“I Feel Very Betrayed”- When Billionaire MLB Team Owner Was Rocked by Alex Rodriguez’s PED Scandal Despite His Potential to “Save Baseball”

Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez is one of the most famous names to have ever been associated with baseball. But he also remains equally infamous due to a certain reason. ‘A-Rod’ was among the elite baseball players to have gotten involved in using banned substances. Thus, Rodriguez joined the long list of outstanding baseball players to have fallen into disrepute.

‘A-Rod’ made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in 1994 and established his presence quickly on the circuit. He proved his match-winning skills both as a batter and fielder to become a marquee player. From there, he went on to play for the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees on lucrative deals. ‘A-Rod’ made 14 All-Star appearances and also won a World Series championship.

‘A-Rod’ joined the Rangers in 2001 on a whopping $252 million 10-year deal. Then Rangers’ owner Tom Hicks signed ‘A-Rod’ because of the heroic aura surrounding the star slugger. Many critics acclaimed ‘A-Rod’ as a potential savior of baseball. However, once the scandal broke out, Hicks lost his respect for ‘A-Rod’.

When Tom Hicks felt betrayed by Alex Rodriguez

Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez played three seasons for the Rangers from 2001 to 2003. He gave some of the best performances of his career in those three seasons. He ended up as the American League home run leader in those seasons and also made consecutive All-Star appearances. But all those honors got refuted after ‘A-Rod’ made a big announcement a few years on from leaving the Rangers.

In 2009, ‘A-Rod’ admitted to taking steroids back in 2003, his last year with the Rangers. The admission rocked the Rangers’ then-owner Tom Hicks and diminished Hicks’ faith in ‘A-Rod’. Notably, Rodriguez’s legacy fell further into disrepute after he got busted in the Biogenesis scandal in 2013. Thus, ‘A-Rod’ joined the club of tarnished legends in Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosaetc.

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Speaking about ‘A-Rod’ in an interview in 2009, a disappointed Hicks she said, “In fact, Alex used to tell me negative things about other players around the league who were suspected (of drug use). So it’s… I feel very betrayed.” Because anonymous sources once spread the narrative, “Yes, Alex Rodriguez can save baseball.”

A brief note on Alex Rodriguez’s MLB ban

After the 2013 drug bust, ‘A-Rod’ got a suspension for the entire 2014 season. Thus, he served the longest ban in MLB history. Therefore, even if ‘A-Rod’ mounted playing records worthy of the MLB Hall Of Fame, his induction still remains doubtful.

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Do you think Alex Rodriguez deserves a place in the MLB Hall Of Fame?