Yankees president Randy Levine joked about steroids in emails to Alex Rodriguez

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New York Mag's Steve Fishman wrote a cover story for the magazine in December, "Chasing A-Rod," about the fight between Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Major League Baseball over steroids, which is well worth your time. While reporting the story, Fishman had access to emails between Rodriguez and Yankees president Randy Levine, which he's published. 

The emails, from May 2011 up until August 2013, show how the relationship between the two men deteriorated as Rodriguez found himself followed by scandal, much of it his own doing. Levine played a large part in Rodriguez signing a 10-year, $275-million contract with the Yankees, and the two men clearly corresponded as friends in 2011. But by this summer, they seemed anything but. 

Here's the first email published by Fishman, from May 2011:

Levine: Hey, tough game, I’m worried about your health, u sure u r ok? You look to me like you’re a little off. If just a slump, you will come out, but if more, let me know.
Rodriguez: Hey Randy, yes, tough game. Just a little jumpy at the plate. I feel fine. I’ve been working hard with Kevin Long [Yankees hitting coach]. I will start hitting soon. My team needs me. We will win tomorrow. Have a great night.

A week later, Levine was singing Rodriguez's praises after the third baseman hit two home runs against Tampa Bay:

Levine: Way to go, welcome back … enjoy start of a roll. 
Rodriguez: Yessir!! Our team needs me to hit and lead us.
Levine: U are the man. I told u that for years. U can and will do it.

A year later, in June 2012, with Rodriguez out with an injury, Levine emails and makes what can only be called an amazing joke: 

Levine: How r u feeing since u left Robby [Cano] under 200, he needs some steroids fast!

Levine would later make another steroids-related joke about Cano, saying, "This guy must not be using the liquid." That the president of the Yankees would make jokes about steroids to Rodriguez, who'd already admitted to using steroids earlier in his career, goes to show you how serious the front office of baseball's mightiest team takes the issue. 

Cracks begin to emerge between Rodriguez and Levine in an email from December 2012:

Levine: Pictures of party at your house circulating all around tonight … Guys in rehab don’t do this. This is not the sedate, small party you […] said. You need to focus on getting better. 
Rodriguez: Been prehabbing every day. Pete [Draovitch, a trainer] arrives in Miami tomorrow. Is nice to disconnect a bit in the off season. But I understand your point. Really looking forward to getting mended. 
Levine: Just looking out for you.

In an email Rodriguez sent to Levine in February of this year, after the Miami New Times story tying Rodriguez to the Biogenesis clinic was published, he accused the Yankees of meeting with his cousin. "I don't want us to be enemies," Rodriguez wrote. "I am loyal to the team." Levine replied that all he wanted for Rodriguez was good health, and that the investigation was being handled by the league. 

By the summer of 2013, Levine and Rodriguez were barely corresponding, instead taking shots at each other through the media. Levine's final words to Rodriguez: "Good luck." 

To read more of the published emails, check out the piece at NY Mag.