TAMPA — Long before being suspended for the 2014 season for his involvement in the Biogenesis mess, Alex Rodriguez learned — and often the hard way — that New York is like no other big league city.
After participating in the first full-squad workout of spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Rodriguez was asked Thursday what he would tell Aroldis Chapman about playing against the backdrop of 24/7 attention.
“New York is the greatest place to play in the world,’’ said Rodriguez, who has been vilified and praised by Yankees fans in The Bronx and a strong voice in a clubhouse that is getting younger. “It’s different, it’s challenging and less is more.’’
Chapman, who was excused from Thursday’s workout to attend to a family matter in Miami, his second club-sanctioned break this week, is facing a suspension for his alleged involvement in a domestic violence incident last October involving a girlfriend. During the incident Chapman allegedly fired eight bullets inside his garage.
Though Chapman hasn’t been charged with a crime, domestic violence in some minds is far more serious than performance-enhancing drug use.
“Obviously that is a serious situation and Major League Baseball has a process and we are going to let that play out,’’ Rodriguez said of Chapman’s problem. “As far as advice, I would say focus on your job on the field, it starts there. Two, focus on building great relationships in the clubhouse and three, anytime any of us run into a challenging situation it gives you an opportunity to look in the mirror and make some changes.’’
Mark Teixeira and Rodriguez received the loudest reaction from a small gathering when they surfaced for batting practice. Later in an interview room, Rodriguez admitted his reentry into the baseball galaxy at this time last year was challenging. He doesn’t know how long a body that has two surgically repaired hips and will turn 41 in late July will allow him to play, and said the fact the Yankees are holding Alex Rodriguez Replica Bat Day on May 14 at the Stadium is “hard to believe.’’
Unlike Teixeira, who said Wednesday he wants to play five more years, Rodriguez ruled that out, though he was vague about continuing after the 2017 season, his last on a Yankees contract. He is 27 homers shy of tying Babe Ruth for third on the all-time list at 714.
Asked if he harbors any wishes to be a big league manager, Rodriguez said, “I won’t be managing.’’
As for trying to avoid a second-half swoon that took some but not all the air out of a solid comeback season in which he batted .250 with 33 homes, 86 RBIs and a .842 OPS, Rodriguez altered his offseason workout schedule.
“I went back and studied the season a little bit. One of the things [was] I started my process November, December and January, workloads for me prepping for spring training,’’ Rodriguez said. “I ran out of gas in August. My energy picked up in September, I just stunk. One of the things going into 2016 is pace myself a little bit more and use spring training as a ramping [up] instead of being ready to go from Day 1.’’
Rodriguez batted .153 (13-for-85) with two homers, 10 RBIs and an OPS of .532 in August. He was better in September, batting .224 (22-for-98) with seven homers, 15 RBIs and a .804 OPS.