AROD out for the entire 2014 season

[MVPete]

 

[Leftwich]

Faggot

 

[MVPete]

Yankees can now use that money towards Tanaka, baseball is awesome!

 

[Slateman]

Nice of MLB to do the Yankees the favor they've been wanting for a year.

 

[tigstah]

Nice of MLB to do the Yankees the favor they've been wanting for a year.

i think he is done. he is not eligible for the 2014 playoffs either......wow.
good riddance.

 

[MVPete]

i think he is done. he is not eligible for the 2014 playoffs either......wow.
good riddance.

He will be at Spring Training apparently.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

Surprised the ban was reduced, honestly. That was the furthest thing I saw happening in this.

 

[JimLeavy59]

This 60 minutes report is just absolutely pathetic.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

This 60 minutes report is just absolutely pathetic.

It's too early for just about any party involved to really get into the details, especially if they are taking it to federal court to appeal the decision. Stupid questions were asked for sure.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

This is going to be one gigantic shitshow. Everyone better get their popcorn ready, and be prepared for ESPN to cover AROD over actual baseball.

Stemming from the historic decision Saturday, in which Alex Rodriguez's arbitration case ended up with him being suspended for the entirety of the 2014 season, Anthony Bosch will appear on CBS' television news program 60 Minutes Sunday night once the NFL action is concluded.

Bosch was the MLB's star witness in the case, the South Florida anti-aging clinic owner who was supplying MLB players with performance-enhancing drugs, among other supplements.

Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz will also appear on the show.

The Major League Baseball Players Association is none too pleased with MLB's decision to throw Bosch and Horowitz to the media so quickly after the arbitration decision. The union released the following statement Sunday evening:

It is unfortunate that Major League Baseball apparently lacks faith in the integrity and finality of the arbitrator's decision and our Joint Drug Agreement, such that it could not resist the temptation to publicly pile-on against Alex Rodriguez. It is equally troubling that the MLB-appointed Panel Arbitrator will himself be appearing in the "60 Minutes" segment, and that Tony Bosch, MLB's principal witness, is appearing on the program with MLB's blessing.

MLB's post-decision rush to the media is inconsistent with our collectively-bargained arbitration process, in general, as well as the confidentiality and credibility of the Joint Drug Agreement, in particular. After learning of tonight's "60 Minutes" segment, Players have expressed anger over, among other things, MLB's inability to let the result of yesterday's decision speak for itself. As a result, the Players Association is considering all legal options available to remedy any breaches committed by MLB.

Throughout this process the Players Association has repeatedly shown it is committed to an effective drug program that is strong and fair. And as we indicated in our statement yesterday, although we do not agree with the arbitrator's decision, we respect the process and will act accordingly. We believe the other involved parties should do the same.

This ... isn't good. At all.

MLB won. It got A-Rod and it got him with an unprecedented PED suspension -- and it got him for 162 games, even though the JDA specifically outlines the penalty for a first offense is 50 games. Despite that, the union respected the decision instead of throwing a hissy fit.

Now, it appears the league has gone too far in attempting to further soil A-Rod's image, because the MLBPA is unhappy. Major League Baseball has enjoyed labor peace since the damaging strike in 1994-95, but that could be in jeopardy as things progress here.

The current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2016 season. Let's hope things aren't as contentious between the two sides by then.

UPDATE: MLB has issued its own statement. Here it is:

"We have notified the Major League Baseball Players Association on numerous occasions that we intended to respond to all of the attacks on the integrity of our Joint Drug Program. Those attacks continued yet again yesterday with Mr. Rodriguez's statement. Out of respect to the grievance process and at the request of the MLBPA, we waited until a decision was rendered to make our response.

"It is ironic that the MLBPA is complaining about MLB's participation in this program given that Mr. Rodriguez's lawyer is also participating in the show.

"As to Mr. Bosch's appearance, he is not controlled by us and is entitled to speak however he chooses about his interactions with Mr. Rodriguez."

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on...pa-angry-with-mlb-over-60-minutes-appearances

 

[PP]

Pretty much confirmed everything I thought. All players do this and most don't get caught.

 

[JimLeavy59]

I would love for this to blow up in MLB's face.

 

[PP]

I would love for this to blow up in MLB's face.

How? Its quite apparent they have a ton of evidence against aroid.

 

[RyanLeaf16]

This is going to be one gigantic shitshow. Everyone better get their popcorn ready, and be prepared for ESPN to cover AROD over actual baseball.

Ugh...ESPN doesn't cover baseball anyway. They cover the Yankees & Red Sox.

 

[PP]

The only person who denies anything claimed is Arod. Its been well known hes an egotistical maniac. Lol @ gimme what Manny is taking.

 

[JimLeavy59]

The only person who denies anything claimed is Arod. Its been well known hes an egotistical maniac. Lol @ gimme what Manny is taking.

I wonder if David Ortiz is taking what Manny is taking?

 

[ThomasTomasz]

The only person who denies anything claimed is Arod. Its been well known hes an egotistical maniac. Lol @ gimme what Manny is taking.

And yet he won't take the stand for himself....

 

[Slateman]

So maybe someone can explain this to me.

MLB and the MLBPA have a CBA that outlines a PED policy. In it, there are set punishments for violating the PED policy. First offense is 50 games, second is 100, third is a lifetime ban. These are the established punishments.

Most of the players received the 50 game, first time offense suspension. Ryan Braun was given the remainder of the season, most likely because he was linked to PEDs before and got off on a technicality. He "cut a deal" with MLB and got 65 games.

A-Rod did not cut a deal and was given the arbitrary suspension of 211 games. This was then reduced to a full season. There is nothing in the CBA that holds this as a punishment for PED use. Furthermore, MLB counted everyone else who was involved with Biogenesis as a single offense, thus the 50 game suspension. Rodriguez has no previous PED infraction, at least, to my knowledge. Much of this evidence is based on Bosche, whom MLB was threatening with a lawsuit unless he testified against ARod. MLB treats Biogensis involvement like a first time offense for the majority of the players, makes it count as a second offense for Braun but then bends the rules to make nice, and decides, fuck it for ARod and pulls 211 games out their ass because he didn't want to admit to it.

So how can MLB and an arbiter ignore the CBA and assign a punishment that, at best seems arbitrary, and at worst, seems like a huge favor to the New York Yankees?

Look, I don't believe Rodriguez is innocent in any of this. I have no doubt the guy did PEDs. I just find it all to convenient that he's dealing with an injury and a waning career right as the Yankees are pretty desperate to be rid of the idiotic contract they signed him to.

 

[PP]

The other players owned up to it and took their punishment. Arod wanted to deny deny deny so MLB threw everything they had at him. Besides all the evidence they had linking him to the drugs etc he was impeding their investigation. Yeah it sucks bc the Yankees get out of that shitty contract which is why NYY probably were helping MLB behind the scenes. I bet MLB uses this as a stepping stone to try and get out of guaranteed contracts in the next CBA.

 

[Slateman]

The other players owned up to it and took their punishment. Arod wanted to deny deny deny so MLB threw everything they had at him. Besides all the evidence they had linking him to the drugs etc he was impeding their investigation. Yeah it sucks bc the Yankees get out of that shitty contract which is why NYY probably were helping MLB behind the scenes. I bet MLB uses this as a stepping stone to try and get out of guaranteed contracts in the next CBA.

Is that in the CBA? If you make MLB prove their case, you get a longer suspension?