Houston, You Don't Have An A-Rod Problem

"What, me worry?"

or maybe you do....

UPDATE 3:40 PM - Thanks to @StaceGots for the heads up. ESPN among others have just reported that Brian Cashman denied that A-Rod will not be in Houston.

Wally Matthews ESPNNEWYORK.com - Brian Cashman says reports A-Rod not going to Houston are "false. I'm wasting my time talking about it.''

The Yankees season will conclude with a three game series in Houston this weekend. But there will be one less player in the dugout.

The Yankees have given Alex Rodriguez permission to skip the series so he can begin preparation to appeal his suspension. It may be the last time A-Rod wears the Yankees Pinstripes until 2015 or possibly ever. His arbitration hearing begins on Monday.

From Newsday:

"I believe in the process. I'm fighting for a lot of players, both present and in the future," Rodriguez said before Wednesday night's game with the Rays. Barring any last- minute legal action, the confidential hearing will begin Monday at MLB's offices in Manhattan, a source said. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz will preside. Rodriguez is expected to attend some of the sessions.

Asked if he thought there could be a speedy resolution, Rodriguez said, "I'm not sure, I'm not sure. "In a perfect world all of it would have been done quietly, but it's not a perfect world. But we're going to address this and hopefully put this to bed as soon as possible."

"I'm very thankful for the emails, texts, and private conservations I've had with our union members," he said. "The support has been overwhelming. And the fans have been unbelievable. I've had more people come to my defense and be in my corner than at any point in my career. I am grateful for that and I am looking forward to hopefully putting this behind me."

Braun Says He's Sorry...Really?

Milwaukee Brewers suspended outfielder Ryan Braun decided to publicly apologize and "come clean" Thursday afternoon about his performance enhancing drug use. Did he really? Here is an excerpt from Braun's statement.

"Here is what happened.  During the latter part of the 2011 season, I was dealing with a nagging injury and I turned to products for a short period of time that I shouldn't have used. The products were a cream and a lozenge which I was told could help expedite my rehabilitation.  It was a huge mistake for which I am deeply ashamed and I compounded the situation by not admitting my mistakes immediately."

Notice that not once did Braun use the words steroids, HGH, or PEDs. A "cream and a lozenge" doesn't cut it. This is atypical behavior of PED users when they get caught. It's not noble to say I was trying to help my team by coming back quicker. (Yes, that includes Andy Pettitte.)

Braun injured more than just the public trust with his defamation of specimen collector Dino Laurenzi Jr. Braun went on a full court press attack of Laurenzi, and sought the aid of teammates and other MLB players to help do so. If the amount of evidence against Alex Rodriguez truly warrants a 200+ game suspension, than Braun should have gotten a full season rather than just 65 games.

If Ryan Dempster can get a slap on the wrist for throwing at A-Rod, than Mr. Laurenzi should be allowed to feed a pitching machine that fires 95-mph fastballs at Braun. It's likely Braun would get hit in the back since I don't think he has the guts to face Mr. Laurenzi.

And if Braun is truly sorry than he should give back his NL MVP Award.

Below is Braun's full statement

"Now that the initial MLB investigation is over, I want to apologize for my actions and provide a more specific account of what I did and why I deserved to be suspended.  I have no one to blame but myself. I know that over the last year and a half I made some serious mistakes, both in the information I failed to share during my arbitration hearing and the comments I made to the press afterwards.  I have disappointed the people closest to me - the ones who fought for me because they truly believed me all along. I kept the truth from everyone.

For a long time, I was in denial and convinced myself that I had not done anything wrong. 
It is important that people understand that I did not share details of what happened with anyone until recently. My family, my teammates, the Brewers organization, my friends, agents, and advisors had no knowledge of these facts, and no one should be blamed but me. Those who put their necks out for me have been embarrassed by my behavior. I don't have the words to express how sorry I am for that. Here is what happened.

