“I Was a First Ballot Hall of Famer...” | Chuzhou Research Chemical Inc.

via Getty

OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 18: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees grimacesafter being hit by a pitch during first inning action against the OaklandAthletics during the game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum August 18, 2009in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

In the sports world, there are good athletes and then there are great athletes. Some ride by in life with an innate talent while some work hard to cultivate it. Some, like Alex Rodriguez, do both. The former New York Yankees player has made a career out of honing his talent to the point where he is considered one of the greatest names to have ever graced the diamond. MLB has introduced fans to many skilled players but even then, A-Rod stands in a league of his own. However, no matter how good, everyone makes mistakes from time to time. But sometimes, those mistakes are unforgivable.

Anyone who has followed baseball in the last several years knows the tainted past that haunts Rodriguez like a ghost. The former shortstop is in a good place in life now but that one mistake cost him the Hall of Fame. He still has some years of eligibility left, but the future is uncertain. A-Rod knows he only has himself to blame.

Article continues below this ad

Steroid usage isn't anything new to sports. Players use performance-enhancing drugs from time to time just to give themselves an edge during a game, an extra factor in the possibility of winning. Rodriguez admitted he used PEDs in 2003, the time when he was the highest-paid baseball player the league had seen at the time. There was immense pressure to do well and A-Rod once admitted he didn't trust himself enough. As he later realized, it was a mistake.

In a recent interview on The Pat McAfee Show, the host praised Rodriguez for his epic comeback from his "epic highs and wild lows". Discussing how the aftermath of the suspension in 2014 went, A-Rod told McAfee that he understood who the blame stood on – himself.

9891 Live Readers

June 06, 2023 07:14 pm EDT

June 06, 2023 05:30 pm EDT

June 07, 2023 05:28 pm EDT

June 07, 2023 05:36 pm EDT

June 07, 2023 07:31 pm EDT

Hall of Fame Yearning Alex Rodriguez Breaks His Silence on Scott Rolen'sInduction After Missing Out Yet Again

4 months ago

"I was a first-ballot Hall of Famer – I was probably that, five-six years ago, before I got in trouble. And to think – I remember I sent emails…people wouldn't write back to me. It was terrible," Rodriguez said. And yet, despite the endless mockery that the former Yankee has faced since then, he has stood strong in the face of adversity.

Article continues below this ad

Baseball fans don't forgive and forget easily. One of the biggest no-nos in a sport is cheating – if one decides to play, sportsmanship is a must. But when Alex Rodriguez broke that trust, everyone turned on him. He has discussed this life-changing event in the years after it happened and how it forced him to look in the mirror. It forced him to take accountability – he had fallen from grace and needed to get back up. Fortunately, there was nowhere else left to go but upward.

via Getty

NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 04: Third baseman Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees readies himself on defense against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game Six of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on November 4, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Yankees won 7-3 to win the series 4 games to 2. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

A-Rod came back in his early 40s and hit 33 home runs. With multiple surgeries and his time in his beloved sport nearing an end, Rodriguez went out with a bang. Now he has traded his jersey for a crisp business suit and wears different pinstripes. The cherry on top is perhaps that, unlike many athletes in their later years, A-Rod boasts a net worth in millions and it continues to grow.

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY – From Alex Rodriguez to Barry Bonds, Top 5 Players Who Aren't a Part of the MLB Hall of Fame

Arunima Bhanot

544 articles

WATCH THIS STORY – From Alex Rodriguez to Barry Bonds, Top 5 Players Who Aren't a Part of the MLB Hall of Fame