Apology just first step in long process

OK, so Alex Rodriguez fessed up to ESPN's Peter Gammons on Monday.

As if it matters.

Many fans and media members insisted that to be forgiven, A-Rod had to confess that he used steroids.

The theory was that if Rodriguez apologized, he would be admitted back into our good graces the way Andy Pettitte and Jason Giambi were after apologizing.

Maybe he will be. One of my favorite sayings is nothing is forever unless it turns out that way, so we'll see.

But, yes, there still is a chance Rodriguez won't be a pox upon himself the way Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds have been upon themselves.

But even if you believe A-Rod now, the ESPN interview was a tiny initial step along a long road.

A choked-up confession isn't sufficient. The impression here is that it was strategy to ease his pain rather than sincerity to ease baseball's.

I'll still vote for A-Rod as a Hall of Fame player, but it's going to take some doing to earn him any votes as a trustworthy person.

Every time an athlete, politician or celebrity apologizes - Michael Phelps, John Edwards and Christian Bale come to mind - the inclination now is to assume he memorized a script written by handlers.

A-Rod's agent is the dubious Scott Boras, even more reason to be skeptical. So are his sometimes convoluted remarks to Gammons.

It'll be interesting to hear fan response to Rodriguez in ballparks around the country, especially when he's introduced before the home opener in the new Yankee Stadium.

Boos will be appropriate, but who knows? We're a forgiving people because forgiveness is about all we have to offer the rich and famous.

A-Rod once was the major-leaguer I admired most. When he was a 24-year-old, I saw him give tips to pure-hitting veteran John Olerud in Comiskey Park's indoor batting cage.

To an outsider like me the man was everything a baseball player should be. He had the fabled five tools, was good-looking and could become baseball's Michael Jordan.

That was in 2000. I wanted the White Sox to sign him the following off-season as a free agent. Later I wanted the Cubs to trade for him.

But A-Rod was A-Fraud. It turned out that the best tool he had was acting ability.

Rodriguez signed with the Rangers before the 2001 season. He told Gammons that was when he started juicing.

A-Rod explained that he felt pressure to live up to the huge contract Texas gave him.

Sorry, that's no excuse for an Alex Rodriguez, who even before turning to steroids had more ways to dominate a game than any offensive player in baseball.

A-Rod chose to cheat and now has to do more than issue an apology to regain a positive image. Who knows how many truths it takes to erase a gigantic lie?

A good start would have been to grant his first interview to Katie Couric, whom he lied to on national TV in 2007.

Rodriguez could have told her he's so remorseful that he will donate next season's salary to the charities of Hank Aaron's choice.

Finally, A-Rod could fire Boras, stay out of the tabloids the rest of his career and campaign against illegal drugs.

That's about all Alex Rodriguez could do that would matter in regaining our respect.

mimrem@dailyherald.com