During the latter part of the 2011 season, I was dealing with a nagging injury and I turned to products for a short period of time that I shouldn't have used. The products were a cream and a lozenge which I was told could help expedite my rehabilitation.  It was a huge mistake for which I am deeply ashamed and I compounded the situation by not admitting my mistakes immediately.

I deeply regret many of the things I said at the press conference after the arbitrator's decision in February 2012. At that time, I still didn't want to believe that I had used a banned substance. I think a combination of feeling self righteous and having a lot of unjustified anger led me to react the way I did. I felt wronged and attacked, but looking back now, I was the one who was wrong.  I am beyond embarrassed that I said what I thought I needed to say to defend my clouded vision of reality.  I am just starting the process of trying to understand why I responded the way I did, which I continue to regret. There is no excuse for any of this.

For too long during this process, I convinced myself that I had not done anything wrong. After my interview with MLB in late June of this year, I came to the realization that it was time to come to grips with the truth. I was never presented with baseball's evidence against me, but I didn't need to be, because I knew what I had done.  I realized the magnitude of my poor decisions and finally focused on dealing with the realities of-and the punishment for-my actions.

I requested a second meeting with Baseball to acknowledge my violation of the drug policy and to engage in discussions about appropriate punishment for my actions. By coming forward when I did and waiving my right to appeal any sanctions that were going to be imposed, I knew I was making the correct decision and taking the first step in the right direction. It was important to me to begin my suspension immediately to minimize the burden on everyone I had so negatively affected- my teammates, the entire Brewers organization, the fans and all of MLB.

There has been plenty of rumor and speculation about my situation, and I am aware that my admission may result in additional attacks and accusations from others.  I love the great game of baseball and I am very sorry for any damage done to the game. I have privately expressed my apologies to Commissioner Selig and Rob Manfred of MLB and to Michael Weiner and his staff at the Players' Association. I'm very grateful for the support I've received from them. I sincerely apologize to everybody involved in the arbitration process, including the collector, Dino Laurenzi, Jr. I feel terrible that I put my teammates in a position where they were asked some very difficult and uncomfortable questions. One of my primary goals is to make amends with them.

I understand it’s a blessing and a tremendous honor to play this game at the Major League level. I also understand the intensity of the disappointment from teammates, fans, and other players.  When it comes to both my actions and my words, I made some very serious mistakes and I can only ask for the forgiveness of everyone I let down.  I will never make the same errors again and  I intend to share the lessons I learned with others so they don’t repeat my mistakes. Moving forward, I want to be part of the solution and no longer part of the problem.

I support baseball’s Joint Drug Treatment and Prevention Program and the importance of cleaning up the game.  What I did goes against everything I have always valued- achieving through hard work and dedication, and being honest both on and off the field.  I also understand that I will now have to work very, very hard to begin to earn back people's trust and support. I am dedicated to making amends and to earning back the trust of my teammates, the fans, the entire Brewers' organization, my sponsors, advisors and from MLB. I am hopeful that I can earn back the trust from those who I have disappointed and those who are willing to give me the opportunity.  I am deeply sorry for my actions, and I apologize to everyone who has been adversely affected by them."

Tacopina's Magical Mystery Tour

Don't be fooled by the title; Joseph Tacopina is not the 5th, 6th, or 7th Beatle. He's more akin to P.T. Barnum with a Ph.D. in spin doctoring.

Alex Rodriguez's heavy legal hitter continued his version of a p.r. tour that began with another of A-Rod esquires, Don Cornwell, talking about appeals. There hasn't been a 1-2 punch in a lineup like this since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

The biggest sideshow was when Tacopina stopped by the Today Show Monday morning only to be met by some unexpected news from NBC's Matt Lauer. (You can see a copy of it here.)

Tacopina has said all along he could not discuss specifics of the case due to the Joint Drug Agreement between Major League Baseball and the players' union. But MLB Vice-President Rob Manfred sent a letter to the Today show stating MLB was willing to drop their part of the confidentiality agreement in order to allow Tacopina to discuss A-Rod's involvement with Tony Bosch, Victor Conte, and Anthony Galea.

