New York's Sports Loud Mouth
Mondays and Thursdays at 7:00 to 10:30 PM
Check out our handicapping expert World Wide Wes’s brand new book, titled Disciplined Sports Betting, getting released soon on Amazon, and
available here now!
Photo Credit: Adam Hunger, Associated Press
Watching Alex vs. A-Rod felt less like a baseball documentary and more like sitting in on a therapy session where the patient also happens to be the narrator, the defendant, and occasionally the guy objecting to his own testimony.
Because let’s be honest, this documentary wasn’t just about steroids. It wasn’t even just about baseball. It was about identity, but ego. It was about a man who spent his entire career trying to convince the world he was something more than what people decided he was going to be.
At times, I couldn’t tell if Alex Rodriguez was explaining his mistakes, justifying them, or still trying to make peace with the two people he became: Alex, the good soldier who wanted to do everything right, and A-Rod, the superhuman, hyper-talented, occasionally narcissistic force of nature who scared people as much as he impressed them. Both versions showed up in this documentary. Neither one ever really left.
Let’s get something straight early, because this gets lost in the noise:
Alex Rodriguez was great. Historically great.
His 2009 postseason run wasn’t just “good”—it was legendary. That October wasn’t about talent; it was about winning. Every big hit mattered. Every moment felt heavy. And without A-Rod carrying the Yankees through that postseason, there is no 27th championship banner. That run turned him from a superstar in pinstripes into an actual Yankee. Not a rental. Not a mercenary. A champion.
Now yes—here comes the part everyone waits for: steroids. The Mitchell Report. Tony Bosch. Biogenesis. Florida. Suspensions. Lies stacked on top of lies like a Jenga tower built entirely out of bad decisions. A-Rod didn’t just make mistakes—he doubled down on them, denied them, lawyered them up, and somehow made them louder every time he spoke.
Photo Credit: The Gainesville Sun
But here’s where the conversation gets dishonest. Baseball has never been clean. Ever. And pretending Alex Rodriguez is the lone villain in a league that quietly benefited from an entire era of enhanced performance is revisionist history. There are players in the Hall of Fame right now who know exactly what was happening in clubhouses across the league. Silence doesn’t equal innocence—it just means better timing.
What the documentary does well is explain the why. A-Rod didn’t come from a perfect background. His father wasn’t there. That absence matters. It creates hunger. It creates insecurity. It creates a desperate need to prove worth—not just to fans, not just to teammates, but to yourself.
And if you’re going to chase validation, good luck doing it in New York. Yankees fans don’t love easily. They respect winners, tolerate stars, and turn on anyone who tries too hard to be liked. Alex tried very hard.
Here’s something people conveniently forget:
Alex Rodriguez moved to third base without turning it into a full-blown hostage negotiation just to play for the Yankees.
For a guy labeled selfish his entire career, that sacrifice says a lot.
On the field, A-Rod was a technician. His preparation bordered on obsession. His mechanics were studied, refined, and perfected. Watching him play defense wasn’t just athletic—it was graceful. He understood the game deeply and respected it, maybe even more than the fans ever respected him back.
And let’s be clear about one thing:
Alex Rodriguez is directly responsible for the Yankees’ last championship. That’s not opinion. That’s history.
Hall of Fame? Absolutely. First ballot. No hesitation. Baseball history isn’t a church—it’s a museum. It tells the whole story, flaws included.
Now here’s where people really start arguing, so let’s not dance around it.
I watched both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez closely.
To me:
- A-Rod was the better overall player
- Jeter was the better winner
- Jeter was more clutch
Jeter made greatness feel inevitable. Calm. Predictable. Almost boring in how reliable it was. A-Rod made greatness feel emotional. Explosive. Personal.
When Jeter won you a game, it felt like leadership.
When A-Rod won you a game, it felt like a message.
A loud, unapologetic “I dare you to boo me now.”
And that’s why Yankees fans never fully embraced him. Jeter didn’t need approval—he earned respect. A-Rod wanted to be loved. And in New York, wanting it too much is a crime.
His lies will always follow him. That’s fair. Trust is hard to rebuild once it’s broken. But so will his comebacks—especially 2015, when he went from suspended villain to Bronx folk hero almost overnight. That season wasn’t supposed to happen. It felt impossible. And that’s exactly why fans remember it. Redemption stories always hit harder when no one expects them.
Then there’s the final plot twist nobody saw coming.
Photo Credit: Joe Nicholson, USA Today Sports
A-Rod today? As a broadcaster on FOX?
He’s outstanding.
After everything—the scandals, the boos, the suspension—he’s somehow become the best baseball analyst in the media right now. He studies the game. He explains it clearly. He respects its history. And most importantly, he still loves it. You don’t fake that kind of passion after everything he’s been through.
So yes, Alex Rodriguez will always be complicated. He’ll always be debated. He’ll never be universally loved.
But how can you not respect a baseball lifer who lived the highest highs, survived the lowest lows, and still talks about the game like it saved his life? Because maybe it did.
Alex vs. A-Rod isn’t really about steroids. It’s about pressure. It’s about insecurity. It’s about a man chasing greatness and acceptance at the same time, and if you’ve ever tried to be loved by Yankees fans, you already know, that might be the hardest achievement of all.
Twitter: @ErrolMarks34
LinkedIn: Errol Marks
Instagram: @rollothamouth34
www.omahasteaks.com/NYSSportsLoudMouth
or go to our website at worldwidesportsradio.com and click on the Omaha Steaks Logo!
My name is Errol Marks and I’d like to tell you why I believe I can be a major asset to your station. I’m from a small town in Long Island, NY and from a very young age I’ve always had a love for sports talk radio. Growing up, I would listen religiously to shows like Mike and the Mad Dog, Mike and Mike, and Imus in the Morning and studied what made those shows so great. I’ve made it my goal to be as influential as the hosts I grew up listening to, and with my knowledge of all major sports, enthusiastic and fearless personality, and my preparation skills, I know I can get to that level. This is an art and a medium that I’m passionate about and one that I feel can never be replaced.
What makes my story so unique goes beyond my 10+ years of experience in sports media. In addition to over ten years of creating and hosting sports talk radio shows, I created the World Wide Sports Radio Network - one of the first ever digital sports radio networks - in 2012. Since the network began, we have had some of the best content in digital sports media. We have six quality shows on our network covering all sports and sports betting. I’m currently hosting New York’s Sports Loud Mouth, and you can find that show and the rest of our great shows at https://worldwidesportsradio.com/.
Our network’s content and listenership has grown significantly year to year and, in the past year, we’ve achieved 3.6 million minutes listened on our audio stream, over 29k followers on tik tok, 500k viewed on YouTube, 1.7 million downloads on Apple Podcasts, and 906,917 plays on Spotify. While we are enjoying a continued increase in growth, I feel that we can take this to a new level and a new audience with your help.
My goal since the day I started is to become the greatest and most recognizable sports radio show host in the country. I can guarantee that nobody in this industry currently has my passion, personality or ability to shape the future of sports broadcasting and entertainment like I do. If given the opportunity, I hope to further share my story and many talents with you and your station.
Twitter: @ErrolMarks34
LinkedIn: Errol Marks
Instagram: @rollothamouth34
0 Comments