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Spring Training Dominated By A-Rod Talk

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez speaks to reporters during a news conference in Tampa.

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The Associated Press

Published: February 17, 2009

Eddie Guardado walked into the Texas Rangers' clubhouse Tuesday, paused to listen to Alex Rodriguez on television and quickly decided he had seen enough.

"We don't need to watch this," the reliever said, turning off the TV.

All across Florida and Arizona, it was hard to escape baseball's highest-paid player holding his first news conference since admitting he took banned drugs from 2001-2003 while with Texas.

"I support Alex 100 percent," said Rangers third baseman Michael Young, who played with Rodriguez in Texas and skipped the spectacle for some time in the batting cage. "He admitted he made a mistake. Obviously, I don't condone anything like that, but as far as I'm concerned he's still my friend. I'm going to show support in good times and bad."

Supportive or not, many major leaguers were curious to hear what the New York Yankees star had to say.

About a half-dozen Washington Nationals players gathered in front of a TV in the home clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium to watch. By the end, only two players remained.

"It's good that he's coming out and talking about it," said outfielder Ryan Langerhans, who watched part of the news conference. "Only he knows what he really did. It doesn't change the fact that he's a great player. Coming out and admitting it is a big step."

AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee was one of a dozen or so Indians players who watched Rodriguez talk as they ate lunch following Tuesday's workout.

"I don't feel any different than I felt before," Lee said. "He came out and told what he did, that's all you can ask for a guy."

Rodriguez spoke at the Yankees' spring training camp 10 days after Sports Illustrated reported he was on a list of 104 players who tested positive during baseball's 2003 anonymous survey.

That list was a hot topic as players wondered how Rodriguez's name got out and bemoaned the suspicion it cast on all of baseball.

"I wish they would just come out and say who the 104 players are because it's not fair for the other players," Phillies closer Brad Lidge told The Associated Press. "We're all lumped in with them and people think most players did it during the steroid era. But all of us didn't cheat."

The 33-year-old Rodriguez hit .305 with 156 homers and 395 RBIs during his three years with the Rangers. He has 553 career home runs and is expected by many to break Barry Bonds' record of 762.

Pitchers Jamie Moyer of the Phillies and Roy Oswalt of the Astros have attacked Rodriguez's numbers in the past week, and Houston slugger Lance Berkman said Tuesday that steroids have cast a shadow over the game's statistics.

"It makes me angry," he said. "Me and Roy were in there talking about it today. How many hits has he given up to guys that are home runs? That cost him games, his numbers. How many guys have I faced that are throwing 95 that should be throwing 89? It makes a huge difference."

Berkman also said he doesn't feel sorry for Rodriguez, who called the last couple of weeks "difficult and emotional."

"If you do something like that you're going to pay the piper eventually," Berkman said.

Raul Ibanez, who played with Rodriguez in Seattle and lives near him in Miami, felt for his former teammate and the game.

"It's a bad day for baseball to see one of the greatest players to ever play this game be caught up in this," the Philadelphia outfielder said. "From a human element, because I know him, I feel bad for him because I know he's hurting."

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