New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said he would consider honoring Alex Rodriguez in Monument Park, which is considered a sacred honor among his club’s fans.
“That is a bridge to cross when I come to it,” Steinbrenner said on "The Michael Kay Show" on New York’s 98.7 FM ESPN. “But he has done a lot for this organization and it hasn’t just been on the field. I’m talking about players way back, like [Robinson] Cano. He was a mentor, too. He has done a lot for this organization on the field, but also off the field that a lot of people don’t know about. He has been a great leader and he’s been a great mentor.”
On Sunday, the Yankees announced that this would be Rodriguez’s last week as a player on the team. A-Rod will assume the role as a special adviser to young players. He will report to Steinbrenner, who is still on the hook for another $26 million to Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was suspended from baseball for one year for performance enhancing drug use. He sued MLB, the players' association and the Yankees' team doctor and a group he supported described the Yankees' team president, Randy Levine, as the "devil."
The Yankees have honored the beloved Andy Pettitte in Monument Park. Pettitte was named in the Mitchell report for using HGH. After the report, Pettitte immediately admitted his mistake.
Steinbenner spoke glowingly about how well Rodriguez works with young players. The Yankees’ Single-A home is in Tampa, Florida, a short distance from A-Rod’s Miami home.
“We talked about Tampa in the conversation. We have two of top five or six overall prospects, both shortstops [Gleyber Torres and Jorge Mateo], by the way, young kids. I can’t think of a better guy than Alex to come in here and really spend time with them than Alex,” Steinbrenner said.
Former Yankee captain Derek Jeter lives in Tampa.
