Yankee fans have had A-nough.
Pinstripe faithful blasted their superstar third baseman yesterday, reacting to the Bomber-shell report of Alex Rodriguez’s steroid indiscretions – the latest in a seemingly unending stream of off-field distractions.
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“He really is A-Fraud,” said Ronnie Gilbert, 41, of Long Island, a patron at ESPN Zone in Times Square. “I guess that name really means something now. He’s tarnished. He’s done. There’s nothing he can do about it unless he comes clean.”
“He’s making all that money, and he’s doing that stuff?” fumed Gary Kelly, 64, owner of the Holland Bar in Hell’s Kitchen. “They’re all prima donnas, let’s be honest.”
A customer, Leo Pagan, 30, of Park Slope, Brooklyn, was even less kind.
“The Yankees and A-Rod symbolize everything we hate about this country,” said Pagan. “True Yankee fans hate A-Rod. I just think it’s disgusting.
“I’m now an ex-Yankee fan,” he said emphatically.
While Rodriguez has never been embraced by many Yankee fans – choking in key situations during games and embarrassing the team with high-profile off-field antics like cavorting with strippers and Madonna – the latest news is the biggest blow yet to his popularity.
“A-Rod’s the cooler,” said Andrew Padian, 51, a patron at Circus Bar on Ninth Avenue. “Whatever team he goes to, they get iced down. I wanted to like that guy so bad, and he doesn’t give us any reason to.”
Many of those trashing A-Rod said his downfall was all the more sad because of his incredible talent.
“I think people would’ve been rooting for him to break the home-run record,” said Brian Jagoda, 26, of Brooklyn. “He literally could’ve been the greatest player of all time.”
Still, a few Bombers boosters defended A-Rod.
“Get over it,” said Kenneth Gooding, 45, who grew up near Yankee Stadium in The Bronx and now lives in North Bergen, NJ. “I’m absolutely 100 percent behind the Yankees and A-Rod.”