Alex Rodriguez is breaking records and nobody cares
Earlier this week, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez hit career home run No. 661 against the Baltimore Orioles. It was a massive blast, the type we have come to expect over the years, and it put him ahead of the great Willie Mays on the all-time list. Rodriguez is behind only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth, the only members of the 700-home run club.
Normally, an achievement of such enormity would be broadcast repeatedly around the nation. The Yankees would exult in triumph, doing everything possible to sell merchandise related to the milestone. Baseball pundits would be yelling about how this man is possibly the greatest player of all-time, considering he has also won three Most Valuable Player awards and a pair of Rawlings Gold Gloves.
Instead, absolutely no one cares, because he’s a cheat.
Rodriguez is likely waiting for applause, but the noise won’t come. The only noise he will hear is deafening silence, the same silence he has earned throughout the years by not only taking performance-enhancing drugs, but then lying about it. In 2009, Rodriguez was outed by then-Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts for his alleged use of Primobolan and Testosterone. Roberts claimed Rodriguez used these drugs during the 2003 campaign in which he won the AL MVP award. Subsequently, Rodriguez admitted using performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-2003, per Peter Gammons of ESPN.
“Back then, [baseball] was a different culture,” Rodriguez said. “It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive. And I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time.
“I did take a banned substance. And for that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful.”
Apparently not regretful enough. On Aug. 5, 2013, Rodriguez was suspended 211 games for his role in the Biogenesis scandal. Rodriguez was the only player suspended in the Biogenesis case to appeal, a motion which he ultimately lost. Afterwards, Rodriguez was sued by his lawyers for $380,000 in unpaid legal fees, per the New York Daily News.
Rodriguez represents an ugly blemish on the name of baseball. While the Steroid Era certainly isn’t the worst time in pro baseball (excluding black players is far and away the most appalling), it continues to make for uncomfortable viewing. Rodriguez is nothing more than another player who is walking around with pumped-up statistics and a fat bank account. Was it worth cheating? Well, Rodriguez contracts say yes while the ruined reputation screams no.
In the final analysis, Rodriguez could break every record in the books and it means nothing. Nobody will remember him any differently. When his name comes up on the Hall of Fame ballot, it will sit there with dwindling percentages while other players get their rightful due.
Congrats on the milestone, Alex. Enjoy the telling silence.
