Yankee's star Alex Rodriguez spoke at a press conference after Major League Baseball suspended him for 211 regular-season games through the 2014 season August 5. (CNN Photo) (CNN) -- "A-Rod is the future of baseball. He's exactly what the game needs: a Dominican wonder kid with Hollywood looks, one of the best players in the game, the highest-paid deal in baseball at just 22 years-old. No question he's our cover guy." That was my argument as a young editor back in March of 1998 for putting A-Rod on the premiere cover of ESPN The Magazine, along with Kobe Bryant, Eric Lindros and Kordell "Slash" Stewart (oops).
