Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez was apologetic Tuesday, as he spoke to reporters at spring training about his prior use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Saying he was "curious" and calling it a "stupid mistake," Rodriguez gave details about how he and a nameless cousin experimented with steroids from 2001 through 2003 while he was a member of the Texas Rangers.

"I knew we weren't taking Tic-Tacs," Rodriguez stated during the news conference. "I knew it could potentially be something wrong. I didn't get into the investigation [of what it was]. When you're 24 or 25 [years old] and curious and ignorant, you don't want to share everything with the public and that was something I decided not to share with anyone."

Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003, results that were supposed to remain anonymous under an agreement between Major League Baseball and its players union, but Sports Illustrated broke the story on February 7 and two days later the three-time AL MVP admitted to using banned substances for a three-year period from 2001 through 2003 during an interview with ESPN.

On Tuesday, the first day for position players to report to Yankees spring training camp, Rodriguez first read from a prepared statement and then took questions.

Sitting nearby were teammates Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte -- who went through his own performance-enhancing drugs admission press conference a year ago.

Rodriguez said his cousin, in 2001, told him about a product that could be purchased over the counter from the Dominican Republic that could help him, giving him an energy boost that was harmless. He said about twice a month for about six months each year during the time frame, his cousin injected him with the substance.

"It was pretty evident that we didn't know what we were doing," Rodriguez said during his statement. "We did everything we could to keep it between us, and my cousin did not provide it to any other players.

"I stopped taking it 2003 and haven't taken it since."

Pressed further later for his cousin's name, Rodriguez wouldn't elaborate and said it was at his own direction that everything was done.

"I'm here to stand front and center and take the blame," Rodriguez said. "[My cousin] basically took instruction from me and thought he was doing something helpful and not hurtful."

Rodriguez said he was not sure how steroids helped him or if he and his cousin were doing things correctly.

"I'm not sure what the benefit was," Rodriguez stated. "When you take any substance, especially in baseball, it's half mental and half physical. I certainly felt more energy, but it's hard to say [what the benefit was].

"It was really amateur hour. We didn't want to ask anyone [how to do it]. We went outside team doctors, team trainers. It was two guys doing a very amateur and immature thing. We probably didn't take it right."

When asked why he didn't explain things in more detail during his first interview with ESPN, Rodriguez said he wanted to get facts straight.

"I didn't want to speak from a position of non-factual. I felt I was putting myself out there as far as saying the truth, and over the past nine days I've sat down with my cousin and had several conversations, and here are the facts. I wasn't prepared to say that [to ESPN's Peter Gammons] because I really didn't remember. It was a long, long time ago."

Rodriguez was also asked if taking steroids was considered cheating.

"That's not for me to determine," Rodriguez said. "I'm here to say I'm sorry. I guess when you're young and stupid, you're young and stupid. I'm very guilty for both of those.

"The baseball world and all the fans we have, I understand their doubt and I understand their concerns. I'm going to focus on what I can do and move forward.

"I owe an apology, not only to my teammates and the organization, but to fans all over the world."

Rodriguez said he knows he will have to answer questions for the rest of his career and is looking forward after a very trying time in his personal and professional life.

"The last 15 months have been very, very tough," Rodriguez said at the conclusion of the press conference. "I've been through divorce, I've been through tabloids. I miss playing baseball. I miss simply being a baseball player.

"I think this is a tremendous opportunity for me to look in the mirror and be a better teammate, be a better player to my fans, a better a human being and start making the world a better place. I screwed up, big time.

"The only thing I ask...is to judge me from this day forward."

The 33-year-old Rodriguez, who will start his sixth season with the Yankees after a trade from Texas before the 2004 campaign, said he is going to work with Major League Baseball in an anti-steroids campaign.