Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
As we speak, Alex Rodriguez is in Trenton, New Jersey, rehabbing his way back to MLB — or at least he thinks he is.
Looming over him is the possibility of a lifetime ban from the game of baseball that MLB is expected to announce within the coming days. Rodriguez and his lawyers have said that they plan to fight hard to the end and will appeal any suspension or ban MLB dishes out on the aging superstar.
After his first rehab game with Double-A — he went 1-for-2 with a walk and a monster home run in his second at-bat — A-Rod added to a long list of interesting comments during the post-game press conference. At one point, he was asked about his thoughts on PEDs, and he said some interesting things.
“I think that’s the pink elephant in the room,” Rodriguez said. “I think we all agree that we want to get rid of PEDs. That’s a must. I think all the players feel that way. But when all the stuff is going on in the background and people are finding creative ways to cancel your contract, I think that’s concerning for me.”
Seriously? We want to get rid of PEDs, yet reports state MLB has piles on top of piles of evidence suggesting that he’s been doping for years. Sometimes, or just about all the time, it seems like A-Rod just doesn’t understand what he’s saying. Yes, there was a pink elephant in the room last night, and that was him. Over a hundred media members were in Trenton on Friday for the sole reason to see A-Rod — the pink elephant.
Then on top of that, he went on to send a comment in the direction of the New York Yankees and MLB.
“I will say this: There is more than one party that benefits from me not ever stepping back on the field. That’s not my teammates and that’s not the Yankee fans.”
Clearly, he’s referencing to his claims that the Yankees and MLB are conspiring to keep him off the field, while also making sure he doesn’t collect another penny of the nearly $100 million he’s owed through 2017.
A-Rod said that he believes he’ll be joining the Yankees Monday in Chicago, assuming he’s not suspended. I can see the signs that might suggest people are trying to keep him from playing, but I seriously don’t understand why he’s still caught up with that.
He’s still playing in games, right? It’s not like they’re not trying to get him back. Plus, wasn’t A-Rod the one that complained about soreness in his quad in the first place? So the fact that he waited longer to return to the field is his fault. If he was actually injured and the MRI results the Yankees have says he is injured, it’s no one’s fault.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees actually don’t want Rodriguez on the field, but then again, who want’s to deal with all the baggage he brings along?
In the end, we won’t know the truth until MLB brings down its wrath on Monday, or PED Day to some. Until that happens, A-Rod just needs to be quiet and let his play do the talking.
Gavin Ewbank is a Yankees writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow @GavinEwbank2013 on Twitter for more Yankees talk.
