A-Rod suspended for 2014 Season.

[floplag]

what moral high ground?  mlb and mlbpa agreed to a process relative to PEDs and conduct detrimental to the league.  Prior transgressions before this process was established are not applicable.  Both parties agree to move forward with the past being the past. 

 

The Yankees benefit from this is irrelevant as it should have not bearing on the process.  Again, the arbitrator is a neutral party and should not take into account whether the players team benefits or not.  This person does not work for mlb or mlbpa. 

 

If you think the system should be changed so that there is some sort of condition where the team could not benefit from this then you would also have to make it so the team could not be hurt by it.  What if the net result neither benefited nor hurt the team.  Then what?  You can't set up the process to account for the entire blast radius in every situation.

 

They are portraying themselves as completely ignorant on the steroid issue.. acting like they knew nothing and it was ll the evil players that did this to the game.  In my opinion this is laughable.

 

MLB and the writers had to know what was going on... there is simply no way they could have been 100

% ignorant on this long before congress got involved as far as im concerned... just no way. 

 

I cant prove it.. its just my opinion.. but when employers at virtually all level are keeping closer eyes on people they pay today and knowing that these teams have watched players for many years off the field.  My high school gave players stuff to get on the field, pro sports have used roids and serious drugs since the 70s or sooner... its simply illogical to assume they knew nothing and let them throw these guys away without taking any responsibility fo it.

 

Christ they encouraged it.. chicks dig the long ball etc... it saved the game in all likelyhood.  and they expect us to think they knew absolutely nothing?  really?

 

I dont expect them to fall on the grande for these guys, but i do expect them to not pretend they were ignorant and hold themselves accountable or at least to the same standard they are asking the players to be held to.

 

[Blarg]

Baseball suspends Arod, which was the right thing to do, and we are going with the angle that this was baseball trying to help the Yankees?

 

Baseball disregarded their own guidelines for the suspension process and levied a penalty greater than a first time offender. According to A-Rod and his legal team Baseball also does not have a failed drug test and paid for information to use as evidence. So anything at this point coming from the MLB office smells of impropriety as much as what is coming from A-Rod's defense team.

 

Previously the Yankees did not want A-Rod to use an independent physician to validate his physical ability to play and their team physician would not give him the clearance to leave the DL and start his rehab play in the minors. While he was in the DL, insurance was paying for his contract so the Yankees were looking at not paying for him directly the entire season. His comeback was not welcomed by the front office even though he was the best player they had in the second half.

 

The only one profiting from this suspension is the Yankees. They get under the luxury tax and also can try and void A-Rod's contract. So it is not hard at all to connect the dots from the commissioner's office to the Yankees front office.

[Sciosciapath]

"They get under the luxury tax and also can try and void A-Rod's contract"

 

Zero chance in Hell they are able to void his contract.  That would open up Pandora's box.

[floplag]

Physician heal thyself....      You're the one titling at windmills.    

 

Stating things in earnest is one thing, pretending to have some insight that doesn't exist is another.   If you can't see the difference, there really is no point in trying to reach any sort of common ground.  If anything I went out of my way to point out I was basing my views on what we can prove.   

 

Take it easy.

 

 

lol... how does stating something as an opinion pretend to have insight?  i never claimed any special knowledge.. i virtually always post things as my opinion and why i feel the way i do.  

 

I guess it makes it easier to be a jerk if you project onto others your own actions.  Disagree with me.. fine, im totally cool with that, but being a jerk about it, nah.  You wanna call me out for having a different opinion that's your right, no problem with it. but being an ass about it is going to get you called back

 

The funny part is other people say the same things in threads that i do and you say nothing... selective aggression i guess, lol. 

 

you know what, nevermind.. i dont care enough to bother anymore.. feel free to skip my posts.. i tried to be nice about it.. im pretty much done with it. 

 

Different views are rapidly starting to get suppressed on this board... im sure if i had the same views as you id get nothing but respect... im kinda glad i dont. 

 

It would be nice if those people that "like" my posts would perhaps back me up a little rather than letting the opinion police run rampant though... but i do appreciated seeing the little bells

 

Edited January 11, 2014 by floplag

[Marsaka]

lol... how does stating something as an opinion pretend to have insight?  i never claimed any special knowledge.. i virtually always post things as my opinion and why i feel the way i do.  

