Just when you thought you’d seen and heard it all in regards to Alex Rodriguez’s on and off-the-field exploits he comes up with another salvo to further soil and damage his already tarnished reputation. Not only does he swing the spotlight back onto himself he also pulls his organization and teammates back into the light with him.
In the latest media circus headache for the New York Yankees Rodriguez’s name has been linked to Kristen Davis the well known madam who supplied ex-Governor Eliot Spitzer with hookers, which caused New York’s top politician to resign from office and run for cover.
According to numerous sources Davis found Rodriguez so charming that she couldn’t resist his company and dated him for free. According to the NY Daily News sources inside Davis’ call-girl agency Rodriguez won Davis over with jewelry, flowers, persistence and heated email exchanges.
Davis said she first met Rodriguez in June of 2003 at an unnamed gym in Philadelphia and according to Davis A-Rod, who was married at the time, asked, “What are you doing tonight?”
Davis stated she was going to dinner with her boyfriend, but if he was looking for “a date” to call her agency for a companion. Davis claimed to an unidentified friend she didn’t know who Rodriguez was at the time, but found him “hot as hell.”
Rodriguez allegedly called the agency and arranged a 2-hour date with one of the girls who met A-Rod at the Four Seasons Hotel in Logan Square. A-Rod was said to have given his true name when arranging the meeting.
“He gave his real name,” Davis purportedly told the friend. “The next day we found out who Alex Rodriguez was. The girl we sent freaked out. Her father (works for) another Major League Baseball team.”
The Daily News was supplied an email exchange from a former booker at Davis’ Wicked Models between A-Rod and Davis indicating A-Rod was in hot pursuit of Davis.
Rodriguez: “Thanks for setting me up with Samantha. She was gorgeous. But she is not you. When can I see you you are gorgeous . . .”
Davis: “Hi Alex. You don’t want to see me. I’m no fun. lol. Just because your (sic) so sweet, here are some pics of me and I appreciate the compliments. Your (sic) a doll. Thanks, Kristin”
Rodriguez: “You have been playing hard to get for a year now, your (sic) killing me.”
Davis: “It’s not playing I am hard to get. Maybe you should try harder.”
Rodriguez: “Kristin, I definitely will and I love the pics. I put the one on my cell so I can look at you all the time. Alex.”
Davis: “You are too sweet. I’ll let you know when I get someone you like.”
According to former employees A-Rod hired call-girls a half-dozen times, and that he was very nice to talk to when he called. However, it was Davis that interested Rodriguez the most and he was continually pursuing her until she capitulated and started seeing him.
Ex-employees said that though Davis’ agencies typically charge clients $1,000 per hour Davis told a friend, “Alex didn’t pay me . . . I went out with him just because he was so flattering. I couldn’t not give in.
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In another professed email sent to Davis on Feb. 9, 2007 A-Rod wrote: “My sexy blonde girl. When can I see you again? I am addicted to you. Did you get the flowers I sent?”
This solicited an email reply from Davis: “I received your flowers. You outdid yourself, I feel very adored. Thank you. And I received your other gift today. You really spoiled me.”
Based upon information supplied to the Daily News A-Rod told Davis about the pressures of baseball and that he used steroids, because a lot of players did it and he wanted to be a good ballplayer.
So far no one from A-Rod’s camp has responded to the story
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When contacted by the News and confronted with the emails Davis also declined to comment on Rodriguez
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“Other people have had access to my client records as well as my personal information and I can’t control what has been released,” Davis told reporters.
Other than Spitzer, Davis has refused to discuss the goings on of any of the clients doing business with her agencies.
Davis was convicted for promoting prostitution and received 5 years probation and she served a 3-month jail sentence.
This is not the first time Rodriguez has been linked to other women while married. In 2007 he was featured on the front page of the NY Post after being photographed going into a hotel in Toronto with a former stripper, Joslyn Morse. Another stripper, Candice Houlihan, claimed she and A-Rod had a 2-night tryst in 2004.
Last year, Rodriguez’s ex-wife Cynthia filed for divorce in July and she accused A-Rod of infidelity. A-Rod was also described as having an “affair of the heart” with singer Madonna, but both denied a romantic relationship. However, shortly after Rodriguez’s divorce became public Madonna’s ex-husband, director Guy Ritchie filed and was granted a divorce from the music superstar.
This chapter is just the latest bombshell in the life of A-Rod. Since coming to the Yankees in 2004 A-Rod has been a constant source of headaches and embarrassment. We can review some of them in no particular order.
