Alex Rodriguez has added his voice to the chorus of current and former MLB players who have spoken out in light of the Houston Astros‘ sign-stealing scandal that has rocked the baseball world.
During ESPN‘s broadcast of the New York Yankees’ spring training game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, the three-time MVP and 14-time all-star said he was disappointed by the authenticity of the Astros’ apology.
“I think the one thing that has really upset the fans is you: cheat, you win a championship, there is no suspension and then there’s no remorse. And the last one, I think, is probably the worst one because people want to see remorse, they want a real authentic apology and they have not received that thus far,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez, who was suspended for the entirety of the 2014 season for using performance-enhancing drugs and his role in the MLB’s Biogenesis scandal, said those involved need to be transparent and honest about their involvement.
The Astros have been heavily criticized for their attempt at an apology.
“From a guy who has made as many mistakes as anybody on the biggest stage, I served the longest suspension in Major League Baseball history. It cost me well over $35 million, and you know what? I deserved that. And as a result, I came back, I owned it after acting like a buffoon for a long time, I had my apologies and then I went dark. And I wanted my next move to be contrite, but I also wanted to go out and play good baseball and change my narrative. And the way you change your narrative is you have to be accountable.
You’ve earned all this negative talk. You’ve earned whatever comes your way including, whether it’s hit by a pitch or negative press. You have divorced yourself from having the ability to protect yourself.”
The Astros have been on the receiving end of boos and catcalls throughout spring training.
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