MLB: A-Wad, I mean A-Rod returns to Safeco.

Alex Rodriguez made his first visit to Safeco Field since his defection to Texas last winter, and the response he received was less than ideal.

Rodriguez was booed every time he came to the plate and every time he touched a ball in the field. The venom released by the crowd was approximately equivalent to the poisonous output of twenty-five million rattlesnakes.

One for each dollar he will receive from the Rangers this year.

"I think it’s all in fun," said Rodriguez.

Well, Alex, I have news for you.

Maybe it wasn’t all in fun. Maybe it was dead serious.

Do you really expect blue-collar fans to understand why you bolted to Big D? As far as the loyal Mariner fans are concerned, the D stands for Dollars, not Dallas.

Do you really expect those fans – who on the average earn in one year what you earn in ONE AT BAT – to understand?

I don’t think they do. But A-Rod remains undeterred.

"I don’t think it was animosity," said Rodriguez.

Well, Alex, maybe it wasn’t animosity.

But it sure was bad blood, anger, and indignation.

Maybe the jeers, boos, and fake money were all hurled in your direction in sincerity, not in fun. The fans weren’t quite fanatic, but they were overzealous in showing their "love" for you in your Pacific Northwest homecoming.

A homecoming is supposed to be a time of joy, tears, and remembrances. This homecoming had none of that.

"I’m very excited to play in this great place, in the Northwest, my old stomping grounds," stated Rodriguez.

Well Alex, maybe if you had been alone with the 45,000 fans from Safeco that night, they might have stomped you into the ground. They don’t see former Seattle Mariner Alex Rodriguez; they see leave-for-Big-Dollar-Traitor "A-Wad."

Players and coaches were disappointed and surprised by the vociferous display, but should they have been? The beloved star leaves the beloved team and becomes a turncoat playing for the enemy. What kind of reception should they have expected?

"It was surprising," said Mariner manager Lou Piniella. "Remember, Alex had some wonderful years here."

Right, but now he is going to have some wonderful years in a different locale. How should the fans react?

Seattle’s Mike Cameron was also saddened.

"That’s tough. No respect. I can’t deal with it," he said. "You’ve got to remember what this guy brought to the city."

Or think of what he is trying to take.

In a recent letter to Boeing executives, Rodriguez stated, "I moved to Dallas-Fort Worth to improve my future. So should you."

You can only imagine how well that went over with the Rainy City populace.

Kind of like a lead zeppelin.

So it goes in the wonderful world of baseball. I can only speak for myself, but I’m sure others are thinking similar thoughts.

How long before money and greed destroy the game?