I personally do not like A-Rod. With that being said, I am firmly convinced that A-rod's suspension is so much more than MLB protecting "the integrity of the game."
First of all, Bud Selig, the Commissioner of Baseball of MLB, makes a salary of $22 million this year and his estimated net worth is $400 million. He is the former team owner and team president of the Milwaukee Brewers. The New York Yankees do not have to pay any of A-Rod's salary while he is suspended. If A-Rod is out of the game through the 2014 season, the Yankees will save over $30 million of the contract that they agreed to (not that any player should be paid that much, but they agreed to it). If A-Rod is banned through the 2014 season when he is 40 years-old, I would bet that the Yankees would try to find a way to void A-Rod's contract through some clause. If A-Rod would be banned for life by MLB, the Yankees would not have to pay him - about $100 million. Selig actions save the Yankee's a lot of money and maybe a way out of a bad contract.
In addition, I believe MLB is trying to put closure on the "Steroid Era" with A-Rod's face as the image of the era. A-Rod is publicly not liked and could be targeted with less negative publicity for Major League Baseball. The Mitchell report concluded, though, that the MLB commissioners, club officials, the Players Association, and the players all share "to some extent in the responsibility for the steroid era." I am sure many players used steroids that never tested positive. Much of the use was before testing was mandatory. I have not heard Selig mention how MLB benefited during the this time, made money, and share in the responsibility. I would have to believe that MLB management knew (or did not want to know) about steroid use. Putting A-Rod's face to the Era does seems like a way a corporation is using a scapegoat. The process and all the parties involve do not seem to have taken their part of the responsibility.
A-Rod has never had a publicly reported positive test for PED's. How do we not know that other players are using companies like Biogenesis? Why not have a standard that would equally review players through testing? Improve testing and have a uniform standard. Otherwise, it sure seems to easy to believe that MLB has targeted certain players or at least has tried to find a scapegoat.
This post was edited on 8/5 9:21 PM by baseonballs
First of all, Bud Selig, the Commissioner of Baseball of MLB, makes a salary of $22 million this year and his estimated net worth is $400 million. He is the former team owner and team president of the Milwaukee Brewers. The New York Yankees do not have to pay any of A-Rod's salary while he is suspended. If A-Rod is out of the game through the 2014 season, the Yankees will save over $30 million of the contract that they agreed to (not that any player should be paid that much, but they agreed to it). If A-Rod is banned through the 2014 season when he is 40 years-old, I would bet that the Yankees would try to find a way to void A-Rod's contract through some clause. If A-Rod would be banned for life by MLB, the Yankees would not have to pay him - about $100 million. Selig actions save the Yankee's a lot of money and maybe a way out of a bad contract.
In addition, I believe MLB is trying to put closure on the "Steroid Era" with A-Rod's face as the image of the era. A-Rod is publicly not liked and could be targeted with less negative publicity for Major League Baseball. The Mitchell report concluded, though, that the MLB commissioners, club officials, the Players Association, and the players all share "to some extent in the responsibility for the steroid era." I am sure many players used steroids that never tested positive. Much of the use was before testing was mandatory. I have not heard Selig mention how MLB benefited during the this time, made money, and share in the responsibility. I would have to believe that MLB management knew (or did not want to know) about steroid use. Putting A-Rod's face to the Era does seems like a way a corporation is using a scapegoat. The process and all the parties involve do not seem to have taken their part of the responsibility.
A-Rod has never had a publicly reported positive test for PED's. How do we not know that other players are using companies like Biogenesis? Why not have a standard that would equally review players through testing? Improve testing and have a uniform standard. Otherwise, it sure seems to easy to believe that MLB has targeted certain players or at least has tried to find a scapegoat.
This post was edited on 8/5 9:21 PM by baseonballs
