Owner of A-Rod Grocery in New York plans name change

NEW YORK, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- A New York bodega owner who renamed his store the A-Rod Grocery 13 years ago to honor Alex Rodriguez is changing the name again.

Ricardo Rodriguez, who is not related to the baseball player, adopted the name when A-Rod was playing with the Seattle Mariners, the New York Daily News reported Saturday. A-Rod has been with the Yankees since 2004, a move that excited many New Yorkers when he first arrived, but his recent physical problems and the doping scandal that earned him a lengthy suspension have made him unpopular.

"I got tired of all these people complaining," Rodriguez said. "Why should I have to listen to all of them? It's not fair. I don't even know the guy."

Rodriguez said he has not yet decided on a new name. The store was called the Pena Grocery when he changed it before.