"The problem is, I can’t forget what he did" - When Alex Rodriguez recalled confronting the spectrum of emotions created by his father's departure

When New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez was 9 years old, his father, Victor Rodriguez, left his family in 1985 and never returned. It was overwhelming for A-Rod, who was a sensitive young boy and his father's departure made him even more vulnerable at such a tender age.

"I lied to myself," Rodriguez told the Seattle Times in 1998. "I tried to tell myself it didn't matter. But when I was alone, I often cried. Where was my father?"

In Rodriguez's 2009 biography, "A-Rod: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez," he shared how he accepted the reality of the situation.

"Finally, my hope dried up. Dad never came back. I have to let go of that anger to move forward. The problem is, I can't forget what he did."

For months after his father's departure, Rodriguez used to sit in the living area, expecting his father to return. Though still away, Victor used to send gifts and call him at times, as he recalled in the biography.

"I tried all the time to talk to him," Victor said. "I loved him. He was always with me, I thought. I sent as much home as I could."

However, over the years, this setback was channeled by Rodriguez, as he went on to become one of the best hitters to grace the diamond.

Alex Rodriguez reconnected with his estranged father for the first and only time

In conversation with The Athletic, Alex Rodriguez recalled how his meeting with his father in 2000 inspired him to become co-owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx.

"Every time I think of Minnesota, I think of that moment," Alex said. "It was maybe the most important four days of my life from an emotional point of view to close a loop that had been open and had been a big wound on me that I worked through a lot in therapy over the years." [via People].

The visit took place on Father's Day of that year and the meeting was coordinated by his ex-wife, Cynthia Curtis. The father-son interaction took place at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.

This moment somehow gave A-Rod closure for one of his emotional pasts.