As the DGA Theater on West 57th Street began to fill on Monday night, it was easy to pick the superstars out of the crowd of tailored suits and maxi dresses.
Football greats Tom Brady and Michael Strahan were among them. Yankees legend CC Sabathia and his wife, Amber, also joined the audience, which assembled to relive the rise and fall of another Bronx Bomber, Alex Rodriguez.
Those in attendance witnessed the world premiere of “Alex vs. A-Rod,” a new, three-part HBO documentary series in which Rodriguez reflects on his journey from baseball phenom to pariah, as well as his efforts to redeem himself following a few scandals and his repeated use of performance-enhancing drugs during his playing career.
There’s A-Rod, and there’s Alex.
Exploring the dualities of one of the most prolific figures in sports, #ALEXvsAROD premieres November 6 at 9 pm on HBO Max. pic.twitter.com/f1fOyDUe0C
— HBO Max (@hbomax) October 16, 2025
The showing only featured Part I of the documentary. A panel discussion with a self-deprecating Rodriguez, executive producer Lindsay Shookus, director and executive producer Gotham Chopra and director, writer and co-executive producer Erik LeDrew followed.
Yankees play-by-play man Michael Kay moderated the discussion.
Prior to the screening, Chopra, a Red Sox fan, made it known that Rodriguez did not give his team any rules of engagement during the making of the documentary. Nothing from the three-time MVP’s checkered past was off limits, nor was any interview subject, Chopra insisted.
With that in mind, the most compelling scenes in Part I focused on Rodriguez’s relationship with his estranged father, Victor, who left his family when he was 10. Rodriguez’s ex-wife, Cynthia, who arranged a meeting between the father and son in 2000, also made for a rather candid interview.
With their daughters, Natasha and Ella, in attendance, Rodriguez promised his ex’s Part I remarks were only an “appetizer” compared to what she has to say in the rest of the series. However, he spoke lovingly of Cynthia and expressed his gratitude that the two maintain a close relationship.
Lou Piniella, Rodriguez’s manager with the Mariners and a father figure, also played a prominent role in the episode. Rodriguez became visibly emotional while talking about the skipper during the panel discussion.
Part I only made brief mentions of A-Rod’s biggest mistakes. Instead, it told a semi-chronological story that recounted his childhood, early career in Seattle, and the pressure and villainization that came with the 10-year, $252 million contract Rodriguez signed with the Rangers in 2001. For those who know Rodriguez’s turbulent story well, it will feel more like a refresher than a breaking of new ground.
The rest of the series is set up to take deeper dives into Rodriguez’s time in pinstripes and his transgressions, including his PED use, as well as his path to finding happiness and rehabilitating his image. Rodriguez, now a co-owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and a baseball analyst for Fox Sports, and Chopra also teased an examination of the subject’s experience with intensive therapy before viewers wined and dined at an afterparty at a lounge overlooking Columbus Circle.
Part I of “Alex vs. A-Rod” will make its public debut on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 9 p.m. on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Part II will air on Nov. 13, while Part II will air on Nov. 20.
