$350,000,000 businessman Alex Rodriguez disheartened as Yankees deny overdue honor: "Yeah, of course it bothers me"
Over his 22 seasons in MLB, third baseman Alex Rodriguez put his name next to some pretty incredible achievements. However, later revelations of steroid use has meant that A-Rod has one of the most divisive legacies in baseball history.
The team with which Alex Rodriguez spent the most time with was the New York Yankees. Coming to the team by virtue of a 2004 trade, Rodriguez' 10-year, $275 million deal with the Bronx Bombers shattered his own record for the largest ever given out.
In 2005, his second season in New York, A-Rod hit a league-best 48 home runs alongside 130 RBIs. Additionally, his slashline of 321/.421/.610 included the highest slugging percentage in baseball that year. Rodriguez was thus named AL MVP for the second time of his career.
"June 8 2005 - Alex Rodriguez hits his 400th career home run" - NY Yankees Throwbacks
In 2007, Rodriguez hit 54 home runs and 156 RBIs, leading the league in both categories. The then-29-year-old New York Yankees star was awarded the third MVP of his career. At this point, many believed that he has booked his place in Yankees history.
However, the tide began to shift for Alex Rodriguez in 2013. That year, MLB received conclusive evidence that A-Rod had long been obtained steroids from Miami-based nutrionist Tony Bosch. On the heels of the groundbreaking news, Rodriguez was suspended for the entirety of the 2014 season.
In 2016, he announced his retirement, as was replaced on the roster by current Yankees captain Aaron Judge. Recently, writer Daniel Chavkin of SmartNews reported on the fact that Rodriguez wished his jersey number, 13, had been retired by the Yankees, claiming:
"Yeah, of course it bothers me" - A-Rod on Yankees not retiring number
Alex Rodriguez' jersey number represents a widespread trend. After his retirement, many prominent figures within the baseball world distanced themselves from the convicted PED user. Despite entering Hall of Fame eligibility in 2022, the Florida-native received just 34% of the required 75% vote threshold to gain entry to Cooperstown.
Alex Rodriguez could have had it all
During the early days of his career with the Seattle Mariners, Rodriguez demonstrated a raw skill that most young ball players could only dream of. The winner of the 1996 batting title, the young A-Rod was as naturally talented as they come. Unfortunately, Rodriguez allowed himself to get caught up in poor ideations in his later career, and his name will never be able to be seperated from his poor choices.