Alex Rodriguez. We all know the name. The player, the celebrity. The man who was to restore the sanctity back to the game when he surpassed Barry Bonds as the home run champion of our National Pastime. Today we are now left with doubt and questions about the legitimacy of his career. In the interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons Rodriguez admits to having used some type of banned substance (in the interview he states he does not know what he took). In the interview he admits to taking a banned substance from 2001-2003. His reasoning was the pervasive culture inside of the Texas Rangers clubhouse. Rodriguez went on to further state that during his time with the Seattle Mariners that he had never been tempted to use any Performance Enhancing Drug.

In researching Alex Rodriguez's past teams and most importantly teammates we have discovered an alarming rate of players mentioned in the Mitchell Report and/or later suspended by Major League Baseball once steroid testing was implemented.

We want to put this information out to you, the Saturday Sports Blog reader so you can determine whether or not you believe that Alex Rodriguez was telling the truth by saying he only used from 2001-2003. The evidence might surprise you.

• Teammate with Josias Manzanillo while with the Seattle Mariners in 1997. Manzanillo later was mentioned in the Mitchell Report as having been injected by Kirk Radomski with steroids. Manzanillo pitched with the Mets in 1994-95 and 1999 while Radomski worked with the club.
• David Segui as teammate in Seattle in 1998 and 1999 was in the Mitchell Report as having numerous discussion with Kirk Radomski in 1994 and 95 over the use of Steroids while with the New York Mets.
• Ryan Franklin, teammate with Mariners in 1999. Franklin, while still with the Mariners, was to be later suspended in 2005 for violating MLB Steroids Policy.
• David Bell, a teammate in 1998 thru 2000 with Mariners. Bell was in the Mitchell Report for having allegedly, while with the Philadelphia Phillies, purchasing HCG a hormone that is generally created during pregnancy. This can also be used to counter-react the effects of steroids effects on the production of testosterone.
• Jose Guillen, Mariners in 2000 was suspended in 2007 while with the Kansas City Royals for violating the MLB Steroid Policy.
• Mike Cameron, Mariners teammate in 2000. Cameron would be later suspended by MLB as a Brewer for violating the Steroid Policy of MLB.

Now lets analyze his time that he willingly admits to using Performance Enhancing Drugs while with the Texas Rangers.

• 20001 teammates all mentioned in the Mitchell Report for ties to Steroid activity: Ivan Rodriguez,Ken Caminiti,Rafael Palmiero,Randy Velarde.
• 2002 teammates again mentioned in the report:John Rocker,Ismael Valdez along with Ivan Rodriguez and Palmeiro.
• Also Tom Hicks the Rangers owner publicly admits to having suspicions about Juan Gonzalez and his rapid physical decline as a possibly being related to Steroids.
• 2003 teammates while still with Rangers: Ismael Valdez, Palmeiro,Gonzalez.
• 2003 also is the first year an interesting names joins the Rangers. C.J. Nitkowski. Nitkowski recently has been interviewed by the FBI. The FBI has interviewed Nitkowski about his relationship with Roger Clemens, Andy Petitte and Brian Mcnamee. Nitkowski held offseason workouts with the three and continued to be a teammate of Alex Rodriguez's until after the 2004. This is Rodriguez's first season while with the New York Yankee's.

Now to this point we have shown that Alex Rodriguez at some point possibly was subjected to Steroids in the clubhouse prior to his admission of first using in 2001. Now lets review his first two seasons as a New York Yankee. The first two seasons of our "clean" Alex Rodriguez.

• Kevin Brown 2004and 2005 Yankee mentioned in the Mitchell Report via a 2003 Dodgers General Manager report as taken Steroids and trying to get Brown to alter his offseason regimen.
• Jason Giambi a 2004 and 2005 Yankee who became the poster boy of Steroids for MLB. Giambi came forward admitting that he injected himself weekly with Steroids in 2001 and 2002.
• Gary Sheffield also a member of the 2004/05 Yankee's. Federal agents raided Greg Anderson condo in relationship to the Balco investigation. Upon reviewing evidence investigators discovered receipts of Gary Sheffields. Sheffield has denied knowingly using Steroids, referring to only knowingly taking vitamins.
• Mike Stanton a member of the 2005 Yankees was included in the Mitchell Report. Stanton purchased HGH from Kirk Radomski in 2003 while with the Mets.
• Another key player in this could quiet possibly be Ruben Sierra. Sierra was a teammate of Alex Rodriguez's in his first season in Texas (2001) all the way into the end of his first season with the Yankee's (2004). Sierra never failed a test by MLB but was teammates of the following players who were mentioned in the Mitchell Report: Mark McGwire,Jason Giambi,Andy Petitte,Phil Hiatt,Hal Morris,Jim Parque,Ken Caminiti,Roger Clemens,Mike Stanton and Rondell White. Sierra is widely have been one of the original Steroid abusers in the early 90's.

So with this information can it be so certain that Alex Rodrigez is now finally telling the truth? After having lied to Katie Couric in a 60 minutes interview in 2007 and now only coming clean after the fact it had been leaked?

Could the reality be that Alex Rodriguez abused Steroids from 1998 thru 2005?