This very timely article in today’s Los Angeles Times speaks to the role that AROD’s work with us on this issue has played in his redemption.
Don
October 27, 2009 – LA Times
WORLD SERIES – by Bill Shaikin
The Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez enters his first World Series tonight, finally fulfilling the promise of his talents. But this season has also been about keeping a different promise: warning kids off steroids.
Reporting from New York –
We couldn’t help ourselves. We thought Alex Rodriguez was lying again.
He had lied about not using steroids, until he got caught. He summoned the media to apologize, and we were fine with that. He also trotted out Don Hooton before the television cameras, and then we rolled our eyes.
Rodriguez had promised to tell his story to kids, to speak out about his shame, to share how he would learn from his mistake rather than hide from it.
Hooton travels the country, delivering an anti-steroid message forged by grief. Rodriguez pledged to join him, and we figured that promise would last until the next big story rolled around, until the cameras scattered.
Rodriguez could have filmed a public service announcement, or written a big fat check to Hooton’s foundation. That could have been the end of it.
It was not. This has been a year of redemption for Rodriguez on and off the field, and Hooton could not be prouder of him.
“We decided to step forward with Alex,” Hooton said. “We have not regretted that at all. We’re very, very pleased about working with him.”
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