Posada: PED users shouldn't be in HOF

ST. PETERSBURG -- Former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada said that he does not believe players who used performance-enhancing drugs should be enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and that stance extends to his former teammate Alex Rodriguez.

Posada, who played 17 seasons with the Yanks and retired after 2011, said in an interview Wednesday with CBS New York that inducting players like Rodriguez would be unfair to those who played the game cleanly.

Asked specifically about Rodriguez, Posada said, "I don't think it's fair. I really don't. I think the guys that need to be in the Hall of Fame need to be a player that played with no controversy."

Posada said that he had not spoken with Rodriguez about his views, and noted that Rodriguez would probably be surprised to hear them. Rodriguez said Wednesday that he was aware of Posada's comments.

"I have nothing but good things to say about Jorgie," Rodriguez said. "He was a great player and a good teammate and we won a championship in '09 together."

Posada said that Rodriguez's admitted steroid use could have impacted his candidacy for the 2003 American League MVP Award. Posada batted .281 with 30 homers and 101 RBIs, finishing third in the voting behind Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado.

"The only thing that I can think is 2003. I was close to the MVP," Posada said. "It didn't happen. Alex won the MVP. ... I was almost there. What could have happened, it's tough. It's really tough."

"2003 is a long time ago," Rodriguez said. "All my energy is focused on 2015."

Posada is promoting a new autobiography, "The Journey Home: My Life in Pinstripes." He will return to Yankee Stadium on Aug. 22, when his uniform No. 20 will be retired and placed in Monument Park. Rodriguez said that would not present an awkward circumstance.

"Not at all. Jorge is a friend," Rodriguez said. "We'll keep it simple. Keep it light."