With Braun gone, is A-Rod the next dope to fall?
The Guru
Contributing Writer
With Ryan Braun the first fraud to fall, Bud Selig and Major League Baseball have their sights set firmly on their next target in the BioGenesis scandal – Alex Rodriguez.
The evidence is piling up as Selig’s investigators have uncovered a mountain of information dating back to at least the 2009 season. Sources told CBSSports.com that Rodriguez declined to answer the questions of MLB investigators when they interviewed him. It’s the same tactic Braun tried and he’s gone for the year. Expect A-Rod to get a lot more than 65 games.
As John Heyman reports, if Major League Baseball can prove drug ties “before and after his MLB interviews denying involvement”, he could get 150 games. If they can prove he encouraged other players to use or referred them to the Miami clinic, he will get more time. That could essentially be a death sentence on A-Rod’s baseball career. He turns 38 this week and a comeback in at least 2015 for a 40-year-old player with two bad hips would seem remote.
Even the MLB players’ association is backing away from Rodriguez. The union has historically gone to bat for its players, even the liars and the cheats, but in speaking to the Daily News on Friday, MLBPA chief Michael Weiner said, “I can tell you, if we have a case where there really is overwhelming evidence, that a player committed a violation of the program, our fight is going to be that they make a deal. We’re not interested in having players with overwhelming evidence that they violated the [drug] program out there.”
When even your union doesn't have your back, it's time to cut a deal and go away. Forever.
It may sound funny now, but Alex Rodriguez was once on his way to being baseball’s savior. He was young, charismatic, hardworking and, many thought, clean. A-Rod was just what MLB needed to sweep away all that was Barry Bonds. Baseball was ready to coronate Rodriguez its all-time home run king.
The fall from grace is almost complete.
Selig was right about one thing, when fans look back on Alex Rodriguez they won’t be thinking of Bonds at all. They will be thinking of Lance Armstrong. Forget the home run crown, A-Rod is poised to become King of the Frauds.
Follow The Guru on Twitter @TheGuruGS
More musings from The Guru.
Contributing Writer
The evidence is piling up as Selig’s investigators have uncovered a mountain of information dating back to at least the 2009 season. Sources told CBSSports.com that Rodriguez declined to answer the questions of MLB investigators when they interviewed him. It’s the same tactic Braun tried and he’s gone for the year. Expect A-Rod to get a lot more than 65 games.
As John Heyman reports, if Major League Baseball can prove drug ties “before and after his MLB interviews denying involvement”, he could get 150 games. If they can prove he encouraged other players to use or referred them to the Miami clinic, he will get more time. That could essentially be a death sentence on A-Rod’s baseball career. He turns 38 this week and a comeback in at least 2015 for a 40-year-old player with two bad hips would seem remote.
Even the MLB players’ association is backing away from Rodriguez. The union has historically gone to bat for its players, even the liars and the cheats, but in speaking to the Daily News on Friday, MLBPA chief Michael Weiner said, “I can tell you, if we have a case where there really is overwhelming evidence, that a player committed a violation of the program, our fight is going to be that they make a deal. We’re not interested in having players with overwhelming evidence that they violated the [drug] program out there.”
When even your union doesn't have your back, it's time to cut a deal and go away. Forever.
It may sound funny now, but Alex Rodriguez was once on his way to being baseball’s savior. He was young, charismatic, hardworking and, many thought, clean. A-Rod was just what MLB needed to sweep away all that was Barry Bonds. Baseball was ready to coronate Rodriguez its all-time home run king.
The fall from grace is almost complete.
Selig was right about one thing, when fans look back on Alex Rodriguez they won’t be thinking of Bonds at all. They will be thinking of Lance Armstrong. Forget the home run crown, A-Rod is poised to become King of the Frauds.
Follow The Guru on Twitter @TheGuruGS
More musings from The Guru.
