In 1997 I was teaching middle school in New York City and Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod or A-Fraud) was hitting home-runs alongside Ken Griffey Jr. in Seattle as part of the Mariners Baseball Club. Alex has a suave and debonair brother who happened to be romantically involved with a fellow teacher’s sister at that time. She arranged to have Alex come and speak to our school and more specifically to the classes on our floor. Alex agreed in large part because our school was 89% Dominican and he was born in the Dominican Republic before immigrating to Miami. He could relate to our kiddos and our students to him. His story could one day be our student’s story.
Our principal at the time was a wonderful Latina who earned her doctorate in education from Harvard University. A definite rarity in the education world. She met Alex early in the day, before the assembly, and later introduced him to the school. When he opened his remarks to the school, he started with something I have never forgotten: “When I met your principal she asked for my autograph but after I learned that she was like me, an immigrant, and that she was a doctor from Harvard, I asked her for HER AUTOGRAPH! She is a role model for me and she should be for you to! Work hard and stay in school. I wish I had.”
When A-Rod signed with the Texas Rangers for ten years at $252 million dollars I defended the signing. It was the largest contract ever but then, the game had never seen a player with his power, speed, grace, range, and ability. I defended him as Texas finished last the 3 years he was with the club. Then he was traded to the New York Yankees. I hate the Yankees and yet, even as I heckled the player of A-Rod, I defended his character and separated his off-the-field behavior from his collapses and failures to perform on the field.
Now we find out that he injected himself with performance enhancing drugs. He used illegal drugs to gain an unfair advantage over unsuspecting players and then was dishonest when questioned about it. And every day it seems that we find one more part of the story that doesn’t add up. I didn’t know what I was using. I got it on the street or over the counter in the DR. It wasn’t “illegal”. I just used it every couple of months. It was just an “energy-booster”. I can no longer defend this man that I once put before my students as a role model. He is now the anti-idol. Everything that I don’t want my students or my own kids to become is embodied in this man.
Those regular season collapses in Texas. Those magnificent collapses in October in New York. Those are nothing compared to the collapse he has been as the idol of hundreds and hundreds of young men and their parents. Sure, he was always aloof but at least he was honorable. Now, I can no longer say that. He has lied. He has cheated. He has been dishonest. He has not been true to his word.
On the other hand we have people like his Seattle teammate, Ken Griffey Jr. A player raised by an All Star and World Series Champion father. A player who learned to play the game the right way: tough, gritty, hard. Sure, he wore his hat backwards and his shirt un-tucked but he would also dive headlong to make a catch, run full-speed into the wall for a ball, hustle out every single, and slide into an opposing player, sacrificing himself for his teammates.
In 2000, after 11 seasons with the Mariners, Griffey Jr. asked to be traded to Cincinnati, the same team his father had been a stand out player for and a team much closer to family and relatives. He left on excellent terms and the Mariners received more than adequate compensation. He promised the city of Seattle he would never forget them and would return if “God was willing”. Two days ago, after a tough, injury-plagued journey in the mid-west, he signed a one year contract with the Seattle Mariners, at below market value, for what will most likely be his last professional baseball season. He kept his word.
He returned to Seattle. A team with no chance to win. A team, and a city, that loves him. There has never been a single bad word spoken about Griffey. Never a hint of performance enhancing drugs. Just a sweet, natural, left-handed swing. Teammates love him. Managers love him. Condoleeza Rice named him a special envoy for US foreign affairs. He has three kids (one adopted) and supports numerous philanthropies. Oh, and as a player he is merely fifth all time on the home run list, has 13 All Star appearances, 10 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Slugger Awards, and a season MVP award…not bad!
I think I found a new role model for my kids.
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