Robinson Canó is ready to return to the New York Mets in Major League Baseball after serving a year-long suspension for the use of prohibited substances, and before anything else, he issued a public apology.
Canó, who received a second suspension in 2020, this time for the improper use of stanozolol, is a far cry from the player who joined the New York Yankees in 2005. During that season, Canó was protected by Alex Rodríguez, who immediately began giving him advice on how to maintain a good physical level if he wanted to play in the MLB.
“I remember A-Rod telling me, ‘Come and let’s get some exercise,’ and that’s what I did, work with him,” recalled the Dominican, who hit.297 in 132 games in his debut season in 2005, with 14 home runs and 62 RBI.
The physical work that the now 39-year-old Mets second baseman did with Rodrguez helped him become an All-Star and was crucial to the Yankees winning the World Series in 2009, the last pennant that those from the Bronx have achieved in the Majors.
Canó was influenced by A-Rod as a rookie player to work harder for his level of play. The Dominican increased his weightlifting, performed exercises on the field, and, along with the Puerto Rican, inspired other Yankees teammates to work harder.
The Mets have a different work pace
Canó has appeared in eight All-Star games. After leaving the Yankees in 2013, he played for the Seattle Mariners until 2018, and since 2019, he has played for the Mets, with whom he attempted to instill his training style upon arrival by not seeing the same intensity with which he worked with the Yankees.
“When I first arrived at the Mets, I noticed that there were younger players and men training, but it wasn’t the same. In Yankees training, he advanced me to a new level,” declared the Dominican player.
“Now, whenever I get a chance with the guys, I share with them, so when they ask what I do, what I can do, and how to prepare, I tell them,” he explained.
Marca
