Alex Rodriguez became the face of the Biogenesis scandal, even after his 211-game ban was reduced to a full season for his connection the Florida-based clinic that distributed players with performance enhancing drugs, but Darryl Strawberry believes that Hall of Famers who demean A-Rod and other PED users in baseball are "hypocrites."
Strawberry appeared on ESPN radio Tuesday and said that Hall of Famers who belittle players like Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens "[irritate] me more than anything."
"They are such hypocrites," Strawberry said on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN New York radio Tuesday. "They want to talk about these players that used steroids. There were drugs before then. They used drugs to get an edge. They used greenies to cheat. ... Everybody has done something."
Strawberry believes that if steroids existed back when some of the Hall of Famers were playing, they would probably use them and he also admitted that he himself would have used PEDs.
"No question," Strawberry said when asked about if he'd use steroids back when he was playing if they were around per ESPN. "I don't doubt it."
Rodriguez was one of 14 players that were banned for their connection to the now-defunct Biogenesis clinic and PEDs, and he received by far the harshest punishment when the MLB rained down a 211-game ban on him last August.
Rodriguez--whose ban was more than three-times what everyone else got for their dealings with the clinic--appealed to have the suspension overturned in front of arbitrator Fredric Horowitz, but instead of having it thrown out, it was reduced to the entire 2014 season and playoffs.
Strawberry admitted he felt "sad" for A-Rod and believed he got a raw deal.
"Regardless if he did it," Strawberry said via ESPN. "All of them did it, if that's the case. He is getting a raw deal regardless of how you look at it. You can't just make one player the villain."
Strawberry also brought up the fact that Rodriguez never failed a test.
"How do we know it's true? ... Alex never failed a test," he told ESPN radio.
Strawberry, who is no stranger to drugs himself, believes that steroids and other PEDs are just as dangerous as drugs like cocaine.
"Once you get addicted to any type of drug, you have to keep doing it," Strawberry said via ESPN.
Whether Strawberry agrees with it or not, Rodriguez will miss the entire 2014 season and will have a tough time getting into the baseball Hall of Fame when his days on the field are over.
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