Alex Rodriguez sat down with the Toronto Sun for a rare one-on-one interview on Thursday. "I've made a lot of mistakes," said A-Rod. "Listen, I'm not the same at 33 (years old) as I was at 23. You change. You grow up. You learn things. We all do. "I was 17 years old when I signed my first professional contract and suddenly you've got all this money and everything. You're not prepared for that. It's not like some sports where you get four years of college and then find your way. It's a lot to throw at a kid. I've kind of grown up in this game, only people want to hold me to my past. "There comes a time when you realize, this is who you are. Every other thing that happens is really white noise. Do you wish you had a chance to sit with fans and just talk, the way we're talking right now, to let them get to know you? You do. But that's not the reality. You have to depend on people to write their opinions. And at one time, those opinions were really important to me."