Former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez once opened up about his involvement in the infamous PED scandal during his playing days.
In an interview on CNN and HBO Max’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”, Rodriguez spoke about how he regretted the decision and how he took full responsibility for the wrongdoing. He said:
“My mistakes. And it was the most embarrassing moment of my career. And it was a mistake that I have now forgiven myself but it took me a while. And Chris, it took a lot of turning the lens inward. And doing a lot of therapy and understanding some of the mistakes and why I was making them how it ties into my childhood."
Alex Rodriguez reportedly admitted in January 2014 to using steroids, after which there was a full-blown investigation from the MLB. The investigation led to the suspension of 14 players for violating the drug policy in MLB. Ryan Braun, the 2011 National League MVP, was one of the players alongside Rodriguez to receive a suspension. A-Rod was initially given a 211-game suspension, later reduced to 162 games, which saw him absent throughout the entire 2014 season.
Alex Rodriguez regrets entering Hall of Fame after Fernando Tatis Jr.'s PED scandal
Rodriguez appeared on ESPN's “Sunday Night Baseball” back in August to discuss the suspension of San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. The league announced that Tatis had tested positive for Clostebol, a synthetic form of testosterone, and received a 80-game ban.
However, A-Rod was disappointed after hearing the news, admitting that he will never make it to the Hall of Fame for the same mistake. He said:
"I'm not going to go to the Hall of Fame probably because of my own mistake. And that's heartbreaking for me. It's heartbreaking to explain that to my daughters. But that's on me."
A-Rod added that he wished that younger players would learn from his scandal and not make the same mistake again. Tatis Jr. and the Padres signed a $340 million, 14-year contract in February in February 2021. However, he will be forced to sit out the remainder of the 2022 season and the first half of the 2023 season.