A-Rod’s Childish Ways Alienating Him from the Game That Made Him Famous
November 22, 2013 · Jacob Kornhauser · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
As the Alex Rodriguez suspension-appeal process rolls on, the former sensation continues to baffle the public with his immature actions. The latest misstep on A-Rod’s part was storming out of his arbitration hearing after hearing that MLB commissioner Bud Selig would not have to testify in the case.
Just another in a long list of childish acts by Rodriguez, this instance highlights a disturbing trend since A-Rod was forced to admit to his steroid use between 2001-2003. During the 2009 interview with ESPN’s Peter Gammons that produced the confession, Rodriguez admitted to steroid use between 2001-2003. It is worth noting that A-Rod only made this confession following a Sports Illustrated report that he had tested positive for two anabolic steroids in the 2003 season.
In fact, in an interview with Katie Couric just two years prior, Rodriguez adamantly denied ever using steroids because he never felt tempted to. He stared Couric straight in the eye and lied. Baseball players lying about steroid use is hardly new, but it sheds light on A-Rod’s bigger problem: He can’t even admit his problems to himself. To Rodriguez, the “me against the world” mentality is getting a little old.
Then came the Biogenesis scandal. When news broke that A-Rod was linked to a Miami-based clinic that had supplied PEDs to major leaguers, his public image took yet another blow. Not only was he now an admitted steroid user, he was someone who admitted to using PEDs and went back for more.
Desperate to limit the damage, Rodriguez allegedly purchased incriminating documents from a former Biogenesis employee, although ESPN reported that claim was untrue. Whatever the case may be, it is this allegation that separates Rodriguez from other players implicated in the Biogenesis scandal. Where other players were suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, A-Rod was suspended for the violation of the substance abuse policy along with attempting to impede the MLB’s investigation.
Invoking the “just cause” clause of Article XII of the collective bargaining agreement, MLB handed down an unprecedented 211-game suspension. Up to date, Rodriguez has sat out exactly zero games of that suspension due to his ongoing appeal process.
Before moving into Rodriguez’s most recent conduct, it is important to note that Bud Selig’s stance on the issue is a factor of a couple of different things. First of all, Selig will be retiring after the season, so taking a hard-line stance isn’t as difficult, as he doesn’t have to deal with the consequences. Second of all, being the biggest name on the list of players linked to Biogenesis, it’s only natural that A-Rod is the one that baseball will try to make an example of.
Continuing on his “me against the world” act, Rodriguez filed a lawsuit against MLB and Bud Selig for unfairly targeting him in the Biogenesis case. Shifting the attention away from his own misdeeds, Rodriguez continued to attack Selig’s character and tenure as commissioner.
One excerpt from the lawsuit, per Philly.com, saw Rodriguez say “Mr. Selig’s tenure as commissioner is as scandal-ridden as his term as owner, plagued by some of the most contentious and damaging failures in baseball history.” Never mind the fact that Rodriguez played a key role in at least one of those scandals that he berates Selig for overseeing.
Whether Rodriguez has a valid argument against Selig or not, that is not the point. A-Rod comes off as a child whining to his parents about a teacher being too strict. No matter what their stance, they’re unlikely to have any say over that of the teacher. It’s no wonder that the rest of the league has tried to stay mum on the issue to avoid being sucked into the act themselves.
More or less, that brings the A-Rod saga to where it was on Wednesday when he stormed out of his arbitration hearing. Not only did Rodriguez storm out of his arbitration hearing, he also used a couple of expletives to voice his displeasure of the legal process that had gone on to that point.
One would think that after breaking multiple laws in court (a South Carolina man in 2012 was handed a four-month prison sentence for using expletives in court—and the judge wasn’t even present when the expletives were said), Rodriguez would be done with his tirade, but then again why would he? A-Rod then promptly got onto Mike Francesa’s radio show and had the nerve to deny using PEDs from Biogenesis despite the overwhelming evidence against him.
A particularly frightening development from the radio interview was when Rodriguez talked about how the arbitration process had affected his relationship with his daughter (per the New York Daily News), “missed my daughter’s birthday, first time, she’s nine on Monday. I was here, and I wasn’t there for Natasha.”
It is disturbing that Rodriguez was seemingly using the strained relationship with his daughter as sympathy to make him look better to the public. Especially given the fact that Rodriguez took absolutely no blame for the court proceedings dragging on, it’s borderline sad that he can’t see his role in the entire situation.
Through everything, A-Rod still had supporters on Tuesday for his hearing. Several members supposedly from Hispanics Across America and other organizations held up signs in support of the embattled Yankee. If the antics don’t stop soon and Rodriguez doesn’t take responsibility for his actions in the Biogenesis scandal, the amount of supporters lining up to have his back might soon reach zero.
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