“Let’s go, steroids!”
Such were the taunts facing Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez in his return to baseball Friday night at Baltimore’s Camden Yards.
A-Rod, also known as A-Fraud as well as other, more tabloid-suited, nicknames, walked to the plate as a dozen fans behind the screen swung into action, holding up giant, foam syringes.
He had an answer.
The Yankees star, in his first major-league appearance since admitting in February that he used steroids as a member of the Texas Rangers (2001-03), launched the first pitch he saw from Jeremy Guthrie in the first inning deep into the left-field seats for a three-run homer.
“It was great,” Rodriguez said. “It was a dream.”
As the door shut on one tainted star, the Dodgers’ Manny Ramirez, another one opened for Rodriguez, who came off the disabled list after offseason hip surgery to help his team end a five-game slide.
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career. . . . I’ve paid the price,” A-Rod said before the game. “I have nine years to make a difference, to become a better baseball player and a better person. I think I have time to have a happy ending.”
Yes, but does baseball?
