giambi paid for Alejo's travel expenses. A solution thatGiambi said is unacceptable.

Not that Giambi couldn't afford to work out elsewhere or pay Alejo's travel expenses, but when he signed his seven-year, $120 million contract in December, it was with the understanding. that Alejo would be at his side for all 162 games, although it is unclear if that agreement is spelled out in Giambi's contract.

Though the Yankees would not hire Alejo, the team would allow him to work with Giambi on a daily basis, using all the club's facilities. Alejo was the A's longtime strength and conditioning coach and when Giambi signed, Alejo quit the A's and came east to work exclusively with Giambi.

The Yankees agreed that Alejo would be allowed to travel on the team's charter, stay with the team on the road, and work with Giambi given the provision that Alejo did not conflict with the Yankees' in-house strength and conditioning program.

Now, that agreement is in sudden jeopardy. By the strictest letter of the new rules, Alejo would be out, at least in working with Giambi in any ballpark in the league. Giambi is angry with Major League Baseball, for the consequences are potentially devastating to Giambi's carefully crafted routine. Everything needs to be in place for him.

For Giambi, it is a question of honoring an agreement. Having Alejo travel with the team and using the facilities was part of the deal. It also speaks to his delicate mindset. Two seasons ago, when his brother Jeremy was demoted to the minors, Giambi plummeted, hitting just 7 for 33 (.212). When he returned, Giambi embarked on a tear that won him an MVP and put the Oakland A's in the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. As much as himself, he credits Alejo's regimen as critical to helping him be the dangerous hitter he is.

"I'm not going to say I'm superstitious," Giambi said, "but my routine is important."

He noted that it would disrupt his routine if he had to work out with his trainer away from the ballpark.

As of now, the issue is in limbo. Alejo does not know if he will travel with the team on the club's next road trip through Toronto and Boston next week, and Giambi is steadfast that a resolution must work in his favor. Cashman has told Giambi to concentrate on baseball and that the issue will be handled.

For the Yankees, the issue is particularly thorny. The club could always hire Alejo, and the issue would be moot, but the Yankees fear creating a precedent that would give Giambi preferential treatment over other stars and pave the way for future stars to do the same.

Roger Clemens, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, and Derek Jeter all have personal strength coaches. Clemens worked with his personal coach last season on the Stadium grounds, but this year Alejo is the only personal trainer who is with the club on a daily basis. Yet the Yankees also cannot afford to alienate Giambi, the centerpiece of their off-season rebuilding strategy.

From the league's standpoint, the rule attempts to curb a problem before it becomes one. Baseball has tried for years to limit the number of people with clubhouse access, and an increasing number of players, such as Giambi, have personal coaches who need to work with them. Heightened security is merely a current rationale to achieve a long-stated goal.

The Yankees are not commenting on the issue. Yankee GM Brian Cashman had no comment Tuesday. Patrick Courtney, spokesman for Major League Baseball, said the Yankees would have to work out an arrangement with Alderson and the league. While Alderson was not available for comment Tuesday, Courtney added that this is the first problem anyone has had with the new rule.

I think it's a bit of a stretch to say that's why Giambi is distracted (at least I hope that wouldn't be enough to be distracted)...he said he wouldn't call himself superstitious? he used to consult a psychic regularly, I'm thinking he must think it's superstitious to admit that he is!

After reading this article, I have a couple of questions:

-- is it really a security issue if everyone has their proper credentials? or do you think there would be some other reason for this new rule? and could they grandfather it if it's already part of someone's contract?

-- Giambi has let the Yanks know he's upset because it wasn't part of his contract -- how is that the Yankees fault that MLB has made a new rule?

As for his routine being important, if he had to work out with the guy outside of the ballpark, would that disrupt it that much? he hasn't even played in NY yet, so will it reallly be changing his routine?

I guess I have mixed feelings over this...what do you think?

[Duque]

The Yankees will just end up putting this guy on the payroll. It is peanuts, really.

Don't think it's really a security issue - more so keeping the "entourages" like Sammy Sosa travels around with out of the clubhouses.

I think he's probably complaning to the Yankees because they are his direct avenue of redress to MLB.

Here's an update article. I really hope and pray now that they've hired his personal trainer that if any of the other players want their trainer hired that they extend the same courtesy. I hope none of the players are upset by this. Jeter, Bernie, Mo, etc. are such professionals that I am sure they will be fine with it.

I think that MLB made an issue where there really wasn't one. The teams should be capable of making the decision on who is allowed in their clubhouse and who isn't.

