The Rome report

The past couple of weeks have not been good to me or Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankees third baseman.

I recently was laid off from work. Getting laid off caused me to have to move out of my apartment and move in with my best friend. I am not technically jobless because I still get paid by The Commonwealth Times, but the exorbitant salary isn’t enough to allow me to keep my place. Now I have to find another gig in this weak economy. Excellent.

Rodriguez’ past couple of weeks haven’t been any better. Former Yankees and current Dodgers manager Joe Torre recently said in a new book written by Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci that Rodriguez’ Yankee teammates called him “A-Fraud.” Ouch! Not only does that show the lack of respect that his teammates have for him, but to have your former manager to tell everyone is just rubbing salt on the wound.

It didn’t get any better for Rodriguez.

This past Saturday, Sports Illustrated broke the news that Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003. The fact that Rodriguez tested positive was supposed to have been kept confidential. That’s the reason why it didn’t come out at the time.

When Rodriguez was reached for comment, he didn’t give one, of course. He told reporters he couldn’t talk and to talk to the MLB Players’ Union. That wasn’t a great move, Rodriguez. You should have proclaimed your innocence right there. The longer you don’t come out with a statement, the more people will suspect you did cheat.

When I heard this report, I must admit I was a little shocked. I never had heard anybody, with the exception of Jose Canseco, accuse Rodriguez of using steroids. I had always thought Rodriguez was clean.

This is just another reminder that you really can’t trust anybody in baseball and you shouldn’t be surprised no matter whose name pops up in the steroids discussion.

Another question that arises and won’t be answered for quite a while is: Will A-Rod get in to the Hall of Fame? It is hard to say.

The baseball writers seem to want to crack down on the steroid users in the Hall. That is why Mark McGwire isn’t in. It’s why Sammy Sosa probably won’t make it and it will be interesting to see what will happen when Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are eligible for induction.

If the writers keep leaving guys out of the Hall of Fame because of steroid accusations, you are going to have a whole generation of great baseball players not in the Hall. Soon you will have to wonder who’s better: the guys in the Hall or the guys left out?

Another question: What did A-Rod do to Sports Illustrated? First, Verducci writes the book and then Sports Illustrated breaks the steroid story. Maybe Rodriguez stiffed them on an interview or something.

While both myself and A-Rod have had a rough couple of weeks, A-Rod does have one thing that should make him feel better. He will make in the ballpark of $25 million this season. As for me, I will be lucky just to find a decent job.