Fourteen-time American League (AL) All Star player. Three-time MVP.  Two-time Gold Glove winner. Ten-time AL Silver Slugging Award winner. AL batting average leader. Four-time AL slugging percentage leader. Two time OPS Leader. AL at bats leader. Oh yeah, and five-time AL Runs Scored Leader.

The list goes on and on for Alex Rodriguez, a third baseman who has emerged as one of the best on the field.

When it comes to being a leader in professional performance, Rodriguez is at the top of game. The means by which he got there, on the other hand, has been highly controversial, with the most recent development resulting in his suspension for the use of illegal substances.

It isn’t the first time Rodriguez has been caught, or suspended for that matter.  However, the latest suspension is for the entire 2014 season.  Rodriguez is activity trying to overturn the decision because the penalty will cost him 25 million dollars.

The evidence is clear; he has used sports enhancement drugs. Some of the players and staff are even trying to get Alex out of the union because he should be kicked for being caught again and bringing negative publicity to the club.

Baseball fans at Hammonton High School weighed in on the controversy.

“He’s done.  This is the third to fourth time he’s been caught and already had plenty of chances and now he’s done,” said head baseball coach Gary Sarno.

What makes matters worse for Rodriguez is that he has tried to interfere and obstruct Major League Baseball’s drug investigation twice in the past and has been proven guilty both times.

Some say he deserves to be playing because he is such a great athlete.

“He’s been out long enough and Yankees are going to need him back on that a field if they want to be successful,” said JV and varsity baseball coach Gregg Silvesti.

The discussion brings up the question: To what degree are professional athletes pressured to perform? Is it just for glory that players take performance-enhancing drugs? The money? Or, is it just reach new heights in a sport they love?

From my perspective, when it comes down to it, all players have to follow the rules and isn’t fair to previous player who were clean and made records to have them beat by someone who is cheating.

Life isn’t so black-and white though.

The argument that most make in response that that perspective is this:  it is likely that many players in the big leagues are taking enhancement drugs of some sort.  However, it’s too expensive to test every player in the league. In essence, it’s a form of profiling based on athletic performance.

In my opinion, Rodriguez is on the bad end of the stick for a few reasons, some of them his own fault. He has a history of using enhancing drugs, so the league is already looking at him.  Second, player with stats of his caliber will get tested just to make sure they are not cheating.

An example of this is Ryan Braun, whose MVP title was stripped for the same reason.

When I consider all angels of the debate, I personally don’t think he should be able to play because with so much talent and so much accomplished, he doesn’t need to take them at this point in his career.

He’s already have proven himself to be one of the greatest.