Alex Rodriguez's former Yankees teammate takes incredibly personal shot at MLB legend
Former New York Yankees first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz had some eye-opening comments regarding former 14-time All-Star Alex Rodriguez. Mientkiewicz was not only a former teammate of Rodriguez at the professional level, but in high school as well, and did not hold back on his opinions on A-Rod on the ‘Foul Territory’ podcast, starting with his notable 2014 PED suspension.
“It’s painful,” Mientkiewicz said. “It’s like, wait a minute, do you (forget) you got suspended 200 games? It’s like, ‘Come on, man. Stop it.’ I get it. I played a power position and didn’t have any. Did it cross my mind? Of course. You thought about it. But I was like, ‘You know what, I want to be able to walk when I’m 50.”
Rodriguez was suspended for the entire regular and postseason in 2014 after admitting to steroid use from 2001 until 2003.
There’s a fair share of differing opinions in the baseball community regarding the legacy of players who have a history of PED use on their resumes. But Mientkiewicz took things a few steps further with some provocative sentiments and personal shots at Rodriguez, calling his character off the field into question.
“I’ve always said this, he’s going to die a lonely man. This whole ‘father of the year’ stuff, God bless him with his daughters, because it’s got to come a long way,” Mientkiewicz said. “But it’s like, ‘You’re just trying to get into heaven now.’”
Mientkiewicz’s disheartening comments may have crossed the line depending on your viewpoint. The two were not only teammates on the baseball diamond in high school at Westminster Christian, but on the football field as well, where Rodriguez played quarterback and Mientkiewicz played tight end. They spent one season together on the Yankees in 2007, but Mientkiewicz made it clear that their relationship is not what it used to be.
“I’m still friends with my high school team. We still text often, not as often as we should, but we still text, group thread, constantly badgering each other. He’s just distant from it. I don’t care how good or how great you become and how far your career goes, you never forget your high school dudes,” Mientkiewicz.
A-Rod’s alleged ghosting of his high school group message is clearly just another one of the many gripes that Mientkiewicz has towards Rodriguez. It will be fascinating to see if Rodriguez responds at all to Mientkiewicz’s comments, but it’s apparent that the two will likely not be participating in any sort of hangout any time soon.