SAN DIEGO -- Fernando Tatis Jr. wore a vibrant red polo and a bleak expression. He sat atop the San Diego Padres' dugout bench, with dozens of cameras and smartphones surrounding him, and spoke with both remorse and acceptance. He said he understood why kids might no longer admire him, why his own team might no longer trust him, why fans might doubt the authenticity of his prior greatness.
But Tatis kept going back to one crucial element on Tuesday, while publicly addressing his steroid-related suspension for the first time: His age.
It wasn't an excuse for his actions, an attempt to rationalize his missteps behind youthful ignorance -- it was an acknowledgment that there might be time to make up for it. It's what makes this all so unique, so fascinating and, potentially, so revealing.
"There's a long way going forward," Tatis said. "There's a very long way going forward. I'm gonna remember how this feels, and I'm gonna make myself not ever be in this position ever again. I know I have a lot of love that I have to gain back. I have a lot of work to do."
Tatis is only 23, and yet he has already established himself as a superstar. He was the first player in baseball history to amass 80 home runs and 50 stolen bases within his first 300 career games, and his marketability was equally singular. Tatis had already secured high-profile deals with Gatorade and Adidas. He was the cover athlete for the video game "MLB The Show 21." He had a signature pair of sunglasses with the company 100 Percent, and was featured in commercials for major brands such as BMW, Dairy Queen, Jack In The Box and PlayStation.
His smile, charisma, pedigree and talent made him the face of Major League Baseball's efforts to appeal to a younger audience. Now the shine has worn off and the mystique tarnished. The question that remains: Will it ever be fully restored?
