"The Jose Canseco question had him shook" - Fans erupt after Alex Rodriguez defends his HOF worthiness before stumbling over Red Sox icon’s name

Alex Rodriguez remains outside of the Baseball Hall of Fame because of his troubled history with the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). The former three-time MLB MVP has made it to the ballot three times since his first year of eligibility in 2022, and has achieved a highest total of 35.7%.

Appearing on the TODAY show's November 6 episode, to promote his upcoming HBO documentary Alex vs. ARod, Rodriguez was asked if he felt he himself alongside other former legends of the game like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, accused of using steroids in the past, should be included.

“Of course, of course,” Rodriguez said about himself.

“I mean Barry (Bonds), Roger (Clemens). I think it’s laughable that Roger Clemens, the greatest pitcher of all time, and Barry Bonds, head and shoulders above everybody, including Shohei Ohtani, you name it, Barry Bonds is by far the GOAT, he’s our Michael Jordan — of course he deserves to be there.”

“If you want to put an asterisk or something like that, of course, that’s not my decision to make,” he continued. “I would certainly vote for those guys. I don’t have a vote on myself.”

Host Craig Melvin followed up by asking Rodriguez if Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, too, deserved to be in Cooperstown. The 14-time All-Star stumbled upon it without giving a definite answer.

Fans on social media reacted negatively to his take, stating that Rodriguez looked stumped when the question's ambit was increased to players who have openly admitted to using PEDs.

"Lol the Canseco question had him shook," a fan wrote.

"His face when he said Jose Canseco," a fan said.

"Lol Bonds is not the goat of baseball sorry buddy," another fan said.

"The players knew the risks and they did it. no problem leaving them off. got caught oh well," a fan noted.

"He doesn't. After he admitted to cheating, he was still using! Then he sued the MLB after he got caught," a fan added.

Instagram comments on the post by TODAY (Source: Instagram @todayshow)

Debuting in 1994, Rodriguez played till 2016 with a career average of .295, recording 3,115 hits with 2,086 RBIs and scoring 696 home runs, the fifth highest in history. However, he was accused of using steroids once in 2009 and served a further 162-game suspension in 2014 due to the Biogenesis scandal.

Alex Rodriguez shows a vulnerable side when opening up about losing his way

Alex Rodriguez also acknowledged that he wasn't able to steer his career in the right direction, which forced him to attract plenty of negative attention. He showcased a vulnerable side of himself.

“I think over time I kind of started losing my way a little bit, and then I felt like A-Rod took over."

“I’m still recovering,” he said on TODAY. “I’ve been in therapy now for over 10 years, and it’s really saved my life.”

Currently, Rodriguez has diversified his interests and profession beyond baseball. He has been an entrepreneur through his A-Rod Corp and has branched out to baseball broadcasting and other media ventures.