Former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez knows he screwed up his Hall of Fame chances, but he’s praying he gets in anyway.
Alex Rodriguez understands that there is a high possibility that he won’t be joining the baseball legends enshrined in Cooperstown. His career totals of 3,115 hits and 696 home runs are beyond worthy of the Hall, but they are forever tainted by his PED use.
Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have proven that voters are not yet ready to forgive players involved in the MLB’s drug scandal.
However, A-Rod won’t hit the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame until 2022. Voter perception of PED use could change a lot in the next few years, and he’s getting a head start on his campaign for votes.
In an interview with Cigar Aficionado, Rodriguez told Marvin R. Shanken, “…let’s be clear, I want to get in, I hope I get in, I pray I get in.”
The former MVP shortstop and third baseman offered no excuses for his behavior.
“There’s rules, and you have to follow the rules,” Rodriguez said. “…I made those mistakes. And at the end of the day, I have to live by those mistakes.”
A-Rod said that no matter what happens with his Hall of Fame hopes, he wants people to learn from his mistakes.
“And the platform of my mistakes — the good, the bad and the ugly — has allowed me to have a loud voice to the next generation to say, ‘When in doubt, just look at my career. Look at the good, the bad and the ugly, and just make good decisions.’”
In 12 years with the New York Yankees, Rodriguez hit 351 home runs and drove in 1096 runs. He was suspended for the entire 2014 season due to his use of PEDs, which cost him the opportunity to move into third place on the MLB’s all-time home run list.
Rodriguez retired after the 2016 season, and he now works as an announcer for ESPN.