On September 1, 1996, while Alex Rodriguez was playing for the Seattle Mariners against the Baltimore Orioles, the Orioles manager Davey Johnson asked the home plate umpire to have arod’s bat taken away for inspection during the 5th inning. The umpire complied and removed the bat from play. After his bat was confiscated, he borrowed a bat from his teammate and legendary baseball player, Ken Griffey Jr. and immediately hit a 3-run home run in that at-bat. The Orioles’ manager requested the bat to be taken because he suspected there might be something unusual about it — possibly corking or another alteration — though there’s no definitive record that the bat was found illegal or that Rodriguez was accused of cheating at that moment. Many thought it could have been a strategic or psychological move by Johnson rather than a confirmed violation. Rodriguez himself later suggested he wasn’t bothered by the situation and even found it somewhat flattering that a veteran manager would challe...