New York Nine

Well it seems as though the one good thing everyone could say about A-Rod has just gone out the window. A-Rod's always been easy to hate, from the girlish slap play in the 04 ALCS to his seemingly perpetual choking in big spots and in the postseason, and most recently his infidelity with...Madonna? Dude she's like a hundred years old now isn't she? But you despite that you could always say he's gone his whole career without a hint of tarnish from the steroid era, the one slugger who did it clean and who would break the wretched Barry Bonds' home run record and restore order to the universe. Well it seems even that is has disappeared with the news that A-Rod was caught using sterioids in 2003 in his MVP season with the Rangers where he hit 47 home runs. Damn A-Rod can't you do anything right?


I've always defended A-Rod since he's been a Yankee, he's a douchebag for sure, but he's our douchebag, and our douchebag is arguably the best player in the game. Yes his numbers in big spots did make me cringe at times and I hated listening to the drama with him and Jeter, but it's always been about baseball, and the guy just produced. Indeed, despite his seemingly "un-clutchness" he's been an integral part of this team since he showed up in 2004 producing like no yankee since, well Mickey Mantle, and he's already got more home runs than him!


But it seems as though that now will always been tainted, that will forever been overshadowed by this startling news, that the white light of clean baseball has gone out, his home runs will never been seen without a great deal of scrutiny and doubt and its a shame. Now of course he's never tested positive while he's been a Yankee, by all accounts he's been clean since we've known him, but how can you be sure of it? Who is to say that he isn't now using some more advanced undectable method of jucing? You can never know for sure and because of that he can no longer be viewed the same way. He's one of them now, right next to Bonds and Sosa and all the rest, juicers, cheaters, theives. Indeed, what can I say anymore that redeems him? What about Alex is now admirable and honorable?


Perhaps I am making too much of this, perhaps there is an explaination to it, or perhaps this was a one-time loss of judgment on the part of Alex, but the problem remains that I can no longer say anything with certainity about him anymore. I for one am anxious to hear his reponse, but I doubt it will change anything, the damage is done, his reputation forever blackened.