Ex-Mets Catcher Paul Lo Duca: Alex Rodriguez '1 of the Fakest People out There'

Former MLB catcher Paul Lo Duca blasted Alex Rodriguez during an appearance on WFAN Sports Radio on Monday.

According to Scott Boeck of USA Today, Lo Duca said: "People know I'm not a fan, and I'm sorry. Never will be a fan. I just think he's one of the fakest people out there. ... The way he gets put on a pedestal now is beyond me."

Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets and Washington Nationals during his 11-year career, while A-Rod spent 23 years in MLB with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.

Rodriguez is currently an MLB analyst, while Lo Duca is a horse racing analyst.

While A-Rod had his fair share of detractors during his playing days because of his playoff failures and season-long suspension in 2014 for using performance-enhancing drugs, he has become a respected commentator for Fox and ESPN in retirement.

Lo Duca also used PEDs during his career, but he took issue with Rodriguez not taking full responsibility for his actions:

"I was in the Mitchell Report, something I'll never be proud of and something that was a mistake of mine a long time ago. But I owned up to it. I didn't lie. Owned up to it immediately. It was over with, and people can judge me the way they want to judge me. I could care less.

"But when you completely lie about it for years after years after years after years, you cash in $260 million, and people are like, 'Well, he's successful.' Well, hell yeah, he's successful. He got paid over $500 million in his career, I would hope he has some money where he could do whatever he wants with it. So now his relationship with JLo has taken him to a level that he's a saint. Give me a break!"

A-Rod has remained in the spotlight since retiring not only through his broadcasting gig but also his engagement to Jennifer Lopez, his many business ventures and his appearances on the hit television show Shark Tank.

The 44-year-old is seemingly more celebrated now than he was as a baseball player despite the fact that he hit .295 with 3,115 hits, 696 home runs and 2,086 RBI.

Those numbers make him one of the all-time greats, but because of his past with performance-enhancing drugs, it's unlikely Rodriguez will get inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame any time soon.