SQUEEGEE TO AROD: "ADMIT TO WHAT YOU DID!"

I got an email the other day and it was important.  It was from an old friend, Luigi Squeegee, the author of the book Clubhouse Confidential and the former bat boy of the New York Yankees.  Luigi supported Bleeding Yankee Blue back when it was literally 4 of us, and we always stayed in touch. But under the circumstances of Alex Rodriguez and he being a former bat boy in the clubhouse... I knew this message was different.

You see, Luigi is a father like me. We've talked alot about how our kids see these big baseball heroes doing big things and now, all of them are under the cloud of suspicion, all because a group of individuals over the years decided that cheating and using PEDs was the way to go.

In short, it's out of control and for Squeegee, a guy that stood in the same clubhouse with the likes of ARod, Derek Jeter, Roger Clemens and Chuck Knoblauch, it was clear... he had enough.

So I did my best prep work for an interview that needed to be done, but Squeegee was so fired up, I scratched my questions and let him go.  This ladies and gentlemen is real.  You want to talk about frustration as a parent who doesn't know how to explain PEDs and cheating to their son or daughter? You want to talk about the loss of integrity in this great game because of liars and cheaters in baseball? Squeegee had plenty to say about it.  And before you think he irrelevant, understand this; Luigi Squeegee saw more stuff going on in that clubhouse than anyone I know.  Now sure, I'm not about to taint the Yankees, I love my team. The point is, he knows things and he's frustrated all these years later with Alex Rodriguez and his steroids charade.  So here's what Squeegee told me in his own words... and he's sharing it with my Bleeding Yankee Blue audience...  Enjoy this, I did:

Luigi Squeegee: "I left the Yankees in 2005. Steroids in baseball were going on then and today, all these years later, it is all people talk about.  No longer do people talk about just going to a game with their mother and father.  Instead, they talk about who's using and who isn't. It's a terrible message these cheaters are sending and steroid use is slowly becoming a virus.  It's disappointing."

BYB: This is clearly driven by you being a parent. You're pretty angry...

Luigi Squeegee: "Of course! I was in Yankees Spring Training sitting with guys like Derek Jeter watching Congress question Rafael Palmeiro and all those guys.  I was 18 years old, a bat boy for the Yankees and I was skinny and I was thinking to myself then, how can I get big? Is this the way?"

BYB: Right, because you're seeing players getting bigger, but denying their usage.

Luigi Squeegee: "Yup and all these years later, those players have all used even though they denied it. Look, I have kids and they look up to guys like Derek Jeter.  But they also looked up to ARod and Big Papi and when they see those players, they says to me, 'those guys hit the ball far!'  When they're on the field, my kids just want to hit it as far as them... when they can't, so they get upset.  So I ask you, when my kids are old enough and they're in the same situation, are they gonna think about wanting to use? You see what I mean?"

BYB: I hear you.  And when a player is playing well, my son will say, 'He's great... is he on drugs?'

Luigi Squeegee: "Right! Look at Ryan Braun. I thought he was totally honest with me and America and he lied to my face and I'll never trust him again.  I know I've made mistakes, but I admitted to my mistakes in my book. These people still deny."

BYB: I know, but Braun's disappeared now to serve his 65 games and he'll come back and continue racking up his numbers like nothing happened.

Luigi Squeegee: "And then you have all these players that play the game clean and now they are either accused or become frustrated because they can't compete with the cheaters.  

Look at a guy like Enrique Wilson.  He didn't make a lot of money but he was able to crush a guy like Pedro Martinez. He did it clean.  People forget what baseball is all about.  It's not about the mansions and the private jets, that's the wrong message.  It's about loving the game. Baseball is no longer loved, it's tainted."

BYB: Did you see physically see PEDs in the Yankee clubhouse?

Luigi Squeegee: "No... but I saw the size of these guys and how they got bigger from year to year, and even teams and owners know it's happening.  Look at a guy like Jason Giambi.  

He got real big in Oakland, but the Yankees still signed the guy. He ended up admitting to using something, but he's 41 years old and he's still playing.  It's crazy to think about this, and this is where I defend ARod and the ONLY time I do;  There are several guys that had admitted using and nothing happens to them.  Like Andy Pettitte for example. Meanwhile, ARod gets 162 games. There were others, why just him? Major League Baseball needs to go after everyone equally.  See, this is what I'm talking about. Everyone is focused on steroids for over a decade and it's sending the wrong message to our youth."

BYB: Yeah, Alex is the big fish. What was he like when you were the bat boy in 2004 and 2005?

Luigi Squeegee: "He's selfish. I wrote about it in my book! I remember in Spring Training 2004, I was assigned to be his personal assistant. But he didn't want the Yankees to give him an assistant. He wanted his own and he was trying to get the Yankees to give him someone from the Texas Rangers. The Yankees refused and so they eventually agreed on another guy. It was just this thing about him, he usually did things alone.  You wouldn't see him and Jeter hanging out other than a "Hi". Same with Ruben Sierra, they weren't "friends", just teammates. ARod did hang out with Robinson Cano or Melky Cabrera or Luis Sojo a bit.  But even in the plane, I remember we were flying home and Ruben (Sierra) and I were watching a movie and ARod was alone asking, 'Hey, what are you guys watching?'  Always alone.

The worst though had to be in 2004. I remember we lost to the Red Sox. Alex was sitting in his locker wearing his pinstriped pants and his blue Yankee shirt... and he's smoking a cigar talking to reporters.  WE JUST LOST TO THE SOX! I will never forget that. And now, years later he's banned for PEDs for the whole 2014 season."

BYB: I can tell you're pissed...

Luigi Squeegee: "That's because it's taking over baseball.  I used to be known as the bat boy of the World Champion Yankees.  Now I'm known at the bay boy of the steroid era.  People have recognized me from my book Clubhouse Confidential and said to me, 'the Yankees cheated when you were with them.'  I hate hearing that."

BYB: But what's the solution?

Luigi Squeegee: "One failed test and you're out of baseball.  If you're going to cheat, you're going to cheat again. I'd rather you're banned from the game if you fail a test 1 time."

BYB: And what's your message to Alex Rodriguez?

Luigi Squeegee: "Just admit to what you did!  That's my piece of advice. Alex, you’re already suspended so just come out an admit you cheated like you did back in 2009.  Apologize...  and maybe America will forgive you.  Maybe God didn't actually put you on this earth to hit 800 home runs.  Maybe God put you here to fix this wrong.  You could actually be the baseball player that fixed the steroid era. You still can make a change. Maybe you can come out and educate kids on the dangers of PEDs.  Maybe this is what God sent you here to do... Save baseball."

That's real. That's a conversation between 2 dads.  I particularly like his closing quote to Alex.  Fix the wrong, admit it. Educate kids.  I like that.

More importantly, it is what Luigi is doing for kids that I also found very noble and I spoke to him about that too.  Squeegee started a foundation called Squeegee’s Childrens Literacy Foundation. It's a not for profit foundation geared toward educating kids on the importance of education and reading.  We have part 2 of our interview with Luigi coming soon.  Look for it here on BYB.



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