Alex Rodriguez had a decorated career and won a championship with the 2009 New York Yankees, but his missteps go hand in hand with his successes. One thing he hasn’t done is run from his problems.
While promoting his HBO series “Alex vs. Alex,” Rodriguez opened up about what happened in the past. He is aware of what he has done, acknowledging that his steroid suspension is the primary catalyst for writers looking the other way when it comes to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“I don’t know if I’m excited, I’m more nervous. It was very triggering,” Rodriguez said on Fallon of his documentary detailing his career on and off the field. “You know, I made very public mistakes. I served a long suspension. I cost myself the Hall of Fame.”
.@AROD opens up about his childhood, the mistakes he’s made and how it’s shaped him into a better father and person in his new documentary series Alex vs. ARod. #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/0L2hBVLwp4
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) October 27, 2025
Rodriguez went on to say that missing out on the Hall of Fame made him a better person in the long run.
“I never thought I would say this, but looking back like it might be the greatest thing that ever happened to me, because, while I gave up the Hall of Fame because of my stupidity, the other side of that is that I’m a better father. I feel I’m a better person.
“And I really dug deep into therapy, and it’s really helped me kind of understand what happened in my childhood and where I am today, and I get all into it,” he continued. “I get triggered now talking about it, but that’s what the documentary is about.”
One of the Best to Do It
Rodriguez may never make it to Cooperstown despite being more candid about his demons than others linked to performance-enhancing drugs. To some, his tarnished legacy will always overshadow what he did on the field. It’s unfortunate because anybody who saw Rodriguez play will regard him as one of the best all-around players they’ve ever seen, bringing 50-homer seasons to third base and shortstop, all while playing gold glove defense.
In a career that spanned 1994 to 2016, he won the American League’s Most Valuable Player award three times. Between 1996 and 2010, Rodriguez earned MVP votes in all but one season.
In his career, Rodriguez has hit .295/.380/.550 with 696 home runs, 2086 RBI, 392 stolen bases, and 3,115 hits. Rodriguez spent 12 years with the Yankees, hitting .283/.378/.523 with 351 home runs.
Rodriguez also has two Gold Glove awards to his name. That was while he played shortstop for the Texas Rangers, winning the award in back-to-back years in 2002 and 2003.
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