Even the voice of the Yankees is tired of Alex Rodriguez’s antics.
Days after Rodriguez reportedly missed a rehab game and had a meeting with Major League Baseball about his alleged involvement with the Biogenesis lab, YES network play by play announcer Michael Kay expressed dismay about the troubled third baseman. During a Breakfast of Champions event at Gramercy Terrace in New York City, Kay talked about the distraction Rodriguez is posing to what would normally be a celebratory All-Star break and the Yankees future in general.
“It holds everything up, it really does,” Kay said, when asked if its a possibility Rodriguez is facing a long-term suspension. “First there's the issue of if he's healthy enough to play. But if he is healthy and then they [the MLB] suspend him, that just pushes everything back and puts the team in a bad spot.”
Rodriguez, along with 21 other players, allegedly used performance-enhancing substances with the help of the Biogenesis Clinic. According to reports, Major League Baseball will release the evidence shortly following the All Star break. Since Rodriguez has never really seemed to get out of the cloud of his admission to using steroids in 2009, and seems to generally annoy the Yankees these days, he seems to be the one most in the headlines recently.
"I just wish it'd be over already," Kay added, of the steroid era. “I think it's hurt the sport, and as a result whenever anybody as a big year -- whether it be Davis or Cabrera -- there's suspicion and people are asking questions.
"And with Biogenesis,” he continued, “there's no way that all 22 of those guys tested positive, so I think there's got to be something else going on there beyond just the testing.”
Kay is just the latest around the Yankees organization to express frustration over the investigation. Earlier this month, Hal Steinbrenner said Rodriguez had disappointed the organization and the front office also seemed displeased with him when he detailed his rehab progress on his newly created Twitter account.
Despite the cloud around A-Rod, the problem of steroids in baseball is getting better though, said ex-New York Met pitcher Ron Darling, who is also upset with the doping stigma that has come to be associated with baseball, but he has faith in the league.
"I think it's getting better, but with anything, whether it be other there on Wall Street or in baseball, there are going to be some people who play it straight and other people who try to cheat the system,” he said. "Baseball's doing its best to make it harder for guys to get away with it."
Despite the dark clouds, the participants of the Breakfast of Champions panel had some fond memories of the All-Star Game in their years as fans and players.
"Oh, without a doubt the 1977 All Star game," said Willie Randolph. “I played in that game when I was 21 years old, 22 years old, playing in front of my home town [Brooklyn]. It was one of the greatest thrills of my life and one of the biggest moments of my career."
Kay's came a little later in baseball history.
“Josh Hamilton in the 2008 Home Run Derby, definitely," he said. "It was really fun because it was at the stadium [Yankee Stadium] and I was right there on the field to announce it ... It was just really special."
