Alex Rodriguez appears to be hiding. Between rehabbing an injury that could sideline him for much of the 2013 season and facing accusations surrounding performance-enhancing drug use, A-Rod is likely not anxious to speak to the media any time soon. That is why the New York Yankees are doing their best to protect him.
“I’m not going to say to try and keep away the extra, whatever you want to call it, paparazzi, whatever it is, the stakeout, wherever he is working out,” general manager Brian Cashman said Monday night at a team fundraiser, via the New York Post. “That’s the only reason I’m not going to say where he is going to be on a given day.”
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he has seen A-Rod working out at Yankee Stadium since undergoing hip surgery on Jan. 16, but that he has only spoken to him about his health — not the latest steroid controversy.
“I think our club is used to handling distractions,” Girardi said. “The city we play in, there’s a lot of news always surrounding our club. A lot of times, it’s a lot of good news. Our club will handle it. A club like ours is going to go through adversity all the time. Going through a season is never easy. Why would this year be any different?”
It’s interesting to hear the Yankees’ brass come out and publicly state that they are protecting A-Rod, especially on the heels of this report that claims Rodriguez is wondering if the MLB and the Yankees have something to do with trying to smear his name. Since A-Rod has a history of lying about steroid use, he is not going to receive the benefit of the doubt. I understand wanting to hide from the paparazzi and tabloids, but at some point Rodriguez needs to tell his side of the story. The longer he waits, the more people will assume he is guilty.
