A-Rod suspended for rest of season & all of 2014, appeals

[H.L. Mencken]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

RE: Rhoden.

I'm just glad someone woke the NYT from its long afternoon nap so they could counter the tabs stone-ARod-now! hysteria.

 

[UPChip]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

IMO MLB is dragging out the suspension announcements to ensure maximum damage to teams for which the affected players play significant roles, and also to ensure the ban will extend past the end of the season, ensuring the affected players will be ineligible for the playoffs and thus unable to step up off the bench and hit a game-winning HR in Game 7 of the World Series, making MLB look like idiots in the process.

So my bet is the bans will be effective the middle of next week (after most teams have played Game 112).

AP touched on that very subject last night. The only two players who have that issue are Nelson Cruz (Rangers play their 112th game Sunday) and Jhonny Peralta (Tigers play their 112th game Wednesday), so both have a little time to work with.

Regarding suing A-Rod for fraud, I saw an article asking that very question and among the good reasons cited for avoiding that approach is that doing so opens up the legal books for factfinding and could result in quite a Pandora's box for MLB, not to mention the labor implications.

 

[wicked]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

I'm glad we're still talking about nothing, which we have been for a month now.

People have been taken for a ride by the commissioner's office. Every day I see another story saying there'll be suspensions announced by dinner time. First it was the day after the all-star break. Then end of July. Now around game 112. Ugh. Why don't folks do some real reporting and not just repeat whatever Bud's minions are telling them?

 

[Ignatius_J._Reilly]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

Apologies if this is a D-B, but I didn't see it posted elsewhere.

I'm amused that Sally Jenkins opines about A-Rod without any mention of her personal connection a certain PED-user from the bicycling world. Am I off-base to think this column demands at least an editor's note about Jenkins' business relationship with Armstrong?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/alex-rodriguezs-phony-personality-makes-him-a-perfect-target-for-a-flawed-process/2013/08/02/de036310-fb84-11e2-9bde-7ddaa186b751_story.html

 

[heyabbott]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

IMO MLB is dragging out the suspension announcements to ensure maximum damage to teams for which the affected players play significant roles, and also to ensure the ban will extend past the end of the season, ensuring the affected players will be ineligible for the playoffs and thus unable to step up off the bench and hit a game-winning HR in Game 7 of the World Series, making MLB look like idiots in the process.

So my bet is the bans will be effective the middle of next week (after most teams have played Game 112).

AP touched on that very subject last night. The only two players who have that issue are Nelson Cruz (Rangers play their 112th game Sunday) and Jhonny Peralta (Tigers play their 112th game Wednesday), so both have a little time to work with.

Regarding suing A-Rod for fraud, I saw an article asking that very question and among the good reasons cited for avoiding that approach is that doing so opens up the legal books for factfinding and could result in quite a Pandora's box for MLB, not to mention the labor implications.

If you are not on the 40 man roster on August 31 or the DL I thought you were not on the playoff roster? If you are suspended why aren't you removed from the 40 man roster?

 

[suburbia]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

IMO MLB is dragging out the suspension announcements to ensure maximum damage to teams for which the affected players play significant roles, and also to ensure the ban will extend past the end of the season, ensuring the affected players will be ineligible for the playoffs and thus unable to step up off the bench and hit a game-winning HR in Game 7 of the World Series, making MLB look like idiots in the process.

So my bet is the bans will be effective the middle of next week (after most teams have played Game 112).

I think they're dragging out the announcement more to get as many "plea bargains" (or whatever the appropriate term is for agreements like Ryan Braun's) locked down beforehand as possible. Ideally they get everyone to agree to X suspension before going public. MLB wants this story out of the headlines ASAP. Certainly it doesn't want any appeals or legal battles hanging over late-season pennant races or, worse, the playoffs.

 

[Mark2010]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

I suspect there are some factions within MLB brass who really want to nail a star, to send a message to the public that they are trying to clean up the PED use. They couldn't nail McGwire. They couldn't really nail Bonds. Or Clemens. Try as they might.

