New York — Alex Rodriguez sat in a packed Manhattan theater Tuesday night surrounded by sports icons including Tom Brady, Michael Strahan, and his former Yankees teammate CC Sabathia. The three-time MVP was about to watch his life unfold on screen in the first episode of HBO’s new docuseries, “Alex vs. A-Rod.”
The film’s director, Gotham Chopra — a lifelong Red Sox fan — addressed the audience before the lights dimmed. He made clear that Rodriguez imposed no restrictions during filming. No topic was off limits, and no person was barred from speaking.
What followed was a deeply personal portrait of a man confronting his mistakes, regrets, and the choices that shaped his career. The opening episode focuses heavily on Rodriguez’s broken relationship with his father, Victor, who left the family when Alex was 10 years old.
Father’s abandonment shaped everything that followed
In the series’ first episode, Rodriguez’s ex-wife Cynthia shares a revealing perspective. She arranged a reunion between Alex and his estranged father in 2000, while the Yankees great was with the Seattle Mariners. The meeting took place during a road trip to Minnesota.
The reunion went poorly. Rodriguez recalled looking up at his father, who was watching from behind the dugout, after a strong performance against the Twins. A bitter thought crossed his mind.
“This is what you walked away from,” Rodriguez recalls thinking. “F–k off.”
During the post-screening panel, Rodriguez told the audience that Cynthia’s remarks in the first episode were only an “appetizer” for what comes later. Their daughters, Natasha and Ella, attended the premiere to support their father.
Shocking World Series revelation stuns Yankees fans
Midway through the documentary, Rodriguez delivers a stunning admission that reshapes how Yankees fans view his career. If given a chance to do everything over again, he says he “probably would have just retired” after winning the 2009 World Series with the Yankees.
“I would have avoided a lot of nightmares,” Rodriguez says in the film.
The statement hits hard, especially considering what followed his championship season. The Biogenesis scandal soon erupted. His use of performance-enhancing drugs became public, leading to a 162-game suspension that wiped out his entire 2014 season. Legal battles with Major League Baseball dominated headlines and damaged his reputation.
Rodriguez acknowledges that many will doubt his sincerity or personal growth. He confronts that skepticism directly in the third episode.
“I know the haters are sitting there saying, ‘Yeah, BS. I don’t believe it,’” Rodriguez says. “I’m sure there’s people watching here that are like, what do you call it, hate-watch? No matter what I say, they’re going to spin it to why they hate me more.”
Colorado therapy sessions saved his life
The documentary follows Rodriguez to Evergreen, Colorado, where he spent years in therapy with the late psychologist Dr. David Schnarch. The Yankees great credits Schnarch with changing — and possibly saving — his life.
“He was such a truth-teller, and I wasn’t used to that,” Rodriguez says. “He would just throw arrows right between your eyes: ‘When you talk, you sound like you’re full of s–t, because you are.’”
Therapy began a few years before his MLB suspension. Rodriguez admits he tried to manipulate sessions early on, believing he could outsmart his therapist.
“In hindsight, I was so f–king slippery,” Rodriguez says. “I’d think I could bulls–t him, think I was smarter than him.”
Lou Piniella’s role brings Rodriguez to tears
Former Mariners manager Lou Piniella emerges as a pivotal figure in the first episode, serving as a father figure during Rodriguez’s early years in Seattle. During the panel discussion, moderated by Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay, Rodriguez became visibly emotional while talking about Piniella’s influence.
The documentary retraces his rise from a standout Miami high school player to one of baseball’s highest-paid athletes. It touches briefly on his missteps, saving deeper reflection for later installments.
Director Erik LeDrew described Rodriguez as “an open book” during production. Every question was answered, and no part of his past was off-limits.
Biogenesis confession reveals desperate mindset
In a powerful segment, Rodriguez recalls his first meeting with Tony Bosch, the founder of the Biogenesis clinic, in 2010. Initially, he rejected Bosch’s offer to use human growth hormone. But chronic hip pain soon changed his decision.
“At the time, I knew it was a very, very risky thing to do,” Rodriguez says. “But if this is actually going to make me feel better and help me get out of bed and help me not be in pain, then f–k it. I’ll risk it.”
He believed he would only use the substances briefly to recover. Instead, the decision cost him a full season and permanently damaged his public image.
Nothing off limits: Hall of Fame traded for inner peace
Today, Rodriguez co-owns the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and works as a baseball analyst for Fox Sports. He insists he holds no regrets about his playing career, only lessons learned from failure and reflection.
“To look at me, single mom, food stamps at 12, I’ve done pretty well,” Rodriguez said on the red carpet. “At 50, it’s easier for me to say that.”
The years spent in Colorado changed his outlook entirely. Rodriguez acknowledges that his past decisions cost him something significant but gave him peace in return.
“I cost myself the Hall of Fame, but I bought myself a beautiful life on the back nine,” he says.
Derek Jeter and Ken Griffey Jr. break their silence
The series includes rare interviews with baseball legends who seldom speak publicly about Rodriguez. Derek Jeter, Ken Griffey Jr., and journalist Katie Couric all appear, offering perspectives that deepen the portrait of one of baseball’s most polarizing figures.
Executive producer Lindsay Shookus joined Rodriguez, Chopra, and LeDrew for the post-screening discussion. She said the goal of the project was understanding, not judgment.
Rodriguez ended the night with defiance, showing he has no interest in reliving apologies.
“And that’s fine. But I’m done saying I’m sorry. I’m done. New day, moving on. F–king new decade. I’m in a great place. I choose to ignore those that will always be haters. God bless you.”
Part I of “Alex vs. A-Rod” airs Thursday at 9 p.m. on HBO and streams on Max. Part II debuts November 13, followed by the finale on November 20. For Yankees fans, it offers a far more complex story than the typical sports documentary — a deep look into the man behind the headlines.
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