Roberts, Not Rodriguez, Damaged by “A-Rod” Book

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

There’s no question Alex Rodriguez appears as a selfish and needy superstar in Selena Roberts’ new book, “A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez.”  Based on her reporting, Roberts concludes Rodriguez used steroids not only with the Texas Rangers, as he has admitted, but also in high school and while on the Yankees. 

She also writes of his many alleged cases of marital infidelity.  And while he tipped pitches to opposing players, Roberts reports, he’s not as generous at the Hooters in Baltimore, where he leaves the minimum 15 percent.

But the book fails to significantly tarnish Rodriguez’s reputation – mostly because it’s already been soiled.  He’d already been proven a cheater.  Roberts herself dropped the big hammer when in February she revealed the slugger tested positive for steroids during the 2003 season.

Sure, new allegations surfaced in the book, like the pitch tipping or how he might have used steroids longer than we thought.  Roberts writes he might have done other disgraceful things, like hit on teammates’ wives and order clubhouse attendants to load his toothbrush with toothpaste.

And the contention that he frequently used the pick-up line, “Who’s hotter, me or Derek Jeter?” leads one to believe Rodriguez’s game has shortcomings that extend beyond hitting in the late innings.

But Roberts’s allegations are simply more fodder for the already-established legions of A-Rod haters.  Even prior to that news, no one confused Rodriguez with Cal Ripken Jr.  Rodriguez’s reported rendezvous with strippers, the divorce from his wife, and the relationship with Madonna had taken the luster off of his wholesome image.

Likewise, we already knew he doesn’t always relate well to teammates or speak to the media without sounding like he’s reading from a script.  On the field, his inability to produce in the clutch or carry a team led to widespread criticism.  Despite his gaudy statistics, teams seem to get worse when he arrives.

To the contrary, the book gives depth to the public perception of Rodriguez, humanizing him in a way which actually makes him appear a little relatable.  For example, Roberts details how Rodriguez’s father abandoned him, giving more context for some of Rodriguez’s antics. 

Roberts takes readers past the headlines to see a person full of flaws like the rest of us.  At some level, we all struggle with the same insecurities as Rodriguez.  The questions, “What will people think of me if I do this?” and “What should I be doing right now to impress people?” float not just in his head, but in ours as well.

While Rodriguez is mostly spared from further damage to his standing, the book does draw new-found negative attention to someone else—Roberts.

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