Tacopina was not amused and characterized MLB's move as a "publicity stunt". I guess it takes a publicity stunt to know a publicity stunt. He told the following to the New York Daily News:

"I will make Manfred a deal if he, in writing, waives the confidentiality clause, and agrees that it would not be a breach of the confidentiality clause, if he allows us to discuss exactly what he wants us to discuss, including the testing result, including the specifics of the tests, the results, we would be happy to discuss it. It would be my pleasure to discuss it. I would love to discuss it. But the minute I discuss it, I'm in violation of the confidentiality clause of the JDA," Tacopina said.¹

Manfred responded to the NYDN:

"While we believe that your public comments are already in breach of the confidentiality provisions of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (the "Program"), we will agree to waive those provisions as they apply to both Rodriguez and the Office of Commissioner of Baseball with respect to Rodriguez's entire history under the Program, including, but not limited to, his testing history, test results, violations of the Program, and all information and evidence relating to Rodriguez's treatment by Anthony Bosch, Anthony Galea and Victor Conte. Specifically, both Rodriguez and the Office of the Commissioner will be permitted to publicly disclose information and documents relating to: 

"1. their results; 2. All drug tests that were conducted on Rodriguez under the Program and All prior violations of the Program committed by Rodriguez; 3. All documents, records, communications, text messages, and instant messages relating to Rodriguez's treatment by Anthony Bosch; 4. All documents relating to Rodriguez's treatment by Anthony Galea and Victor Conte; and 5. All documents relating to the issue of whether Rodriguez obstructed the Office of the Commissioner's investigation."

In the meantime, Tacopina continues to hammer away at the Yankees and their medical staff, claiming they let A-Rod play last post-season with a badly injured hip. It's part of Tacopina's attack against the Yankees and MLB that they are attempting to get A-Rod out of baseball and void his contract.

“This MRI was taken on Oct. 11, 2012, after Game 4 of the Baltimore series [and] before the Detroit series. What it indicated, what it showed, is that Alex Rodriguez had a hole in his left hip, a torn labrum. He went on to play in the Detroit series, obviously didn’t play well, was benched, (sic) was made a scapegoat. Nobody told Alex Rodriguez that he had a hole in his left hip -- nobody. It wasn’t until after the season was done that he went to his own doctor,” Tacopina said. 

“I don’t understand the motivation behind that,” Tacopina said. “But the New York Yankees’ doctor, Dr. [Christopher] Ahmad, did this MRI. The report is here. The visual images are in your possession. Brian Cashman can’t say it didn’t happen until the offseason. Obviously, the general manager of this team must have known when this MRI was taken.”

“If he had a hole in his hip he shouldn’t have been walking, much less playing baseball. And believe me, we know that Joe Girardi didn’t know that. But either Ahmad, Randy Levine or Brian Cashman knew about that MRI result ... and the one person it wasn’t shared with, and I don’t understand for the life of me how they didn’t share that with Alex Rodriguez.”²

Tacopina's ultimate goal is get A-Rod's suspension down to zero. In the meantime we all have to endure the headache.

1 - New York Daily News

2 - ESPNNewYork.com

All Braun and No Brain

"My name is Ryan Braun and I am a liar."

Still think Ryan Braun should only have a 65 game suspension? You might change your mind shortly. While everyone is coming down on Alex Rodriguez, there's more and more proof that Braun is a complete dirtbag.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports has reported that Braun told several MLB stars that the man (Dino Laurenzi Jr.) who collected his urine was an anti-Semite (Braun is Jewish if you don’t know) and a Chicago Cubs fan  in attempt to ruin the man's reputation. (The latter assertion is laughable.) ¹

Among those contacted by Braun, as first reported by ESPN.com, was LA Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp, whom Braun had cheated out of the NL MVP Award, Cincy Reds first baseman Joey Votto, and Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. The players took Braun's word as gospel.

A source close to Laurenzi said that the anti-Semitic allegation is untrue, but could not clarify what team Laurenzi was a fan of, as if that even mattered.

