Article By Pete Caldera for NorthJersey.com:
Agitated by the steroid accusations volleyed at Alex Rodriguez in Jose Canseco's latest book, Yankees general partner Hank Steinbrenner defended his $275 million slugger as "just a natural" and stated that Canseco is merely out to make a buck.
"Consider the source, that's No. 1," Steinbrenner said of Canseco. "He wouldn't have been able to hit the ball out of the infield without steroids.
"And No. 2, if Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth were playing today, with the 550-foot home runs they hit, everybody'd be saying they were on something. They didn't even lift weights in those days. They played on alcohol and hot dogs.
"There are certain naturals. There are guys who can just do it, and Alex is one of those guys," Steinbrenner said. "He's just friggin' great."
"It's a shame, because Canseco is preying on a player that everyone's attention is on," said Hank, who emphasized A-Rod's comparison to a modern-day Mantle regarding his natural ability.
"Without injuries," Steinbrenner said, "[Mantle] would've broken every record in the book.
"[Rodriguez] is not only one of the greatest hitters ever, he's one of the best shortstops ever, and one of the best third basemen," Steinbrenner said. "He is just a natural. People have to come to grips with that."
