In the first response from Alex Rodriguez since reports this weekend that he tested positive for steroids in 2003, Alex Rodriguez has told ESPN's Peter Gammons, "I did take a banned substance. For that, I'm very sorry and deeply regretful."
Gammons interviewed A-Rod in Miami where he told ESPN's senior baseball reporter, "Back then, [baseball] was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young, I was stupid, I was naïve. I wanted to prove to everyone I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time."
He claims that Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the MLB Players' Association, had previously informed A-Rod that he may or may not have tested positive for steroids in 2003. (Orza today denied previous accusations of tipping off Rodriguez to upcoming tests.) Rodriguez says he wasn't being truthful to himself in his 2007 interview with Katie Couric where he denied using steroids.
The full A-Rod-Gammons interview will be broadcast on the 6 p.m. edition of Sportscenter.
Update 4:45: The first part of the interview can be seen below (with A-Rod still wearing his Kabbalah bracelet).