Kemp has already spoken about the issue and told media members that he felt "betrayed" and was “disappointed."

Passan also reported that Braun was in the process of calling the players up to apologize. It is not known if Braun has spoken to Laurenzi, but what good would it do anyway? Laurenzi should sue Braun for everything he's worth, but even that won't help restore Mr. Laurenzi's reputation.

1 - Yahoo Sports

TJ Quinn: A-Rod Paid For Bosch Attorney

ESPN.com's T.J. Quinn continued his fine investigative reporting tonight with a story he broke a short time ago. According to Quinn, Alex Rodriguez paid for Biogenesis head Tony Bosch's attorney and later wired $50K that the attorney would not accept.

One of A-Rod's former attorneys described the latter transfer as "a mistake", but it is reportedly part of Major League Baseball's pile of evidence about A-Rod. Here is an excerpt of Quinn's story:

A spokesperson for Bosch attorney Susy Ribero-Ayala said in a statement to "Outside the Lines" on Sunday that Rodriguez, currently appealing a 211-game suspension from MLB, paid her a $25,000 retainer to defend Bosch in February. Bosch was the founder of the now-defunct Biogenesis clinic in Coral Gables, Fla., at the center of the league's ongoing drug scandal. "A retainer was paid (via wire transfer) by a representative of Alex Rodriquez (sic). Ms. Ribero-Ayala accepted this payment on behalf of Anthony Bosch as payment for his legal representation," the statement says.

"In April 2013, Ms. Ribero-Ayala received an unsolicited and unwarranted wire transfer from A-Rod Corp. The funds were immediately returned. Mr. Rodriquez (sic) does not have any involvement in Mr. Bosch's legal representation." According to documents seen by "Outside the Lines," the amount of the second transfer was for nearly $50,000, minus transfer fees.

The documents also show that Ribero-Ayala and Jared Lopez, a partner with Roy Black's law firm in Miami, exchanged emails discussing the wire transfer. Black's firm was representing Rodriguez at the time. 

According to the document, Ribero-Ayala said she had received the money and was unaware of any reason for it. Lopez responded that the money had been sent in error, and he asked that it be returned. It was.Black's firm no longer represents Rodriguez, and Lopez could not be reached Sunday night. The documents and the statement from Ribero-Ayala's office appear to contradict earlier reports that Bosch sought to "shake down" Rodriguez for money before agreeing to cooperate with MLB's investigation in June. 

Instead, several sources familiar with the case said, investigators have said they believe Rodriguez paid for Bosch's attorney and sent the second payment in order to prevent him from providing evidence or testimony against Rodriguez.¹

The outcome of this soap opera has a long way to go and got emotionally charged Sunday night when Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ryan Dempster hit A-Rod with a pitch after throwing behind his legs and two other pitches inside and tight. Joe Girardi was ejected for arguing after home plate umpire Brian O'Nora ignored the obvious intent of the pitches and warned both benches. A-Rod got a measure of revenge later in the game when he hit a solo home run off of Dempster.

1 - ESPN.com

Lackey Needs to Shut His Butt Ugly Face About A-Rod

If you know me at all or have read anything I've written on this blog, other sites, Facebook or Twitter, you know that I am no fan of Alex Rodriguez. I've felt that way for a number of pre-steroid years. Some players are just not likeable and A-Rod, to me, is one of those people. That being said, Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey needs to shut his butt ugly face.

Lackey, who is scheduled to face the A-Rod and the Yankees Saturday afternoon, told media members “I’ve got a problem with it (A-Rod playing). You bet I do. How is he still playing? He obviously did something and he’s playing. I’m not sure that’s right. . It’s pretty evident he’s been doing stuff for a lot of years I’ve been facing him. “Sure, we talk about it,” he said. “But talking to the media about it is a little bit different. People have strong feelings." 