From today's NY Times:

April 4, 2002

Giambi's Personal Trainer on Payroll
By TYLER KEPNER


BALTIMORE, April 3 — The Yankees defused a worrisome situation for Jason Giambi today when they hired his personal trainer as a batting-practice pitcher.

The responsibilities of the trainer, Bob Alejo, are confined exclusively to Giambi. But he is on the Yankees' payroll because if he had not been hired, he would not have been allowed to work out with Giambi at the ballpark under new Major League Baseball security rules.

When Giambi was negotiating his seven-year, $120 million contract with the Yankees, he stressed the importance of bringing Alejo with him from Oakland. Giambi wanted Alejo, who was the Athletics' strength and conditioning coach, to work for him but accompany the team on charter flights and be able to use the team's training facilities.

"He's very important," Giambi said. "That's one of the main reasons why I'm sitting here. I know he would deny it, but he definitely deserves a lot of credit for keeping me out on the field and things that I've accomplished in this game. I know I'm the one hitting, but the most important thing is keeping me out on the field. He does a great job of that.

"I thought it was so important to me coming over here because of the expectation level when you sign a contract like that. I knew that would make my transition easier. As long as I stay on the field, my numbers are going to add up."

The Yankees agreed to let Alejo help Giambi in the manner he wanted. But a recent memo from Major League Baseball restricted clubhouse access to team officials, the news media and officials from the league or union. Until he was officially hired, Alejo did not fall into those categories.

General Manager Brian Cashman said the Yankees gave Alejo a job to help Giambi and as a symbol of good will.

"He's committed to being the best he can possibly be in New York, and he made a request to us to try to help him to be the best he can be," Cashman said of Giambi. "It would be foolish of me to not try to assist in that manner, especially with the commitment and the relationship that we forged with him in the winter."

Other Yankees have personal trainers, but Giambi's is the only one on the team's payroll. Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens's trainer, was employed by the Yankees as an assistant strength coach the past two seasons and continues to work with Clemens even though the Yankees did not renew his contract.

"This is nothing new; this is nothing unique," Cashman said. "Every individual is different, and it's my job as general manager to weigh the importance of every request."

Giambi BETTER hit 50 taters this year now

[SmedIndy]

I don't mind the keep out sign. The whole mess in Pittsburgh (when the Fam-i-lee disintegrated) was due to hangers on in the clubhouse.

[WiredTiger]

This is one of the reasons the Yankees are so successful. It didn't take long to make sure Giambi was happy.

[ChrisCary]

Originally posted by Luvtino
. I hope none of the players are upset by this. Jeter, Bernie, Mo, etc. are such professionals that I am sure they will be fine with it.

Apparantly he checked with his teamates befroe even giong to Cashman about it.

THey did a similar thing for Roger Clemens before his trainer got caught doing some questionable things in a team hotel

[SmedIndy]

Originally posted by ChrisCary


Apparantly he checked with his teamates befroe even giong to Cashman about it.

THey did a similar thing for Roger Clemens before his trainer got caught doing some questionable things in a team hotel

What? Was he smuggling in hookers and fire trucks and all the things that make life worth living?

[Skip]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
What? Was he smuggling in hookers and fire trucks and all the things that make life worth living?

Things must be a lot wilder up Hoosier way than I was led to believe. No wonder they call Indiana the sunny side of Louisville.

[KCBOOMER]

This article makes Giambi sound like a kook.

[sweaver]

Originally posted by SmedIndy

What? Was he smuggling in hookers and fire trucks and all the things that make life worth living?

Smuggling in fire trucks? To a hotel?

What, through the freight entrance?

[SmedIndy]

Hasn't anyone seen Bachelor Party? {sigh}

[gyb13]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
Hasn't anyone seen Bachelor Party? {sigh}

Double whammy, what with the Tawny Kitaen brawl...some people just don't understand, Smed

[Fritz Buelow]

Giambi was paying the guy $125K a year and set him up in a 401K - - that's how important the guy is to him. As Chris stated, Clemens had a guy like this and then the Yanks hired him as another conditioning coach - - hadn't heard that he got in trouble 'tho.

Just a thought - - if it wasn't a trainer - - say it was a "personal" specialist in the medical field, like a doctor - - - I dunno, say Player X has a special condition that requires an injection just before the game, or during it, that only a specialist can provide (not the team MD) - - would Sandy and the boys lock that guy out too?

[gyb13]

Originally posted by Fritz Buelow
Just a thought - - if it wasn't a trainer - - say it was a "personal" specialist in the medical field, like a doctor - - - I dunno, say Player X has a special condition that requires an injection just before the game, or during it, that only a specialist can provide (not the team MD) - - would Sandy and the boys lock that guy out too?

Then it would be fine, as long as he had a note from the doctor.