MLB Suspends 13, Including A-Rod

ESPN ^ | August 5, 2013

[nickcarraway]

Major League Baseball came down heavy Monday on the players it found to have been involved with the South Florida clinic Biogenesis, suspending Alex Rodriguez through the end of the 2014 season and banning 12 others for 50 games, including three All-Stars: Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers, Everth Cabrera of the San Diego Padres and Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig, in two statements addressing Rodriguez's discipline and a more general one on the state of baseball's ant-drug program, said he was "proud of the comprehensive nature of our efforts – not only with regard to random testing, groundbreaking blood testing for human Growth Hormone and one of the most significant longitudinal profiling programs in the world, but also our investigative capabilities, which proved vital to the Biogenesis case."

Selig said Rodriguez's punishment will begin Thursday and cover the postseasons, and was covered under the drug program's protocols and Rodriguez's "use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human growth hormone, over the course of multiple years.

[nickcarraway]

I guess the big winner is the Yankees.

[JohnBrowdie]

exactly. they get $40 million of relief on a spectacularly stupid contract.

[NautiNurse]

ping-a-ling

[KarlInOhio]

Did they suspend him for just the drugs, which would allow him to still play during an appeal, or did they hit him with something like "not acting in the best interest of baseball" in which case he cannot play during an appeal?

[JohnBrowdie]

he is being suspended under the standard agreement, which means he can (and is) appealing.

[Da Coyote]

Yeah, but he can play during his appeal.

Wanna bet the appeal process lasts almost exactly as long as his supposed “suspension”?

Fancy that...and what a coincidence if so.

Remember, my sports felon is more talented than your sports felon.

[discostu]

Best interest of baseball, which was “necessary” to make it longer than 50 games.

[Vigilanteman]

Break-down:

1. 3 all-stars (4 counting A-Rod)
   
2. 1 back-up cathcer
   
3. 1 so-so relief pitcher
   
4. 2 free agent pitchers whose value just dropped
   
5. 5 minor leaguers dumb enough to get recruited by A-Rod.

I'm betting A-Rod will no longer be Major League material when he is allowed back at the start of the 2015 season. Stupid is as stupid does.

[deport]

From the article:

Rodriguez is expected to appeal the suspension, equivalent to 211 regular-season games, and will be allowed to play until his appeal is heard.

[Pan_Yan]

MLB commissioner Bud Selig ... said he was "proud of the comprehensive nature of our efforts .. but also our investigative capabilities, which proved vital to the Biogenesis case."

Bud promised about 25 years ago to investigate how the skin of the baseball somehow magically got much tighter. I'm expecting that one to be release any day now.

[RayChuang88]

I'll almost bet even money A-Rod will be "encouraged" NOT to play for the Yankees out of his own personal safety--he's too much of a pariah to everyone.

[Pan_Yan]

I'm betting A-Rod will no longer be Major League material when he is allowed back at the start of the 2015 season.

He was no longer major league material almost two years ago. He could barely field, couldn't run and looked baffled at the plate.

[mbarker12474]

Why haven’t wins by the Yankees been vacated?

[Uncle Chip]

Golly Gee — let’s see what all these players have in common:

• Alex Rodriguez
• Antonio Bastardo
• Francisco Cervelli
• Jordany Valdespin
• Jesus Montero
• Cesar Puello
• Sergio Escalona
• Fernando Martinez
• Fautino De Los Santos
• Jordan Norberto

Could it be something in their burritos???

[nickcarraway]

Wanna bet the appeal process lasts almost exactly as long as his supposed “suspension”?

But he will serve a suspension. He wants to serve that suspension as late as possible. (The highest year of his contract is this year at$28M.) The Yankees want him to serve it as soon as possible. But the Yankees will certainly try to leverage this to get out of the contract.

[nickcarraway]

I think you are implying the days he plays while appealing will count towards the suspension. I am sure that is not the case.

[dfwgator]

Well one thing we learned with Nelson Cruz, is that PEDs won’t help you catch balls.

[nickcarraway]

I doubt A-Rod has been an all star in about 10 years. But, if he does come back, he will probably have to find a new team, if the Yankees can use this to void his contract.

[discostu]

Because this isn’t the NCAA. Pro-leagues don’t rewrite the history book.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I was at a Yankees game a few years ago and whaaaaat a dipsh- this A-Rod was. Before the game started he came out into the middle of the field all by himself and his trainer and started doing all these elaborate stretching exercises while his “boy” assisted him, just gay as it gets. Him laying on his back while his boy started massaging his thigh and pushing on his thighs, and I’m sitting there with my father and grandmother going “What the hell is this guy doing? Is he for real?” Just total ego, total showing off. It would not surprise me in the least if he had something in his contract that stated “No players shall be on the field when Mr. A-Rod stretches. And of course during the game he struck out each and every time at bat.