American Values of Sports in the Air

By Ashley Jones-Quaidoo (Hyattsville, MD)

On August 3, 2013, Alex Rodriguez potentially played the last game of his career, as loud fans sat in the stands of Arm & Hammer Park to watch the Trenton Thunder take on the Reading Phillies. 

There was an unusually large audience for a Minor League AA game.

“There must be over 8,200 people at the baseball game, when there are usually 5,000-6,000 people,” Barry Hausser said.

As Rodriguez’s suspension from the Yankees loomed in the air, I asked fans whether or not they believed that Rodriguez should be suspended from the Yankees and whether he should get paid.

“Everyone should have a fair trial and to suspend the guy would be unfair to America... If suspended, he should not be paid,” Shawn Reilly of New York said.

“He shouldn’t be suspended, he didn’t fail any test,” said Corey Lavin of New Jersey.

Not all fans agree with Reilly or Lavin. “[Steroids] should be outlawed and [Rodriguez] should be banned from playing the sport for life,” Joe Kempter of Pennsylvania said.

“[Rodriguez] deceived Major League Baseball by not telling the truth,” Debbie Broxmeter from New Jersey said.

Mostly all can agree on the ethical dilemma Rodriguez presents through the use of steroids. Mike Downey of New Jersey believes that “Steroids doesn’t have a place in any sport.”

“Totally not ethical… Rodriguez’s breaking the rules… Everyone thinks it’s okay to use performance-enhancing drugs,” said Ed Cruz of Pennsylvania

Corey Lavin, a Yankees fan, said he and his friends chanted, “A-Roid, A-Roid.”  

“Rodriguez is a good baseball player without steroids, but he’s immortal with them… everyone should use steroids,” Lavin said.

Rodriguez had four walks during the game and was booed each time by the crowd. I wondered whether fans thought that his performance was similar to or better than his performance with the Yankees. Downey said  “As of yesterday, it was probably better than the Yankees!”