Alex Rodriguez calls HBO profile ‘story about a flawed man’

Alex Rodriguez didn’t have many flaws as a baseball player, but even he calls himself a flawed person.

HBO’s Alex vs ARod is a three-part docuseries directed by Religion of Sports’ Gotham Chopra and Erik LeDrew, detailing the sort of Jekyll and Hyde aspect to one of MLB’s most polarizing figures. With the series set to debut Thursday, Nov. 6, Rodriguez joined Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara on their Throwbacks podcast to discuss his career and the upcoming documentary.

“This is a story about a flawed man that happened to play baseball, and therapy saved his life,” Rodriguez said. “And Dr. David [Rodriguez’s late therapist] is a figure that if you see the documentary, you’ll understand that in many ways, a part of me died when I got suspended, and it cost me the Hall-of-Fame, which kind of really sucks – but I have no one to blame but myself. But in many ways, it saved my life, because I was able to work on the tools, rewire the brain, and make me, I believe, a better person, to be a better father, better friend, better owner.”

The current MLB on Fox analyst was once destined for Cooperstown and even touted as having the potential to surpass Barry Bonds in home runs, becoming the supposed clean record holder. But as great as Rodriguez was on the field, he often made the wrong decisions off it, being a lightning rod for controversy and pitting him against fanbases. And multiple performance-enhancing drug admissions and a season-long suspension ruined his legacy forever.

Rodriguez quoted Mike Francesa, who is featured in the trailer for the documentary saying, “A-Rod is a Shakespearean figure. He’s one of the greatest players who ever played. But he also was an incredibly flawed individual.” According to Rodriguez, that’s an accurate assessment.

“This is about a flawed individual that happened to play baseball and made his brightest and biggest mistakes in the great platform and spotlight of New York City,” Rodriguez said. “And that was difficult. But there’s still a human being behind that.”

A-Rod noted that you can take the Hall of Fame away, but he’s still ultimately proud of his ability to become a better person and father after learning from those mistakes. And considering all his flaws, which included filing a lawsuit against Major League Baseball, it’s a testament to his growth that he can now be such an ambassador for the sport with Fox.