First up is the well documented April 2001 issue of Esquire where A-Rod knocked his future teammate and then friend Derek Jeter by telling Esquire that Jeter wasn’t a leader, and that you never had to worry about him in trying to beat the Yankees. He fretted more at neutralizing Paul O’Neill and Bernie Williams.
Next, are his MIA performances in the playoffs. Rodriguez has been a huge disappointment in the post season. Since he hit .421 against the Minnesota Twins in the 2004 ALDS A-Rod has batted .258 (8-for-31) against Boston (2004 ALCS); .133 (2-for-15) against the LA Angels (2005 ALDS); .071 (1-for-14) against Detroit (2006 ALDS); and .267 (4-for-15) against Cleveland (2007 ALDS). In those 5 playoff series Rodriguez had 4 home runs and 9 RBI. He collected 11 extra-base hits, while striking out 22 times in 94 at bats. His overall average was .244.
Speaking of the playoffs, how about Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS and that lame, schoolyard, play when A-Rod grounded to pitcher Bronson Arroyo and then slapped the ball out of Arroyo’s glove as Arroyo was attempting a tag while Rodriguez ran down the first baseline? It did no good, as the umpires ruled interference and called A-Rod out. Derek Jeter who advanced to second was sent back to first and the momentum the Yankees were gaining was lost.
That play like the one where A-Rod yelled “MINE” behind the back of Toronto Blue Jay third baseman Howie Clark on a pop up causing Clark to miss catching the ball just fueled A-Rod’s detractors with more ammunition to point out the numerous flaws in A-Rod’s character.
More recently, Joe Torre described A-Rod in his new book “The Yankee Years” as having a “single, white female” obsession with Jeter. He also described Rodriguez as a narcissist who would rather look good doing something rather than just doing the job.
Then in early February ESPN broke a story that Rodriguez had tested positive for the steroid Primobolan and testosterone while taking a drug test in 2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers. A-Rod was later interviewed by ESPN’s Peter Gammons and he admitted the story was true.
On Feb. 17 A-Rod faced a throng of reporters and readmitted his cheating, but when answering the ensuing questions A-Rod raised more questions and left many of us scratching our heads with his responses
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Then, one of my favorites A-Rod faux pas occurred the very next day in Dunedin, FL where the Yankees took on the Toronto Blue Jays. After Rodriguez exited the game at the end of the 5th inning he signed autographs and then got into an SUV being driven by his cousin Yuri Sucart. No big deal right? Except this cousin was the same cousin A-Rod said at his press conference supplied, injected and used steroids with him in 2003. Not a very smart maneuver for someone trying to get himself out from under the shadows of media scrutiny. The Yankees had to politely tell A-Rod he couldn’t have Cousin Yuri hanging around any of the organization’s property from then on. Well, duh!
Sunday, Mar. 2 A-Rod played his final game with the Yankees before heading off to join Team Dominican Republic competing in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Before he went he sat down with MLB investigators who wanted to question him about the circumstances surrounding his steroid usage. The outcome of the meeting is still shrouded in mystery.
A-Rod wasn’t gone a day when he made a statement about Dominican teammate and cross town Met Jose Reyes, which led many to believe he was dissing Jeter and fellow teammate Johnny Damon.
“I wish he was leading off (Damon’s job) on our team or playing on our team (Reyes plays shortstop; same as Jeter); that’s fun to watch,” A-Rod said.
In one sentence Rodriguez was construed to be maligning two of his teammates. I said at the time I didn’t think those concerns ever entered his mind. He was just complimenting a very gifted player. By itself that statement would mean nothing, but given the totality of the stupid things A-Rod has said and done the statement became a story.
The latest chapter of A-Rod’s saga has to do with his recent hip injury and surgery to repair the labrum in his right hip. Of course, this shelved Rodriguez for up to 9 weeks, so the Yankees don’t expect to see him until mid-May. But, even while he has been home recuperating and rehabbing his hip A-Rod managed to become the center story of the Yankees universe again.
How long are the Yankees going to keep biting their tongues and supporting this troublesome star? Your guess is as good as mine. However, A-Rod has become Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity. You keep doing the same things over and over and over again; expecting a different outcome. So far nothing has changed.
Rodriguez continues to be a black eye to himself, his teammates, the New York Yankees, Major League Baseball, his family and his friends. If he ever thought that his confession about using steroids might have saved his chances for getting into the Hall of Fame those thoughts are quickly fading into obscurity.
Alex Rodriguez is like a tiger’s tail the Yankees are holding onto. Do you keep holding onto it or do you let it go?