I played with Alex Rodriguez in 2003 which turned out to be the year of the drug test that caused all this commotion. From what I saw, he was the best all-around player in the game. He was an amazing shortstop with a rocket for an arm. Great hands, power to all fields, hit for average, could steal bases, good base runner, hit fastballs well, hit curveballs well. 

 

I remember when I first arrived at spring training in Surprise, Arizona. I set up my locker right next to his locker and had a chance to talk to him every day before and after practice.

 

What most impressed me was that he worked extremely hard. He was at the field early, he hit in the batting cage before practice working on hitting curveballs or anything else he could make the machine do. For a guy who was so good and had a long-term contract for the next 8 years, he seemed like he worked like he was trying to make the team.

 

So it is sad to see what has happened this past week to ARod. He has admitted to using a banned substance to help his performance while in Texas and no one will look at him the same. For those who were big fans, hang in there. He is human, he made a big mistake, he is going to work hard to gain some trust back. But make him earn it.

 

The reaction to the news was powerful and quick. But, if I can cut through the chase, I would like to summarize a few thoughts for all high school players looking to go to the next level, whether it is college or pro ball.

 

 

10) Know what you put in your body – Alex talked about not being exactly sure what he was taking, he just followed along. If anyone ever tells you to take something, find out what it is and make sure you talk to a doctor about its effects. Not knowing is not an excuse. Ask questions.

 

9) Think long-term not short-term – It is tempting to do something now so that the rewards come sooner, but a lot of times the price for instant gratification is that you lose sight of the big picture. Baseball is a marathon, it is a gradually developing game that takes time and patience. It doesn’t have to happen now. As my Dad used to tell me “short cuts lead to long cuts.” 

 

8) Stop worrying about the guy next door – We all try and size up our competition and our teammates. It is hard when someone beats you out for a spot or when some one on your team is doing really well and gives credit to this special pill he takes from the drug store. Don’t worry about everyone else! Know yourself. Know that if you take care of yourself, you will be fine. They are not you, and you are not them.

 

7) If it comes easy, you won’t appreciate it – Sometimes we want things to happen right away and everyone is telling you how to make that happen, but have you ever thought how you would feel when you get what you want overnight? Most times, when you know you cut corners to get it, you won’t really feel good about it, you will start looking for the next thing instead of enjoying the current thing. Anything good takes hard work and time.

 

6) Be honest with yourself – We sometimes don’t like the truth. Maybe you realize that you will probably not have that rocket arm you need to play shortstop, maybe you have a lot of trouble with the curveball. People will tell you a lot of things, but what do you think about yourself? It is OK to have weaknesses because we all have them. That just means you have to find another way and there are more than one way to have success. It starts by handling the truth well, learning from it and keeping it close at all times.

 

5) Know why you are doing this – Are you playing this game because you love it? What is your motivation? Be careful about getting caught up in the glitz and the glamour. When you get caught up, you forget to have fun and you start to worry about the end game instead of THE game. If you want it for the money and the fame, then you will get superficial things in return, things that don’t last and in the end, hardly matter. So if you just enjoy playing, then just play, respect the game, and try and get better while you are doing it. The rest will come in time.

 

4) Family and friends are a gift – Yes, your Dad may be driving you crazy about your swing. Yes, your Mom may want you to make sure your grades are up to snuff. Having people who care about you is important, they help keep you on track, they can tell you the truth better than anyone else. When you chase something that takes you away from the values of your family and away from who you are, you get lost. Listen to those who care about you, they always can help, even if you don’t see it right now.

 

3) Have other things you enjoy – Baseball is great, but no one says you can’t have more than one dream. Find out what other things you like to do and keep them up. Like to paint? Like to read comics? Even if you become the best player in the world, the game usually kicks you out by the time you are your parent’s age. So what do you do now? If you have other interests, you can find a new passion. Also, having other things helps you avoid putting all your eggs in one basket. When you put everything in one basket, you will do anything to hold on to it. That is probably a bad thing.

 

2) Be careful with the Internet (i.e. MySpace and Facebook postings) – The social online networks are popular and the wave of the future, but make sure you only deal with people you can trust. Don’t let just anyone take a picture of you. Now, people can get any kind of picture of you and put it for the world to see. People can reveal a lot of information on you through the Internet. You don’t want that to ruin your future.

 

1) Know you have enough already – As Alex said “I realized I didn’t need it.” Learn that lesson the easy way, by knowing before you make the bad decision Alex made. We all are different, we all have something to add to a team. Believe that what you have is enough and let the results follow. Don’t get caught up in the end and forget to enjoy the ride. Play with everything you have with truth and you should always be proud of whatever results you get when you do. 

 

And while you’ve heard it thousands of times, the easiest and clearest lesson is to: Just Say No to Drugs.