Rangers owner 'personally betrayed' by Rodriguez

Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks, who first made Alex Rodriguez baseball's highest-paid player, says he feels "personally betrayed" after the slugger's admission Monday that he used performance-enhancing drugs with the team.

"This whole episode has caught me totally by surprise," Hicks said. "I feel personally betrayed, I feel deceived by Alex."

Hicks said there were "absolutely no suspicions whatsoever" about Rodriguez using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs during his three seasons with the Rangers after he signed a then-record 10-year, $252-million US contract in December 2000.

With the growing talk about steroids at the time, Hicks said he had general conversations with A-Rod and even asked the player if he had used them.

"Not in an accusatory way," Hicks said during a conference call.

"But I certainly asked the question in a way where I came away with a clear answer that he had much too much respect for his own body that God had given him to ever do anything like that to hurt it with steroids."

'Very sorry and deeply regretful'

Rodriguez, now with the New York Yankees, admitted Monday in an interview with ESPN that he used performance-enhancing drugs with the Rangers from 2001 to 2003 in an attempt to justify his status as the game's highest-paid player.

The admission came two days after Sports Illustrated reported on its website that Rodriguez was among 104 players who tested positive for steroids in 2003.

Testing that year was intended to determine the extent of steroid use in baseball, and the results were not supposed to be made public.

Rodriguez said he was "very sorry and deeply regretful" and specifically apologized to Rangers fans.

"I would rather he have one further apology," Hicks said, "to the owner of the Texas Rangers that signed him that contract. Then I will decide if I want to accept his apology."

Hicks said he felt betrayed because of many talks he had with Rodriguez, and the close relationship they shared.

"Just the hypocrisy of numerous hours of conversation he and I had about the game of baseball and about what kind of role he wanted to play in the game of baseball, what his personal objectives were," Hicks said.

"I certainly don't believe that if he is now admitting that he started using when he came to the Texas Rangers, why should I believe that it didn't start before he came to the Texas Rangers?"

'Obviously, he is not perfect'

Rodriguez led the American League in home runs in each of his three seasons with the Rangers, including 52 in 2001 — his first year there after averaging 42 the previous three seasons with the Seattle Mariners.

Rodriguez followed with 57 homers in 2002 and 47 homers the next year, when he won the first of his three AL Most Valuable Player awards.

Texas traded Rodriguez to the New York Yankees before the 2004 season because of A-Rod's growing frustration with the performance of the Rangers, who finished last in the AL West in each of his three seasons.

The Rangers were still paying part of A-Rod's salary until he opted out of the original 10-year deal in 2007 and signed a 10-year, $275-million US contract with the Yankees.

Hicks said Rodriguez never expressed being overwhelmed by the pressure of being the highest-paid player.

"He was actually proud that he responded best under pressure," Hicks said. "I think Alex was used to being under pressure, playing under pressure.

"Obviously, he is not perfect. Today is proof of that."