New York Yankees officials have approved a plan to remove scenes involving Alex Rodriguez from a kids-themed, animated film sanctioned by the team entitled “Henry & Me.”
According to Sports Illustrated, Rodriguez, who performed his own voice work for the production, will be completely removed from the film’s final version based on fears from investors that his involvement could harm the marketability and profitability of the production.
Though the producers and Yankees ownership gave their full support to the film, which even includes Hank Steinbrenner playing the role of his father, the ultimate decision to remove Rodriguez came from the groups’ team of eight or nine investors, the website reports.
"We have investors that we have to answer to, just like the Yankees," said executive producer Ray Negron, a longtime Yankees adviser, whose children's books served as the inspiration for the film. "If ownership decides that this is a direction that we have to go, meaning our investors, we have to listen to ownership. That's just the way it is. It works just like a team. It's the same thing."
Among the previously shot scenes starring Rodriguez was one where he hits a home run with the help of the film’s main character, a cancer-stricken boy named Jack. Rodriguez was originally cast in the role to replace Hideki Matsui, who left the Yankees’ organization to join the Los Angeles Angels in 2010 but will now be brought back to reprise the role.
Though Rodriguez only has a few lines in the approximately one hour film, he is featured in 49 sequences, producer Joseph Avallone told SI, adding that it will take four to six months to edit the movie and "cost a fortune."
"I love Alex Rodriguez, but I love kids more,” said Negron. ”And at the end of the day, we don't want to get caught up with everything that's happening right now. This is too important a message of what we're trying to relay to kids and we don't want to get caught up with that. We'll need to raise more money, but it's worth it if it means getting a good product out to the kids."
The film also stars Richard Gere, Chazz Palminteri and Paul Simon, along with Yankees’ greats Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson and Bernie Williams. Current Yankees CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira join the legends, and all ex-Yanks will be playing themselves.
Rodriguez remains embroiled in a dispute with Major League Baseball over his involvement with Florida –based Biogenesis Clinic and has been suspended for a record-setting 211 games amid an ongoing probe revolving around performance enhancing drugs. He has appealed the suspension and continues to suit up for the Yankees.
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