A-Rod: Out of the Drug Closet

Rodriguez seized what was really his only option and fessed up quickly. The Yankees slugger told ESPN's Peter Gammons that after signing what at that time was the biggest sports contract in history—$252 million—to join the Texas Rangers in 2001—he "felt all the weight of the world on top of me to perform, and perform at a high level every day." He said he began using performance-enhancing drugs that same year and stopped in 2003, three years in which he averaged 52 home runs and 132 RBIs. "I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve," he told Gammons. "I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players. I did take a banned substance. For that I am very sorry and deeply regretful."

Given A-Rod's willingness to conceal the truth about his drug use in the past, there is no particular reason to believe what he says now. His drug use could have spanned a much longer period, dragging his current team into the mix. He could still be using. BALCO couldn't have been the only lab around manufacturing designer steroids that are undetectable. Who would be shocked? Who was truly shocked this time? After all, Jose Canseco, America's preeminent guide to baseball's Who's Who of drug cheats, linked A-Rod to steroids in his last book.

If you want to read what was truly a shocking revelation from Sports Illustrated on the same subject, go back to its 2002 cover story about Ken Caminiti. That year, the same year a juiced Rodriguez blasted his career-high 57 homers, Caminiti confessed to using steroids and detailed how his life had spiraled downward into drug addiction. The former National League Most Valuable Player, who would die two years later of drug overdose, insisted to SI that at least 50 percent of Major League ballplayers were using steroids. There seemed little reason to doubt him back then. And even less to do so now.

A-Rod is already burdened with the reputation of a player whose emotional baggage keeps him from succeeding—and, thus, his team from winning—at crucial moments. Now he has taken on a huge, extra load. He will endure taunts of "A-Fraud" and "A-Roid" from the fans, a bit of rough justice (as well as more ugliness for the game he claims to cherish). Sure Rodriguez deserves plenty of heat. He just doesn't deserve to take all that heat alone.

© 2009