When former Yankees star Alex Rodriguez learned to cope with his infamous role in PED scandal
Alex Rodriguez faced the longest suspension in MLB history when it came out that he took PEDs. He also became the poster boy for the steroid era and faced ridicule and distrust from the baseball community.
It all began when the Biogenesis scandal broke in 2013, when a former clinic employee became a whistleblower. The employee revealed how the clinic was distributing performance enhancing drugs to athletes. Later another former employee of Biogenesis submitted documents that listed the MLB players who were involved. Rodriguez was also one of the people on the list.
Afterward, Rodriguez became the poster child of the steroid era. His already controversial reputation took an even further nosedive. Alex Rodriguez was even suspended by the MLB for the whole of the 2014 season. In 2015 A-Rod returned to the field, but it was not easy for him to accumulate to all the changes that had taken place in his life.
In a 2015 interview with USA Today, Rodriguez revealed how he was reflecting on his mistakes and coping with all the changes in his life.
"No mistake that I've made has any good answer. There's no good answer. It's unexplainable. I've dug a big hole for myself. I paid a price. I'm grateful to a lot of people, the commissioner's office, the union, the Yankees to give me the opportunity to play the game I love.''
8 years ago today, Alex Rodriguez hit his 660th career HR, tying him with Willie Mays for 4th all-time
https://t.co/V4Gy5D556Q
Alex Rodriguez was suspended in 2013 for 211 games. However, after an arbitration hearing, the suspension was reduced to 162 games, which still caused him to miss the 2014 season.
When Alex Rodriguez talked about getting used to being the villain of the MLB
Rodriguez's punishment was much harsher than other players. He was also the one who took most of the heat from the media and fans when the scandal broke out. In the same interview, Alex Rodriguez was asked how he felt being the so-called villain of the MLB. To this, A-Rod replied that he was getting used to the predicament he was in.
"At this point, I'm kind of used to it,'' he said. "The good news is that I made a mistake. I served a big penalty personally and professionally. Now, all my focus is on 2015 and trying to make this team.''
Alex Rodriguez on the day he signed with the Rangers, 2000 https://t.co/LzaV4HmsVU
It seemed, for the 2015 season, all Rodriguez wanted to do was put the past behind him and move on. A-Rod played until 2016 before he finally retired from the game altogether.