“He took me deep the first time I faced him as a rookie, and he admitted to doing stuff back then. There are a lot of things I want back from him.”¹

Yes, I am sure A-Rod came right out and admitted to the opposition that he was using performance enhancing drugs.  Unless Lackey can say with 100% surety that he has never played with a PED user in his 11 year career with the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox, he needs to keep his thoughts to himself. (He might want to note that David Ortiz, his teammate since 2011 failed a drug test in 2003, but it's been swept under the carpet because of Ortiz's popularity with fellow players, fans, and the media.)

As much as it might annoy people, A-Rod also has the right to play while he appeals his suspension. It's all part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that the players signed off on.

Also, how does Lackey know that it's "pretty evident he's been doing stuff?" There were no rumors early in the decade about A-Rod using PEDs. For that matter how do we know Lackey hasn't cheated. His career looked over, he had major surgery, and all of a sudden he looks like a stud again. Is it because of a Bartolo Colon cocktail or good health and hard work?

I personally don't think Lackey cheated his way back, but as a player who has been part of the steroid era, he should simply keep his mouth shut.

1 - Boston Globe

A-Rod Here For the Duration

A-Rod will go down with the ship.

Barring injury, Alex Rodriguez will be in the Yankees lineup for the remainder of the season. As expected the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) filed an appeal on A-Rod's behalf for the 211 game suspension handed down from MLB.

No appeal hearings will be held until November, so that means A-Rod will be in uniform through the end of the 2013 season, which looks more and more like it will be after game 162 and not beyond.

Most fans would probably like the appeal to be over and done with so it won't be a topic of conversation for months, but Bud Selig certainly doesn't want to distract from the game itself or the post-season.

A post-season that will in all likelihood not include the Yankees. They arrived home Thursday for the start of a homestand against the red hot Detroit Tigers (11 straight wins) on Friday. It doesn't matter right now if the opponent is hot, cold, or breathing. The Chicago White Sox had lost 10 in a row, but completed a three game sweep of the Yankees, after rallying from 4-0 and 5-4 deficits in the finale.

Things are so bad that Mariano Rivera blew the save in the 9th inning Wednesday night and then with two outs and no one on in the 12th, Adam Warren got in the way of a ball ticketed for Robinson Cano for what would have been an easy third out of the game. Instead the inning continued and the White Sox won.

All I could do was laugh. It beats crying.

Nelson Cruz and His "Whoops"

It's great to see the statements made once a player fails a test for PEDs or gets caught up in some sort of nefarious doings. Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz had a doozie today.¹

"I have been notified by the Commissioner of Major League Baseball that I have been suspended for 50 games for violation of the Joint Drug Agreement. I have decided to accept this suspension and not exercise my rights under the Basic Agreement to appeal. From November 2011 to January 2012, I was seriously ill with a gastrointestinal infection, helicobacter pylori, which went undiagnosed for over a month. By the time I was properly diagnosed and treated, I had lost 40 pounds.

Just weeks before I was to report to spring training in 2012, I was unsure whether I would be physically able to play. Faced with this situation, I made an error in judgment that I deeply regret, and I accept full responsibility for that error. I should have handled the situation differently, and my illness was no excuse. I am thankful for the unwavering support of my family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time. I look forward to regaining the trust and respect of the Rangers organization, my teammates, and the great Rangers fans, and I am grateful for the opportunity to rejoin the team for the playoffs."

Read more here: http://sportsblogs.star-telegram.com/foul_territory/2013/08/nelson-cruz-statement-i-made-an-error-in-judgment.html#storylink=cpy

How about instead Cruz told the truth, which was I am a free agent after the season and felt I wouldn't get a major deal due to my weakened state. There's also no reason to think Cruz was not using prior to this season.

The Texas Rangers, who thought until this morning that Cruz would appeal the suspension, had this to say:

“The Texas Rangers are disappointed that Nelson Cruz has violated the terms of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program resulting in his suspension. The Rangers’ organization fully supports the MLB program and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from our game. Per the protocol outlined in Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, the Rangers will have no further comment.”

1 - star-telegram.com