Deadline over.. Bring on the suspensions..

[nate]

Waits until after the media storm of the trade deadline to hand down suspensions.  Cruz homers today.  Hate that this crap has to be done on a media cycle instead of when it is ready.

[tdawg87]

Whomever would have replaced him would have homered anyway because Jerome Williams sucks at pitching.

[Ohtaniland]

tdawg is right. Like it really matters who we face, we always find a new way to lose.

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

7:38pm: Rodriguez is negotiating with MLB on the terms of a suspension, reports ESPN's T.J. Quinn. (Links to Twitter.) Quinn says that MLB is holding out the possibility of a lifetime ban while also preferring to avoid an appeal process, with Rodriguez coming to the negotiating table after learning of the extent of the evidence against him. Most of the players facing suspensions appear prepared to accept 50-game bans, Quinn further tweets.

MLB better not give him a light suspension.

[gotbeer]

7:38pm: Rodriguez is negotiating with MLB on the terms of a suspension, reports ESPN's T.J. Quinn. (Links to Twitter.) Quinn says that MLB is holding out the possibility of a lifetime ban while also preferring to avoid an appeal process, with Rodriguez coming to the negotiating table after learning of the extent of the evidence against him. Most of the players facing suspensions appear prepared to accept 50-game bans, Quinn further tweets.

MLB better not give him a light suspension.

 

Guess it'll depend on what evidence they have, and the severity of the infraction.  I'm thinking he's going for the Braun length.  Where MLB wants 2-3 years.  I'd be ok with 2 years.  But have a feeling it'll be 1 year.

[mancini79]

Doubt MLB is going to settle for 1 year after all of this.

[Blarg]

Wrong.  The paperwork and other records speak for themselves.

Nate, you seem awfully sure of yourself like you have access to information not even the press does.

[austin724]

It's funny that Rodriguez is learning the extent of the evidence. He should already know that he is a lying cheating piece of crap.

[Glen]

I never realized A-Rod was a South African...

 

[gotbeer]

Doubt MLB is going to settle for 1 year after all of this.

 

The more I think about it, I think he's going to get 150 games.  

 

Reasoning is, he will get 50 games for that time when he said he didn't take.  100 games as a second infraction for post biogenisis stuff.  This way, when he gets tested constantly and hopefully fails, Selig could bring the lifetime ban out.

 

Then Selig could say, that's what the CBA calls for.  And put it on the feet of the union.  This will hopefully then make the union, or I should say the members, realize that the penalties aren't severe enough and force the action.

[Inside Pitch]

Screw the PED BS..  

 

If Arod really is guilty of the crap they are putting on him MLB needs to throw the book at him and ban him forever.  He's tainted his legacy forever, but if MLB relents and turns a blind eye to all this stuff he's supposedly done to cover his tracks they lose face IMO..  I personally wouldn't take anything from the commish's office seriously if they settle on some 150 game suspension and pretend he didnt do all the crap they are saying he did.

 

This is Black Sox level dirty IMO.

[gotbeer]

Screw the PED BS..  

 

If Arod really is guilty of the crap they are putting on him MLB needs to throw the book at him and ban him forever.  He's tainted his legacy forever, but if MLB relents and turns a blind eye to all this stuff he's supposedly done to cover his tracks they lose face IMO..  I personally wouldn't take anything from the commish's office seriously if they settle on some 150 game suspension and pretend he didnt do all the crap they are saying he did.

 

This is Black Sox level dirty IMO.

 

But that's the problem.  You have the CBA with the Union.  You can't just go making up rules and penalties.   

 

The best chance for harsher penalties is to go by the contract, and put it on the players that want a clean game.  This might be the only way to get 1 year and out penalties, and even revolking the contract clauses in the CBA.

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

Monday MLB drug deal deadline as playoffs loom

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/monday-mlb-drug-deal-deadline-234803490--mlb.html

 

Here's part of the story.

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Looming playoffs could force an end to negotiations in baseball's latest drug scandal as pressure builds to impose penalties so stars can still make the postseason.

Monday appears to be the deadline for Alex Rodriguez and 13 others to accept suspensions for their ties to the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic. While A-Rod is expected to get a lengthy ban, a penalty starting that day would allow Texas All-Star outfielder Nelson Cruz to return for October.

Major League Baseball is prepared to issue two simultaneous announcements no later than Monday, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Thursday. One would list players who accept suspensions; the other would name those disciplined without deals, but who could challenge penalties before an arbitrator.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no statements were authorized.

Most players face 50-game suspensions for their links to the now-closed Florida clinic, which has been accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.

