This isn’t just another Alex Rodriguez scandal. This is not Madonna.
This is not tanning in Central Park. This is not yelling “Ha,” when an opposing player is trying to make a play in the infield.
This is anabolic steroids, and it’s the controversy of controversies for A-Rod, a crisis that shakes down to all levels of baseball.
It wasn’t just another day, as a result, at Frozen Ropes, a baseball training facility in Tinton Falls, N.J. This is the type of place where players of all ages gather to improve their skills, to raise their levels of play to someday have a shot at being in the same stratosphere as Rodriguez.
These people are die-hards, the ones who are trying to do things the right way. So, you can imagine the disappointment that hovered over the facility yesterday.
“It’s a troubling time for baseball, no question,” said Heryk DeJesus, instructor at Frozen Ropes and the father of David DeJesus, outfielder for the Kansas City Royals. “All of a sudden, the Joe Torre book is old news. I can’t imagine what’s awaiting Alex when he gets to camp next week.”
DeJesus was giving a lesson when he heard the morning news on the radio.
“Stunned,” he said. “That’s all I can say.”
It didn’t stop a full session of business at the facility. Kids hit balls. Teams ran through their drills. But, in the end, the day belonged to Rodriguez.
“It’s a disappointing time for the kids, because they see people taking the easier way,” said Matt Passerelle, owner of Frozen Ropes. “And the thing about it is, it’s A-Rod. He’s a different story. He didn’t need to do it. A-Rod would have been A-Rod no matter what he took. He could have done all the things he’s done without taking anything, absolutely.”
But the more superstar names that come out in this scandal, the worse it is, obviously, for the future of the game. Eventually, kids may turn to other sports as the bad news continues to surface.
“It hurts the game, no question,” Passerelle said. “It’s definitely a black eye, especially with a player of his stature. Everyone knows who A-Rod is, no matter where you’re from. But one way or the other, Major League Baseball has to move forward.”
Certainly, there are still so many answers to the A-Rod story that need to be found as it develops. But the mere headlines, the fact that people will talk about this for months, figures to hurt, not only him, not only the Yankees, but the sport as well.
“Baseball is a sport of failure. You’re a hitter, you’re a pitcher, it doesn’t matter. You have to deal with failure,” Passerelle said. “That’s one of the things you have to teach at an early age. Some people can’t deal with that, and do anything they can to get an edge, to get an advantage that’ll help keep you from failing.
“Maybe that’s how he felt.”
And now he has to answer for it.
tsullivan@nypost.com
