Being hardheaded and loving the game is never a crime, but what Alex Rodriguez is doing to his legacy and to the New York Yankees is simply boneheaded. After the recent allegations once again tying A-Rod to PEDs, the best thing the former first-ballot Hall of Famer can do now is retire.
A-Rod's name shows up in the Miami New Times report along with Melky Cabrera, Gio Gonzalez and a few other players. In this report, A-Rod is being accused of using PEDs and it's not the first time the star player has been linked to using illegal substances. There are official reports linking him to Biogenesis, where A-Rod's name shows up on a list where these major leaguers went to acquire the banned drugs.
He confessed to using PEDs from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Texas Rangers. In that time, he put up monster seasons and won the MVP in 2003 after posting a .298 batting average with 47 home runs and 118 RBI. He was a Gold Glove winner, All-Star and Silver Slugger award winner in that season. All he needed was a championship to complete the ultimate season.
The championship came in 2009, the same season where A-Rod confessed to using PEDs. That year, he hit 30 homers and 100, reaching the milestone in the final game of the season. Surprisingly, he also put up great numbers during the postseason, a place where A-Rod had struggled throughtout his career, especially as a Yankee.
Maybe the pressure got to him and forced him into a relapse, but records show that A-Rod was in the Biogenesis lab and possibly consuming PEDs in the season he took the Yankees to the championship where they won it all against the Philadelphia Phillies.
That postseason, he finished with eight home runs and 18 RBI slugging his way to a World Series ring. Supposedly, it made him a complete player as he added the last piece of hardware to a successful resume with numerous individual achievements.
What is left now, however, is a 37-year-old who is injured and going under knife to repair another bum hip. This is a player who couldn't hit a fastball down the middle of the strikezome and was pinch-hit late in the game numerous times by manager Joe Girardi.
His legacy isn't worth the remaining $114 million in his contract, his numbers aren't worth the money and he's certainly not expected to break any of the records and feats left to be surpassed.
The sour taste and question in everybody's mouth is, what would a PED-less A-Rod have accomplished?
There is no way we can know if he was doping when he won two MVPs with the Yankees in 2005 and 2007, but who will trust him anymore?
Even a better question, does A-Rod have fans anymore?
The Yankees are hobbling around trying to look for players to sign since they were foolish enough to extend A-Rod for another 10-years back in 2007 at the age of 31. He was the MVP that year, but did he do it fairly? Who knows.
The Yankees are suffering. A-Rod is clearly suffering physically and is endangering further credibility as a major league star.
I don't respect A-Rod's numbers anymore, not even the skinny A-Rod since I can't tell if he did anything fairly throughout his career. He might not be at fault since a lot of players claim it was part of the culture, but one thing he can do call it quits now.
All we have now are the remnants of a player who drugged up and is useless out on the field.
He can't hit. He's always hurt. What else is there left to prove? It's about time A-Rod. Free up the Yankees payroll and free yourself from further humiliations.
What do you think about the A-Rod situation? Let's get the conversation started.
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