by Jacob Gurvis
Imagine, for a moment, this scenario. You are in your 30s. You have made almost 400 million dollars. You play a game for a living, a profession that millions dream of, and only few experience. You have a ring representing undeniable success. You are one of the best.
Now think about throwing that all away because you cheat the system. The system that has given you money, fame, happiness, and worldwide respect. Why? Because you crave material success. You want to be the best ever. Understandable, right? Well what if that will strip all of those wonderful things from you, but you refuse to stop because you are greedy and lack common sense? It backfires, and you deny that you were ever in the wrong.
That, my friends, is, in brief, the description of the one and only Alex Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, 38, has been suspended for all of the 2014 season, including the playoffs. He is losing the 24 million he would have made. And that 162-game suspension is a gift, as it was reduced from 211.
Rodriguez was part of a scandal at the now-defunct anti-aging clinic Biogenesis of America, a Miami-based drug agency run by Anthony Bosch. Rodriguez was linked to Bosch and Biogenesis, and it was reported that the two men made many drug transactions, all of which included substances that are banned in Major League Baseball.
Rodriguez naturally denied everything. He is taking his suspension to Federal Court, suing MLB and the Players’ Union, in an attempt to have his suspension completely overturned. Good luck, bud.
Bosch, on the other hand, went on “60 Minutes” and spilled all the details. In the interview, Bosch revealed that he has personally injected Rodriguez many times, sold him countless drugs, and worked with him very closely, helping him with the entire process.
“Alex is scared of needles, so at times, he would ask me to inject,” Bosch said in the interview.
Poor Alex, he’s scared of needles. Rodriguez cheated. There’s little reason not to believe Bosch. He’s in trouble either way, so why would he lie? He even told a story of taking blood from Rodriguez in a bathroom stall in a nightclub because he was preparing for a drug test.
Hundreds of texting records between Bosch and Rodriguez were made public. And yes, they talked nonstop about the drugs. When to take them. How to take them. How to not fail drug tests. And they almost got away with it.
The details are just terrible. The tens of thousands of dollars Bosch was paid to do this. The amount of times Rodriguez has lied to his fans, his family, and his sport. The fact that Bosch, who said he loves baseball, would sell banned substances to over 15 players. That fact he doesn’t feel bad about what he did.
These acts are inexcusable. These men have disgraced the game. Why? Because Rodriguez wants to be the sole member of “The 800 Club.” He wants to break the record and reach 800 home runs. I commend Bosch for admitting everything that happened. But I do not respect him. He is desecrating baseball, and he thinks it’s fair because everyone cheats.
After his suspension was reduced by MLB arbitrator Frederic Horowitz, Rodriguez released a long statement, in which he defended himself. “No player should have to go through what I have been dealing with, and I am exhausting all options to ensure not only that I get justice, but that players’ contracts and rights are protected through the next round of bargaining and that the MLB investigation and arbitration process cannot be used against others in the future the way it is currently being used to unjustly punish me.”
Ultimately, he’s going to be almost 40, and a year and a half removed from the game if he comes back in 2015. Even if he does play again, it will be pointless. He’s done. And I’m not disappointed. Maybe I’m just a biased Red Sox fan. But I can tell you this, regardless of his team affiliation, he is wrong, and should be banished from the game. Even his colleagues around baseball want him out of the players’ union because he’s suing it.
People like Alex Rodriguez do not deserve to have the honor of wearing a baseball jersey. Not even for the New York Yankees. Good luck in court, A-Rod. I hope we never have to see you on a baseball field again.
