Johnny Damon Says A-Rod Taints 2009's Title, Ignores 2004 Red Sox

Johnny Damon just threw Alex Rodriguez under the bus.

Apparently the former outfielder isn't happy that A-Rod was supposedly cheating at the time the two won the 2009 World Series with the New York Yankees.

Damon told SIRIUS' "First Pitch" that because Rodriguez was connected to the Biogenesis scandal and is facing a 211-game suspension which he will appeal, Damon now considers the 2009 World Series ring that they won together to be tainted.

This is a big change in Damon's attitude, as he once defended his former teammate in the face of PED issues.

In February 2009, Damon told the media that he didn't consider A-Rod's doping when he was with the Texas Rangers to be a big deal. This came after Selena Roberts and David Epstein of Sports Illustrated first revealed Rodriguez to have taken testosterone and Primobolan in 2003.

According to River Front Times, Damon told ESPN's Hannah Storm this:

"

Yeah he did some bad things. He took a steroid. Definitely do not condone that, at all, but there could be a lot worse things he could have been doing out there. He hasn’t done a crime. So there’s worse things that he could have done but you know I’ve known Alex since he was 15 and he’s always been super nice to me and so I’m going to support him and try help him through this time.

"

Damon would also go on to say that murder is worse than using steroids, and that the pitchers A-Rod was facing at the time were also doping.

Damon went out of his way to vehemently defend Rodriguez in 2009, but apparently finding out that one of his teammates was cheating at the time they won was too much for Damon.

Surprisingly, Damon didn't mention his 2004 World Series ring that he won with the Boston Red Sox. On that team were known PED users David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

Damon and Rodriguez were teammates for four years with the Yanks, and the two seemed to have a very positive, healthy relationship. However, it looks like A-Rod has lost another friend due to his supposed PED usage.

The blows keep coming for A-Rod with Damon bringing forth the notion that Rodriguez's lone World Series ring is tainted.

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