A-Rod damage controlled
"A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez"
"Many lives." That's where Selena Roberts, Sports Illustrated reporter and author, lost me. Outside of baseball, I don't particularly care what Alex Rodriguez's relationship with Madonna was/is all about. I don't care how extravagant his requests are (toothpaste on his toothbrush). I don't care what his teammates thought of him. And I really don't care that he was generally hated by the Hooters staff for being a poor tipper.
I haven't read the book and I can't/won't attack the credibility of what Roberts writes. I'm just questioning the significance of what reportedly appears in the book, based on the excerpts published by the New York Daily News last week. The newspaper got a hold of the book's transcript through a very curious leak (the book's release was today, only bumped up a week - an apparent response to the information getting out).
Aside from all of the tabloid-worthy notes, Roberts further reveals the supposed extent of A-Rod's steroid usage - writing that he used in high school and with the New York Yankees. He apparently also tried to get an advantage at the plate by engaging in the act of tipping pitches with friends on the opposing team.
Moral of the story? It sounds like a depiction of a guy who used steroids and with what can only be described as "character issues". What's new?
A-Rod was already outed as steroid-using cheater by Roberts - Rodriguez has even admitted as much. His place in baseball lore and reputation as a human being has already been tarnished, probably beyond repair.
Basically, will the public perception of him get that much worse with an extra foot dug in a grave that's already six feet deep?
