Let’s be clear on a few things before we start this column. I am not a Yankee fan, nor am I a fan of Alex Rodriguez. In fact I hate both the Yankees, and A-Rod. That said, I feel that the length of his suspension is unjust and unwarranted given what others have received.
First off, Rodriguez does deserve some form of suspension. There is little doubt about that. Now, I realize that Rodriguez hasn’t failed a drug test. However I don’t think that matters here. While we haven’t seen the actual evidence, from the leaks we have heard the circumstantial evidence, and witness testimony that he received PEDs through Tony Bosch and the Biogenesis clinic is overwhelming. Given all of that I have no issue with the suspension itself, where I do take issue is the length.
Under the terms of baseballs Joint Drug Agreement (JDA), Alex Rodriguez is a first time offender. Yes, I know he was mentioned in the Mitchell Report, and a few years ago he had his teary eyed press conference admitting to using PEDs while with the Texas Rangers. However given the time period that was not an offense under the JDA or under MLB’s CBA. The tests that gave rise to the Mitchell Report were meant as samples for MLB and the MLBPA to understand the depth of baseball’s drug problem. They were agreed to under the conditions that MLB would not suspend players who tested positive, would not release the results, and would not use them in any future disciplinary actions under a future agreed upon drug program. One only has to look at Manny Ramirez to see that being named in the Mitchell report did not earn him a longer suspension when he tested positive under the JDA. When Ramirez tested positive (twice) he was given the regular 50 game, and then 100 game suspensions mandated by the JDA. To go to more than double that amount for a first time offense is harsh and unfair.
Other sources have claimed that the reason for A-Rod’s increased suspension is that he lied to MLB and attempted to tamper with results of the Biogenesis investigation. This is another situation that is not without precedent. In 2012 Melky Cabrera appealed his positive test for a spike in his testosterone levels by claiming it came from a supplement. Through his agents, he hired someone to invent a supplement, and create a fake website for it. The ruse was quickly uncovered by MLB. However despite the misguided attempt to lie his way out of the suspension, and even after hiring someone to fabricate evidence as an attempt to avoid suspension, Cabrera was given just a 50 game ban.
The other 12 players suspended yesterday received 50 game suspensions. Ryan Braun, received 65 games, presumably with 15 games tagged on for his positive test and appeal following the 2011 season. But even with Braun as an example the leap from 65 to 211 is extraordinary.
And this is why Rodriguez is appealing the suspension and based on the fact that the punishment handed down by MLB yesterday does not fit in line with any other players who were caught in the Biogenesis investigation or who have violated the JDA, I believe he will be successful in getting a large reduction to that suspension. You can think of A-Rod what you will, but at the end of the day he deserves to be treated the same as Braun, Cabrera, Ramirez, Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Perralta, and the rest of the players caught up in this scandal.
Thanks for reading. Feel free to leave your comments below, follow our baseball department on twitter @LastWordMatt, @Nvincelli and @lastwordmark. You can also follow the site while you are at it – @lastwordonsport.
Interested in writing for LastWordOnSports? If so, check out our “Join Our Team” page to find out how.
