February 17, 2009
Late Start
Alex Rodriguez's press conference is starting about 20 minutes late. I hope it starts soon, because MLB TV is getting a bit repetitive.
Update: The new conference is getting started now.
Update: No follow up questions to keep things moving.
Update: Alex makes an opening statement. Thanks Yankees for their support. He knows he has to earn back trust. In 2001, 2002 and 2003 experimented with a banned substance that triggered a positive.
In 2001, a cousin, told him about a substance that would give him an energy boost. I'm not sure of the spelling, sounds like Bolly. He took it twice a month for six months during the 2001 and 2002 season. He said it only his cousin knew about it. (Update: The drug is spelled Boli.)
He says in 2003 he hurt his neck, and that combined with the start of testing caused him to stop.
So when he told Gammons he didn't talk about this with anyone, he actually talked about it with his cousin.
Update: First question is, if you haven't been caught, would you have come out with the admissions. He says he hasn't thought about that.
Update: He was asked if the substance helped. He says he felt more energy. He also says he injected the substance.
He's asked if it was cheating, and he sidesteps the questions saying that's for others to determine.
Update: A-Rod is asked about the kids and invokes God!
Update: Alex won't name his cousin. Says they never really researched how to use this properly. When asked how he couldn't know what he was putting in his body, Alex falls back on the excuse that he was young and stupid.
Update: Hannah Storm asked if he ever used anything else, and he said he used something with Seattle (I didn't get the name) that since was banned. He implied that he got it from GNC.
Update: Good question on why if he didn't think it was wrong, why was he so secretive. Alex even admits it's a good question. He says they knew they weren't taking tic tacs, but doesn't really come up with a good answer other than he was young and stupid.
Update: When faced with stats that show that a large number of fans don't believe his use was confined to 2001-2003, Alex said that when his career is over he hopes the numbers fall in his favor. If they don't he's prepared to live with that.
Update: The conference ends with Alex asking fans to judge him from this day forward.
I assume the media will be tracking down Alex's cousin to see if his story matches Alex's.
Posted by David Pinto at
01:44 PM
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Cheating
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Good title for Selena's book. Young and Stupid: the A-Rod Story.
The answer to Hannah's question is "Ripped Fuel"
Never mind what A-Rod used or when. Who cares now? He's gone from telling Katie it was nothing at all to admitting it was something -- he wasn't quite sure what -- to offering specifics on what it was and where it came from: the DR.
What he used, or has been using, isn't the story anymore. People aren't going to debate his past "or talk about my future as if it's already been determined."
Oh, no. They're be too busy knockin' on doors in Central America, Miami and elsewhere.
Trust me: I was in the business for nearly three decades. I sent people running after a lot less than that. From where I sit now, I can practically hear the voices raised at once: "Find the cousin!"
For more, click here: Where's A-Roid's cousin Vinny?"
i would asked a nice loaded question:
Arod, do you believe that Rose, McGuire, Bonds, Clemens and Palmiero should be in the hall of fame?
there's no good answer.
"no" would either indicate that he shouldn't be in as well or that he considers himself above those guys.
"yes" would indicate that people who cheat should be rewarded with the highest post-career honor or that he doesn't actually believe what he did was wrong.
how about: each person should be considered for the hall of fame on the merits of their individual resume, both in terms of on-field performance and off-field conduct.
nothing's ever black and white. I highly doubt all of the players you mention above are going to be excluded from the hall of fame. I'm not sure they all get in, either.
No, the pat answer is:
That's not up to me; it's for the writers to decide...