[nate]

Joel Sherman
Told tonight that plan by A-Rod camp is not to settle, but rather to fight any MLB suspension through appeal process. #Yankees

[Inside Pitch]

But that's the problem.  You have the CBA with the Union.  You can't just go making up rules and penalties.   

 

The best chance for harsher penalties is to go by the contract, and put it on the players that want a clean game.  This might be the only way to get 1 year and out penalties, and even revolking the contract clauses in the CBA.

 

 

The commish has rules he can turn to within the CBA that the players association can't do diddly about, namely the best interest clause  Article XII - B  http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf  (page 48)

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

They should've done it at least a week ago for the rest of the season.

 

  Biogenesis Suspensions Likely To Be Announced Sunday Or Monday

By Steve Adams [August 2 at 12:04pm CST]

While there has been speculation that suspensions for players involved in the Biogenesis investigation would be announced today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that it's looking more likely that they'll be delayed until Sunday. Major League Baseball is prioritizing the suspensions for players other than Alex Rodriguez, because there is still no indication that A-Rod is willing to cut a deal (Twitter links). Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, meanwhile,tweets that the suspensions should come out Sunday or Monday.

Sunday would be a last-minute deadline, as some teams (the Rangers, for example) will have exactly 50 games remaining after that point. The Tigers, who stand to potentially loseJhonny Peralta, will only have played 109 games at that point and therefore aren't in as much danger.

As USA Today's Bob Nightengale wrote, MLB is said to be willing to suspend Rodriguez through the 2014 season -- a ban of roughly 217 games that would cost the three-time MVP more than $34MM in salary. However, contrary to other reports that say Rodriguez refuses to discuss a deal, Heyman reports that there are indications that Rodriguez may be open to discussing a slightly lesser penalty. Heyman lists a 150-game suspension as a compromise possibility but adds that it isn't clear how many games MLB is willing to shave off the 217-game proposal, or if they're even willing to come down at all. Rodriguez is scheduled to play in rehab games for Double-A Trenton this weekend, beginning tonight.

[gotbeer]

I don't get this line of thinking with the MLB.  If players have already pleaded a deal with MLB, then like Braun, it should be announced immediately.  

 

Right now, it looks like Arod is controlling the circus.

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

12:57pm: Heyman tweets that players have been informed the suspensions will be announced on Monday.

 

 

Lame. They should've done at least a week ago. 

[fan_since79]

FOX is now reporting that nine players will be suspended today.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/alex-rodriguez-nelson-cruz-jhonny-peralta-everth-cabrera-major-league-baseball-will-suspend-nine-on-friday-080113

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

FOX is now reporting that nine players will be suspended today.

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/alex-rodriguez-nelson-cruz-jhonny-peralta-everth-cabrera-major-league-baseball-will-suspend-nine-on-friday-080113

That's not what the article said.

Major League Baseball is expected to announce the Biogenesis-related suspensions of a number of players on Sunday or Monday, but Alex Rodriguez’s fate remains up in the air, according to a New York Post report.

MLB wanted to have all of the suspensions completed on Friday, before teams get to the point of having 50 games left in the season. But coordinating lawyers, teams and the union made that impossible, the report said.

A Monday announcement is more likely as MLB would have to complete the procedure on Sunday before games begin at 1 p.m. ET.

[fan_since79]

Sorry, I'm in a hurry to get to work and only read the title, which stated at the time I posted that nine players not named A-Rod would be suspended today.

[AngelsAndRamsFan]

By Steve Adams [August 2 at 6:05pm CST]

5:05pm: Players facing Biogenesis-related suspensions, including Rodriguez, will have until 6pm EST to settle their cases, tweets Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Otherwise, the league will (as previously reported) move forward with suspensions, with an announcement coming Monday.

[Inside Pitch]

12:57pm: Heyman tweets that players have been informed the suspensions will be announced on Monday.

 

 

Lame. They should've done at least a week ago. 

 

 

THIS IS BULLSHIT!!!!!!!!!

[Troll Daddy]

"His attitude right now is all he wants to do is play and fight this to the end," said a person with direct knowledge of Rodriguez's thought process.

 

 

ESPN.com

 

 

This is going to be great theater ... hope he keeps his word. Popcorn is on the stove!

[gotbeer]

"His attitude right now is all he wants to do is play and fight this to the end," said a person with direct knowledge of Rodriguez's thought process.

 

 

ESPN.com

 

 

This is going to be great theater ... hope he keeps his word. Popcorn is on the stove!

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/money-man--a-rod-wants-cash-over-power--respect-and-playing-171955641.html

 

 

This person thinks differently.