 

I guess it makes it easier to be a jerk if you project onto others your own actions.  Disagree with me.. fine, im totally cool with that, but being a jerk about it, nah.  You wanna call me out for having a different opinion that's your right, no problem with it. but being an ass about it is going to get you called back

 

The funny part is other people say the same things in threads that i do and you say nothing... selective aggression i guess, lol. 

 

you know what, nevermind.. i dont care enough to bother anymore.. feel free to skip my posts.. i tried to be nice about it.. im pretty much done with it. 

 

Different views are rapidly starting to get suppressed on this board... im sure if i had the same views as you id get nothing but respect... im kinda glad i dont. 

 

It would be nice if those people that "like" my posts would perhaps back me up a little rather than letting the opinion police run rampant though... but i do appreciated seeing the little bells

 

 

the point of these boards is not to express your own opinion, it's to agree with everything inside pitch says, and if you don't well you're an idiot.

[Blarg]

If Arod only did what all the other biogen guys did and got a longer suspension then I would agree he's being singled out.  He did a bunch more beyond just being named. 

 

I will say though that the arbitrator isn't as concerned about whether the punishment fits the crime but to find a middle ground between the two parties. 

 

The arbitrator was not empowered to find a middle ground, he was only charged with choosing one side over the other.

 

The request for Selig to appear and testify his reason for the commissioner of baseball to override the joint agreed anti drug program guidelines and hand down an penalty 4 times longer than any other previous offender was denied. It was a reasonable request by A-Rod's defense team which was ignored by the arbitrator and the commissioner himself. That in itself created a Kangaroo court where one side can refuse to submit to the other sides request for evidence and testimony to back that evidence.

 

I don't like A-Rod, I do think he has been cheating since High School but his due process has never been served.

[Inside Pitch]

the point of these boards is not to express your own opinion, it's to agree with everything inside pitch says, and if you don't well you're an idiot.

 

Hey  -- look who crawled out from under a rock to try to pick a fight with me again.

 

Still got those panties bunched up?

 

Dude, get over it.

[Inside Pitch]

lol... how does stating something as an opinion pretend to have insight?  i never claimed any special knowledge.. i virtually always post things as my opinion and why i feel the way i do.  

 

I guess it makes it easier to be a jerk if you project onto others your own actions.  Disagree with me.. fine, im totally cool with that, but being a jerk about it, nah.  You wanna call me out for having a different opinion that's your right, no problem with it. but being an ass about it is going to get you called back

 

The funny part is other people say the same things in threads that i do and you say nothing... selective aggression i guess, lol. 

 

you know what, nevermind.. i dont care enough to bother anymore.. feel free to skip my posts.. i tried to be nice about it.. im pretty much done with it. 

 

Different views are rapidly starting to get suppressed on this board... im sure if i had the same views as you id get nothing but respect... im kinda glad i dont. 

 

It would be nice if those people that "like" my posts would perhaps back me up a little rather than letting the opinion police run rampant though... but i do appreciated seeing the little bells

 

 

 

Flop,

 

I got zero problem with you.  Zero.   You want to call me out on something, by all means....  Do it.... I won't cry when you..  I expect to be called on things and when I am, I don't feel slighted.  

 

I don't even disagree with you that the Yankees are getting over here.  I just don't think it's a case where it's happening because it's the Yankees..  I do think MLB is making Arod a target, I also believe he's brought that on himself to a certain degree.  Both entities are easy to dislike IMO.

 

The problem lies in MLB's anti-trust exception and how it empowers them to do things.

 

 

Seriously, take it easy.

Edited January 11, 2014 by Inside Pitch

[Sciosciapath]

MLB is mostly pissed because Arod allegedly tried to obstruct their investigation.  There was a smaller suspension on the table for him if he would have just shut up and took it, but he decided to fight it to the end.

[Brent Maguire]

This is good for baseball. Yeah it just happens to help the Yankees but that's just part of the solution to giving A-Rod what he deserves. 

 

Although it's going to suck when the Yankees sign Tanaka now. 

[Docwaukee]

The arbitrator was not empowered to find a middle ground, he was only charged with choosing one side over the other.

