Alex Rodriguez
New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez signs autographs before the team's baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On paper, Alex Rodriguez is one of the greatest athletes in American history.
He's surpassed 3,000 hits, registered nearly 700 home runs, and recorded over 2,000 RBIs. Rodriguez is a 14-time All Star, 3-time MVP, and World Series champion.
The bold and italic numbers scattered throughout his Baseball Reference page show god-like baseball production.
But ask any sports fan in New York -- or across the country -- about A-Rod's legacy as he prepares to retire, and the responses will vary.
What is it, exactly?
He joined the Yankees following a controversial blocked trade to Boston before the 2004 season. During his dozen years here, he's had a rollercoaster career here that involved an admission to steroid use from 2001 to 2003, a blockbuster playoff run in 2009, and a major feud with the MLB and the Yankees prior to a season-long suspension in 2014.
Despite the negatives, Rodriguez has been a major contributor to the Bronx Bombers' success. He's also been a poster boy for tabloid back pages and sports radio discussion.
But what will he be remembered for?
Is he one of the greatest Yankees, or is his career so tainted that he doesn't deserve to have recognition in Monument Park?
And what about the Baseball Hall of Fame? Pipe dream, or possibility?
The baseball-and-steroids discussion is one of the most slippery conversations in sports. Let's try to have a go of it in the comments below.