New Steroid Revelations Cast Fresh Scrutiny on Baseball

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• JEFFREY BROWN:

  New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez will arrive at spring training next week with his vaunted career and the integrity of his sport under a cloud of controversy. The perennial all-star and the game's highest-paid player admitted yesterday to using steroids while playing shortstop for the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003.

  ALEX RODRIGUEZ, New York Yankees third baseman: I was young. I was stupid. I was naive.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  In an interview with ESPN, Rodriguez — who had previously denied using illegal substances — confirmed a story first reported over the weekend by Sports Illustrated that he was one of 104 players to test positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. Rodriguez said the pressure of signing a $250 million contract with the Rangers drove him to seek an edge.

• ALEX RODRIGUEZ:

  I wanted to prove to everyone that, you know, I was worth, you know, being one of the greatest players of all time. And I did take a banned substance. And, you know, for that, I'm very sorry and deeply regretful.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  Rodriguez was vague about some details. He said, for example, that he didn't know which substances he had used. He also insisted that his five seasons as a Yankee have been played clean.

  Rodriguez is in the second year of a 10-year, $275 million deal with the team.

  A-Rod, as he's known, is the latest in a series of high-profile players to be caught up in a controversy that has hung over baseball.

  BARRY BONDS, former San Francisco Giants left fielder: This record is not tainted at all, at all, period. You guys can say whatever you want.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds set baseball's all-time homerun record two years ago but is now under federal indictment for allegedly lying to a grand jury about his use of drugs.

  ROGER CLEMENS, former New York Yankees pitcher: Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  Roger Clemens, former star pitcher for the Yankees and other teams, is under investigation for possible perjury after he denied using steroids last year before a congressional committee. Clemens' testimony followed the December 2007 release of a report by former Sen. George Mitchell that laid out the scale of substance abuse in Major League Baseball.

  GEORGE MITCHELL, Major League Baseball Report chairman: The evidence we uncovered indicates that this has not been an isolated problem involving just a few players or a few clubs. Many players were involved. Each of the 30 clubs has had players who have been involved with such substances at some time in their careers.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  Last night, the New York Yankees organization issued a statement that said, in part, "Although we are disappointed in the mistake he spoke to, we realize that Alex, like all of us, is a human being not immune to fault. Alex took a big step by admitting his mistake."

  The owner of his former team was not so forgiving.

  TOM HICKS, owner, Texas Rangers: I felt a real strong sense of personal betrayal. I felt like I was deceived. Alex and I had many conversations over the years about baseball. I asked him once if he would ever use steroids, because, again, we signed him for a 10-year contract based on the fact that he had shown a trajectory to be the best player in the game. And he said, "Mr. Hicks, I care way too much about my body to do something like that."

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  Asked for his rejection at last night's press conference, President Obama had this to say.

• U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA:

  It's unfortunate, because I think there are a lot of ballplayers who played it straight. And, you know, the thing I'm probably most concerned about is the message that it sends to our kids. What I'm pleased about is Major League Baseball seems to finally be taking this seriously to recognize how big of a problem this is for the sport.

• JEFFREY BROWN:

  And with spring training now around the corner, baseball's fans will soon decide how big a problem all this is for them.