A-Rod came 'close to tapping out' during 2014 season-long suspension
It could have all been over for A-Rod in 2014.
Alex Rodriguez told Marisa Guthrie of The Hollywood Reporter that he hit "rock bottom" in 2014 during a season-long suspension following an investigation into his involvement with illegal performance-enhancing substances including the Biogenesis scandal.
"There were nights in Miami when I was close to tapping out," Rodriguez said.
The now-42-year-old missed the entire 2014 campaign after being handed a 162-game suspension by Major League Baseball.
Rodriguez returned in 2015 to remarkably hit 33 home runs and drive in 84 runs for the Yankees, despite having undergone multiple surgeries on his knees and hips. Since then, he's reshaped his image as a knowledgeable baseball analyst on FOX Sports, and is in a high-profile relationship with performer Jennifer Lopez.
"It's probably too soon for me to say this, but maybe in 10 years I'll be able to say that the '2014 sabbatical' was one of the best things that happened in my life," Rodriguez added. "I'll say this: That year off I just had to f-cking change and stop being a jerk.
"When I came back (after the suspension), I wanted to be a different person."
Rodriguez's storied career with the Yankees eventually came to an end during the 2016 season when he was released by the club during a disappointing campaign. Although he never officially announced his retirement from baseball, it appears he'll never return to the game he played for 22 seasons.
"I left it all on the field," he said. "My best two years happened at 19 and as a broken-down 40-year-old. I hadn't played in basically two years, two hip surgeries, two knee surgeries, scandal. And if you think about that arc, that tells you a hell of a story, right? The mistakes I've made are loud and clear. But one thing I am proud of is, I did not let those mistakes define who I am. I kept getting up."
Rodriguez, a three-time MVP, finished his career in the bigs as a lifetime .295/.380/.550 hitter with 696 home runs and 2,086 RBIs.