May 04 2009
Rodriguez Tight-Lip on Steroid Controversy; A-Rod Book for Release
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees is still tight-lip on the surrounding steroid controversy. Reports claim that the Yankees star have used steroids as early as high school and also used this drug while playing with the Yankees.
“I’m not going there,” is the only reply of Rodriguez when asked about the report, according to ESPN. This statement was done after homering in an extended spring-training game in Tampa, Florida.
It can be recalled that Rodriguez underwent from a hip surgery in March and has been out of the field for the Yankees this season.
Instead of focusing on the steroid controversy, Rodriguez just commented on his baseball career. “I’m just so excited about being back on the field and playing baseball. My team has won two games (in a row) up there and hopefully I can come back and help them win some more,” he said.
The steroid controversy and allegations were exposed in the upcoming book entitled “A-Rod” of Sports Illustrated Writer Selena Roberts. Details of the book came out first in the New York Daily News report.
According to reports, the book portrays the three-time AL MVP as a needy personality who wanted his ego stroked and a player who tipped opponents to pitches in blowout games, in the hope that the favor would be returned. “A-Rod” is scheduled to be released on May 12 but Harper Collins, the publisher, decided to release it on Monday.
Roberts also exposed this year that Rodriguez failed a drug test in 2003. This then prompted Rodriguez to admit in February that he is using steroids while playing with the Rangers in 2001 to 2003 because of “an enormous amount of pressure to perform”. He also insisted that he stopped taking steroids before February 2004 the time he was traded to the Yankees.
But according to the book, A-Rod was seen with people linked to steroids even during his stint in the Yankees. It can be observed that Rodriguez also gained weight in 2005 which led to his teammates to come up with nicknames for the slugger.
Despite Roberts’ allegations, his Yankees teammates are not taking the steroid controversy seriously. Yankees Manager Joe Girardi even said to ESPN that it is now time to bury the steroid issue and move on since Rodriguez has already talked about it.
Like the Yankees squad, Doug Mientkiewicz came out in the news saying that he did not believe that Rodriguez, his former teammate in high school, is involved in the steroid controversy.
However, another high school teammate of Rodriguez told Roberts that he was on steroids as a prep player and even his coach knew about it. This allegation was denied by the coach Rich Hofman. “What would be alarming is if somebody didn’t work and got a lot bigger,” Hofman said. “But the fact is, he was the hardest-working guy around.”
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