 

The request for Selig to appear and testify his reason for the commissioner of baseball to override the joint agreed anti drug program guidelines and hand down an penalty 4 times longer than any other previous offender was denied. It was a reasonable request by A-Rod's defense team which was ignored by the arbitrator and the commissioner himself. That in itself created a Kangaroo court where one side can refuse to submit to the other sides request for evidence and testimony to back that evidence.

 

I don't like A-Rod, I do think he has been cheating since High School but his due process has never been served.

that's just not true Blarg.  Have you every been thru an arbitration process?  I have been thru several.  The process is set up to avoid a trial where what you said would have to occur.  He is charged with trying to find a reasonable solution relative to the facts of the case.  It's not an all or nothing. 

 

Your implication here is a conspiracy of epic proportions.  Are you saying that the arbitrator is in on this?

 

http://www.laborarb.com/default-arbitrators.cfm?CategoryID=3&ParentID=0&ArbitratorID=41

 

here is the bio of the Arbitrator Fred Horowitz. 

 

he doesn't work for major league baseball. 

 

While I agree that there could be some legs to the theory that Selig, and the Yankees were trying to hose Arod, that all ended once the arbitrator ruled.  The guy could be disbarred for what you are saying. 

[floplag]

Flop,

 

I got zero problem with you.  Zero.   You want to call me out on something, by all means....  Do it.... I won't cry when you..  I expect to be called on things and when I am, I don't feel slighted.  

 

I don't even disagree with you that the Yankees are getting over here.  I just don't think it's a case where it's happening because it's the Yankees..  I do think MLB is making Arod a target, I also believe he's brought that on himself to a certain degree.  Both entities are easy to dislike IMO.

 

The problem lies in MLB's anti-trust exception and how it empowers them to do things.

 

 

Seriously, take it easy.

 

Then come at me with those points and not the personal shit, im fine with everything you just wrote here... but opening a post with accusing me of assuming some inside knowledge is not what you just wrote here,  nuff said

 

As far as the points here i dont disagree with any of them, save for maybe i think they are helping the Yanks a bit more than they would say the Royals or even us in a similar place as the league most valuable franchise.

 

I could acre less what happens to ARod.. he used, he liad, he absolutely did bring this on himself.  But the league bailing out the Yankees at the time they need it the most, and once ARod is no longer living up to hat contract, is too convenient for me to assume coincidence.   Perhaps im a bit of a conspiracy theorist.. or perhaps i just dont believe in coincidence.. but the timing of this and the parties involved are all a little too suspect

[Blarg]

the point of these boards is not to express your own opinion, it's to agree with everything inside pitch says, and if you don't well you're an idiot.

 

Oh come on Marsaka, nobody believes you are an idiot because you disagree with inside Pitch.

[disarcina]

Does this surprise anyone?

 

Well, maybe the 'only a year' part........

 

And, YES, I do think this clears some salary room for Yankees to pursue Tanaka.

 

Yankees might also get insurance money on this, hard to tell........

 

All time list of various stat catagories becomes interesting -- perhaps they should have an 'all asterisk' Hall of Fame for guys like Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens and now A-Rod. (there are others are well, Sosa, etc.)

[Homebrewer]

 

Zero chance in Hell they are able to void his contract.  That would open up Pandora's box.

This is my thinking and also the biggest question...The Yankees might be able to drop him off  the 40 man....but how are they going to get out of his contract? Without a long court battle that changes the CBA as it is..I don't see how they get out of paying him and having his salary count towards the tax.

[Mark68]

They could have banned him for life for some of the other BS he did to try to cover up his misdeeds.  This wasn't just about the steroid issue.

People are upset that the Yankees may get off the hook to a degree -- but there is no way on Earth that either the players union or the owners will ever agree to any future bargaining agreement where a player's deeds will be held against the team from a finances standpoiint.   Players will not agree to anything that could limit their potential earnings while owners will not want to take on further risks due to degenerate players.

 

Arod is a unique case only because he is owed so much money and is such a massive egomaniac.

As in Nixon's case, the cover up is worse than the crime.

 

It's not about the steroids, per se. It's about A-Rod's efforts to cover up the steroid use.

[DW711]

The MLB channel is officially unwatchable for at least the next week.

[Michifan]

No positive test, first offense. Where is the union on this. If he wasn't so unPopular this never happens.