Most of the public --- both the fans and the average Joe on the street --- have a pretty strong opinion that PED use is pretty widespread. There's becoming an apathy toward the hierarchy. Sort of like "If I can figure out these guys are dirty and I don't even work in the business, why can't the bosses figure it out". The sport has a huge credibility issue and I think dropping the hammer on someone like A-Rod or Braun or other big names buys them PR points.

So instead of burying the story, I think they want it front and center, sort of like when the cops make a huge bust or when Osama Bin Laden gets killed. The fact that A-Rod is an older star whose best years are probably behind him makes him an even easier target.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

IMO MLB is dragging out the suspension announcements to ensure maximum damage to teams for which the affected players play significant roles, and also to ensure the ban will extend past the end of the season, ensuring the affected players will be ineligible for the playoffs and thus unable to step up off the bench and hit a game-winning HR in Game 7 of the World Series, making MLB look like idiots in the process.

So my bet is the bans will be effective the middle of next week (after most teams have played Game 112).

I think they're dragging out the announcement more to get as many "plea bargains" (or whatever the appropriate term is for agreements like Ryan Braun's) locked down beforehand as possible. Ideally they get everyone to agree to X suspension before going public. MLB wants this story out of the headlines ASAP. Certainly it doesn't want any appeals or legal battles hanging over late-season pennant races or, worse, the playoffs.

At this point if you're a first-time offender, I don't see any way you wouldn't appeal. Nelson Cruz, for instance -- worst-case scenario, he puts off a 50-game suspension until next year and he is there for any postseason run. What's the point of pleading it out if you aren't getting a reduced penalty?

 

[LongTimeListener]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

Girardi says A-Rod is "penciled in" to start Monday.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/9537756/joe-girardi-says-alex-rodriguez-new-york-yankees-penciled-monday-start

Yahoo's Passan and I believe NY Post also reported that MLB is refusing to meet with A-Rod's people and will suspend him Monday through 2014, using the "best interests of baseball" clause that pre-empts the appeal process.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--mlb-spurned-a-rod-deal-222646159.html

A-Rod's comments Friday about people trying to cancel his contract or the people (not teammates or fans) who would be happy without him were pretty telling.

 

[Hokie_pokie]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

Girardi says A-Rod is "penciled in" to start Monday.

Hope Joe's pencil has an eraser. Looks like he's gonna need one.

 

[Starman]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

IMO MLB is dragging out the suspension announcements to ensure maximum damage to teams for which the affected players play significant roles, and also to ensure the ban will extend past the end of the season, ensuring the affected players will be ineligible for the playoffs and thus unable to step up off the bench and hit a game-winning HR in Game 7 of the World Series, making MLB look like idiots in the process.

So my bet is the bans will be effective the middle of next week (after most teams have played Game 112).

I think they're dragging out the announcement more to get as many "plea bargains" (or whatever the appropriate term is for agreements like Ryan Braun's) locked down beforehand as possible. Ideally they get everyone to agree to X suspension before going public. MLB wants this story out of the headlines ASAP. Certainly it doesn't want any appeals or legal battles hanging over late-season pennant races or, worse, the playoffs.

At this point if you're a first-time offender, I don't see any way you wouldn't appeal. Nelson Cruz, for instance -- worst-case scenario, he puts off a 50-game suspension until next year and he is there for any postseason run. What's the point of pleading it out if you aren't getting a reduced penalty?

Appealing it would be risky because I don't think there is any guarantee the appeal would not be heard until next year, so you would be risking the chance they would decide to make a ruling on Sept. 1. In that case you are screwed for a month of the regular season PLUS the playoffs.

My bet is Selig will either rule that any player not on the 40-man eligible roster as of Aug. 31 will not be eligible in the playoffs, or that any player with any suspension days remaining as of the end of the regular season must finish off those days next season before reinstatement.

I am quite convinced MLB does not want any of these guys winning any playoff games with walk-off homers.

 

[old_tony]

Re: Lifetime ban for A-Rod coming?

Whatever happened to confidentiality through the appeal process before any suspension could be announced?