The Alex Rodriguez Rehab Circus/Deathwatch stopped in Trenton, NJ last night, and while A-Rod homered for the host Thunder (AA), his postgame remarks either marked a new low in his working relationship with the Yankees (or a newfound appreciation for the editorial work of William C. Rhoden). From the New York Daily News’ Peter Botte :
“As far as all the legal stuff, to me, it’s been confusing…there’s a lot of people that are confused, a lot of people that don’t understand the process. There (are) a lot of layers,” Rodriguez said. “I will say this, there’s more than one party that benefits from me never stepping back on the field. That’s not my teammates and not the Yankee fans.”
Asked if he meant the Yankees, who would like to get out from the remaining four-plus years on his contract, or MLB, Rodriguez cryptically replied: “I can’t tell you that right now, I hope I never have to.”
Asked if he believed he was being “singled out” in MLB’s investigation, Rodriguez responded, “What do you think?” He later was asked why he believes that is the case.
“I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. I think that’s the pink elephant in the room,” Rodriguez said. “I think we all agree that we want to get rid of PEDs; that’s a must. All the players, we feel that way. But when all this stuff is going on in the background, and people are finding creative ways to cancel your contract, that’s concerning for me, concerning for present and I think it should be concerning for future players, as well. There is a process, I’m excited about the way I feel tonight and I’m going to keep fighting.”