Strassmann then brought up Roger Clemens and [Alex] Rodriguez, both former teammates of Posada who were known to be cheating. He asked the five-time All Star if those guys should be allowed in the Hall of Fame.
“No,” he said bluntly. “I don’t think it’s fair for the guys that have been in the Hall of Fame that played the game clean . . . I don’t think it’s fair. I really don’t. I think the guys that need to be in the Hall of Fame need to be a player that played with no controversy.”
Posada wouldn’t have his 2009 World Series ring without Alex Rodriguez. Or some of his earlier ones without Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. Who, it’s worth noting, was not brought up here because no one ever thinks to bring up Andy Pettitte when PED guys are mentioned even though there is just as much PED dirt on him as there is on Clemens. When you “aw shucks” your PED “confession,” however, you get a lot more leeway. Even if it was just as disingenuous as everyone else’s.
That aside, Posada is entitled to his opinion on this. And it helps him that his opinion seems to fit pretty squarely in with the majority of fans and people in and out of the game. But I would be curious to see how he gets on with A-Rod, if at all, when he’s back in the Yankees clubhouse before having his number retired later this year.
