Saying that the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah felt “almost like Yankee Stadium,” former Major League Baseball megastar Alex Rodriguez opened up about the consequences he paid for taking steroids to enhance his performance on the diamond. Rodriguez also touched on former teammate Mariano Rivera, who this year became the first unanimous choice for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

While the word “steroids” was never used Rodriguez said at the Silicon Slopes Summit 2019 just before talking about his MLB suspension in 2014 that he has “a PhD in failing,” but also, to cheers, “a masters at getting back up.”

Alex Rodriguez spoke at Silicon Slopes Tech Summit 2019 about penalty-related experiences for his taking steroids. (photo credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images file via NBC News)

Rodriguez said he made 10 phone calls to business partners after the news of having taken steroids, and it took longer than it needed to because he would hang up after dialing a number.

And he told these individuals “I’m sorry. Everything you are reading about is true.”

“I’m getting help,” Rodriguez told them. “If you no longer want to be my partner, I understand.”

“The silver lining is that all 10 are still my partners,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also admitted his mistake to his two girls.

“Look, Dad made a really big mistake,” Rodriguez reported telling them.

The moderator made a plug for Rodriguez.

“This guy is the same backstage as onstage,” the moderator said, before cheers followed him saying “He’s a quality human being.”

Rivera contacted Rodriguez each week of Rodriguez’s 52-game suspension, said Rodriguez, who remarked that Rivera is “one of (his) favorite subjects” and the “ultimate closer.” Rodriguez also noted how incredible it was for Rivera to get 100 percent of votes.

Rodriguez, who remarked that his father left when he was 10 years old, said that he won one championship in 23 years not because his teams were bad the other two, but “because it’s really f-ing hard to win,” to more laughs from the Utah audience.

“You need … alignment. … You need egos checked at the door,” Rodriguez said. “Usually within five or 10 minutes … you know if you are part of the solution or part of the problem.”

“Attitude will determine altitude,” Rodriguez said.