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Lightning Rod

This week checkout SI.com for the latest news and analysis on the Alex Rodriguez steroidsbombshell, including Jon Heyman on Rodriguez's confession and the path aheadfor baseball's most talented player, and Lee Jenkins on how Rodriguez isjoining Barry Bonds in the arena of public scorn. Plus...

• Ted Keith: Whythe steroids story will follow A-Rod throughout 2009

• Q&A with TomVerducci

• Phil Taylor: Howthe next generation views A-Rod

FOR MORE BASEBALLCOMMENTARY FROM AROUND THE MAJORS, GO TO SI.COM/MLB.

FEATUREDWRITERS

JONAH FREEDMAN
Inside Soccer
Full coverage of the U.S.--Mexico World Cup Qualifier in Columbus
SI.com/freedman

ROSS TUCKER
Inside the NFL
The business and philosophy behind preparing for the combine
SI.com/tucker

LARS ANDERSON
Inside NASCAR
Lessons from the Bud Shootout and 10 story lines at Daytona
SI.com/anderson

NBA ALL-STAR

As leadingvote-getter Dwight Howard prepares to defend his slam dunk title, SI.com hascomplete coverage from NBA All-Star weekend in Phoenix, including ChrisMannix's All-Star Game grades, Ian Thomsen on how several All-Stars benefitedfrom playing on the Redeem Team in Beijing and Arash Markazi's live gameblog.

> Check outSI.com's Swimsuit galleries at SI.com/swimsuit.

SI VAULT
YOUR LINK TO SPORTS HISTORY

FROM SPORTSILLUSTRATED
JUNE 3, 2002

SI writer TomVerducci reported the rampant use of steroids in major league baseball,including the confession of 15-year-veteran Ken Caminiti, who died in 2004 atage 41 of an apparent heart attack.

THE SUREST signthat steroids are gaining acceptance in baseball: the first public admission ofsteroid use by a prominent former player. Ken Caminiti revealed to SI that hewon the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player award while on steroids.Spurred to try the drugs by concern over a shoulder injury in early '96,Caminiti said that his steroid use improved his performance noticeably. He toldSI that he used steroids so heavily in '96 that by the end of that season, histesticles shrank and retracted; doctors found that his body had virtuallystopped producing its own testosterone; and that his level of the hormone hadfallen to 20% of normal. "I've made a ton of mistakes," said Caminiti."I don't think using steroids is one of them."

> Check outthe latest classic SI story at SI.com/classic.

> For yourfavorite stories and covers, go to SI.com/vault.

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JOHN G. MABANGLO/EPA (BONDS)

TWO OF A KIND A-Rod and Bonds share in disgrace.

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MEL LEVINE (TUCKER)

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MEL LEVINE (ANDERSON)

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JOHN W. MCDONOUGH (HOWARD)

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JAMES PORTO (VAULT COVER)

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