An embattled Alex Rodriguez last night huddled with his longtime mentor, his once-estranged agent, Scott Boras, as the Yankee superstar prepared to face the music after being exposed as a steroids user.
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The move came after A-Rod returned to the United States from a short trip to the Bahamas amid a chorus of demands that he come clean and admit to using performance-enhancing drugs in 2003.
“If he tries to fight this, he is done,” said LA Dodgers third-base coach Larry Bowa, who was close to Rodriguez when Bowa had the same job with the Yankees.
The revelation Saturday on Sports Illustrated’s Web site that Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids as a Texas Ranger in 2003 is just the latest – and by far the worst – controversy the star third baseman has sparked since becoming a Yankee five years ago with a $252 million contract.
On the ball field, A-Rod has posted MVP statistics that put him on track to one day become baseball’s home-run record holder.
But the 33-year-old also has become known as a choke artist in the postseason.
A new book by former Yankee manager Joe Torre says Rodriguez was called “A-Fraud” by teammates. It also claims he was obsessed with his image in a clubhouse dominated by his one-time pal Derek Jeter.
Off the field, Rodriguez has drawn heat for publicly stepping out on his wife with busty stripper Joslyn Morse in 2007, and splitting with Cynthia Rodriguez last year as it was revealed he was keeping time with pop icon Madonna.
Richard Emery, a lawyer for steroids whistleblower and former Roger Clemens trainer Brian McNamee, wasn’t surprised to hear Rodriguez had used steroids.
“[For] anyone who cares about his performance as much as Rodriguez, it’s just too tempting,” Emery said.
He added that A-Rod “should tell the truth” – just as fellow Yankee Andy Pettitte did last year about using human growth hormone.
“He put it behind him,” Emery said of Pettitte.
Bowa said that although A-Rod has not let headlines about his private life affect his on-field play, the disclosure that he used steroids could do just that.
“Because he’s sensitive,” Bowa said. “This will be different, because people will judge all his homers as tainted. That’s not fair, because he has been tested” since 2003.
To protect what is left of his image, A-Rod has turned over handling of the response to the steroids scandal to Boras, the agent who has mentored him since he was 18.
The two had a falling-out in late 2007 after word leaked during the World Series that A-Rod would opt out of the last years of his Yankee contract to become a free agent.
The duo since has reconciled, but Rodriguez has been relying on guidance from Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary.
Boras told The Post yesterday, “I spoke with him [Saturday] night and will speak to him tonight,” meaning last night.
An A-Rod friend said he is better off listening to Boras than Oseary.
“I feel like he needs help with stuff right now,” the friend said. “When they were a tandem, there was more good than bad. For a little while now, it’s been one nightmare after another.”
The Yankees had no comment.
The Players’ Association, which has been blasted for failing to destroy the 2003 test results when it could have, likewise was mum. On Saturday, the union denied SI.com’s report that union Chief Operating Officer Gene Orza tipped off A-Rod to an imminent steroid test in 2004.