It wasn't so long ago that Alex Rodriguez was leaning toward joining the Dominican Republic's squad in the World Baseball Classic. Then came the beginning of his PR nightmare -- he was abandoning not just Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz, but Roger Clemens and Derek Jeter, too, choosing to sit out the tournament altogether. Alex Rodriguez's decision not to play is a blow not only to the Dominican and U.S. teams, but also to the World Baseball Classic as a whole. That was followed by yet another flip-flop, reported by The New York Times: Not only had A-Rod changed his mind, he was changing teams, this time joining the U.S. roster. To all this, Rodriguez asks for a moment of clarity: He says he's still not playing. The third baseman insists the tidal wave of headlines was not only premature, but entirely false. He's saying no to Dominicans, no to the Americans and better-luck-next-time to the Players Association, which his handlers believe is responsible for prematurely leaking the story. "When Alex said he was staying out, he meant it," is how a person close to the third baseman put it. A-Rod intends to "discuss" the matter with union officials this week, as his agent, Scott Boras, promised, but Rodriguez already has told his inner circle, as well as Yankees officials, that he's focusing on spring training instead of international play.