So he should benefit from the fact he has been able to cheat effectively?

[Bruce Nye]

On at least two occasions, A-Rod admitted using on national TV.  Does this admission of guilt mean anything to you?

 

He interfered and hampered with the investigation.

 

And some of you want to make like poor little ol' A-Rod is being singled out.  

 

That's pretty funny.   

[Hollyw00d]

yup i hope A Rod fights this for as long as possible and makes the yankees pay his salary for as long as he can

[tomsred]

Kind of interesting that Baseball Reference shows Arod with the potential for $30M in marketing bonuses for HR's #660-763.  Not sure how that works, but he's sitting on 654 right now, so it's not only the salary for each year at stake, but another little bundle.  He was scheduled to make $25M in salary this year, but it drops down a little to $21/$20/$20 million for the next three years.  I have no point about regarding his payments, I was just curious as to what this mess is costing him.

[mancini79]

Kind of interesting that Baseball Reference shows Arod with the potential for $30M in marketing bonuses for HR's #660-763.  Not sure how that works, but he's sitting on 654 right now, so it's not only the salary for each year at stake, but another little bundle.  He was scheduled to make $25M in salary this year, but it drops down a little to $21/$20/$20 million for the next three years.  I have no point about regarding his payments, I was just curious as to what this mess is costing him.

 

He is given a milestone bonus of $6mil for HRs 660, 714, 762 and 763. Which is why it is important that he sit zero games for him to reach those HR marks. He knows his healthy years are limited and needs to cash in now. As for what this is all costing him...his image. Good luck getting in the HOF.

[floplag]

The one thing i find most troubling is that all this is coming down just as he no longer became useful... anyone think this happens about 5 years ago if hes still putting up numbers?  i dont. 

[ettin]

Oh and that Arod cheated and MLB is doing it's job.

 

Yes Arod cheated and yes MLB is doing A job, not it's job. What is the normal penalty? Why 211 games or whatever the exact number was? Why is it 162 games instead of 150?

 

I think a few too many people are acting a little naive. What is good for the Yankees is good for MLB. If you don't think the Yankees had some complicity (along with many, if not all, other teams) in knowledge of PED abuse in previous years (talking history now not more current timeframe) and should shoulder some responsibility for the abuse and use of PED's then I think blame is not being assigned to everyone properly.

 

MLB, the Yankees, and every MLB team has had a hand either directly or indirectly in the continuation and abuse of PED's over the years. Not following the rules set by MLB in overly prosecuting and punishing Arod even though he clearly deserves the correct punishment is hypocritical and wrong.

 

Arod deserves to be punished but in the right way and under the rules set, period. 162 games is not correct.

[Docwaukee]

The one thing i find most troubling is that all this is coming down just as he no longer became useful... anyone think this happens about 5 years ago if hes still putting up numbers?  i dont. 

his usefulness seems very much tied to PED use.  5 years ago, the path to using PEDs was much less complicated and much easier for all parties to put, their fingers in their ears and close their eyes.  The new CBA doesn't give everyone a pass on the previous situation, but each side is effectively saying that neither will open that can of worms back up and both parties will move forward under this new agreement. 

 

Arod violated the new rules.  He had a huge financial opportunity to meet certain milestone and under the new CBA, his access to PEDs is much more limited and there is no longer a willingness for everyone to turn a blind eye.  So the timing makes sense. 

 

Do I think owners and mlb were just as culpable as the players under the old CBA?  Absolutely.  But both parties have now agree to something different now yet Arod tried to get around that and then tried to hide and/or cover that up as well.  He's not being punished for using PEDs under the previous agreement. 

 

He got nabbed under the new one as did others, but unlike the others, instead of owning it he tried to cover it up and then challenge the league on it. 

Everyone else that got busted put their hat in their hand, admitted their mistake and moved on. 

 

Perhaps they have chosen to make an example of someone who would challenge the new process, but if they are doing it to help out one specific team for the good of the league, then that is a scandal of historical magnitude. 

 

It will be interesting to see if the feds take this on.  They aren't gonna waste their time worrying about the length of Arod's suspension.  They will only get involved is they smell collusion and conspiracy and their is some indication that Arod's team can prove this.  My guess is that they won't come anywhere near this.