OT: A-Rod Lifetime Ban

ARod is very wealthy. ARod has a team of top flight lawyers. The last time Selig took on a team of top flight lawyers he took it up the Butt and the guy everyone swore could never challenge the rules of baseball and the supremacy of the commissioner sold their team for over 2 Billion dollars and we know that story well.

 

So was braun the first time ...and arod now has that same lawyer working this case

 

So are a lot of people who get off because they can afford better attorneys. Let me send my 1000 hour guy against you 300 hour guy and watch what happens. The suspension process will be private and the appeal process private. But when ARod sues MLB the shit will hit the fan and the complicity of teams in PED usage epic and public. If you really want to discourage Ped use why do you give Melky Caberra a big FA contract coming off suspension etc etc etc. lots to explain about the increase in walk year performance and big contracts the following year. Good attorneys will have fun making MLB squirm in public as a civil case will be.

 

There are two schools of thought. A. The MLB and Selig do not learn their lessons and they have prematurely shown most of their hand. This means that the opposing counsel (or whatever) will be able to manipulate the evidence and situation to where Arod gets off. OR B. MLB and Selig know exactly what they are doing.

While the former would seem to align with mistakes of the past, I am not buying this time. I think this whole thing was done in this way purposefully. If you think about this in scope, you start seeing a pattern. Think about all the players that "got away with" roids prior to this. Now, think about all those that served suspensions. If you look at those that were "caught" under the Miami investigation and those that have been in question or "caught" previously, many of the same names come up. I believe that the MLB was investigating the Miami Clinic long before the public was made aware. If the evidence is as pronounced as is slowly coming out, this suggests that MLB was working tirelessly to ensure that a conviction of each would happen.

Consider Braun. This asshole ruined the life of a worker in an effort to avoid the chargers. Consider to whom he lied. From what his teammates and friends state--no one knew. He lied to them all and they all believed him. This tells me that this guy is a guy who will do anything to protect his reputation even to the point of manipulation and trickery. And yet, when he met with MLB and was shown the evidence, he immediately took the suspension. They obviously had overwhelming evidence. Further, even with the same lawyer who had helped him get off originally, he still took the deal. And, you cannot tell me, that this guy would not be willing to roll over for a lesser deal. Could it be that MLB chose him first for a reason? Could it be that, given his character, they knew that he would be the canary that sang the loudest? Could it be that they said to Braun that yes he would be suspended. However, they would make the process go as smoothly as possible? Think about the statement made by MLB after his suspension. It is almost apologetic and seems to suggest that after this bygones will be bygones. What was the purpose of this? Why not simply state that Braun was suspended as per policy and he will return after his suspension. God knows that MLB can avoid questions when they need to.

And then there is Arod. He has a been a thorn in the side of MLB for many years now. He will not go away. He does not know how to humble up and take his punishment as others have done in the past. Instead he constantly denies and makes threats. Think about how this first came to light. MLB denied any knowledge of it. Yet, the reporter seemed to have very specific information--almost as if they had inside knowledge. Selig has repeatedly condemned the media for having this information yet they continue to acquire more. Would not the process be in lock down with threats of firing for those caught talking. Recently, some of the specific allegations made it to the media regarding Arod and no one else. That is either horrible journalism or purposefully leaking. MLB is slowly painting Arod into a corner where he must accept the deal or risk having the public know what a piece of shit he is.

Finally, think about the names that were merely mentioned as afterthoughts: Jhonny Peralta, Jesus Montero, Gio Gonzalez, Fernando Martinez, Yasmani Grandal, Melky Cabrera, Everth Cabrera, Francisco Cervelli, Bartolo Colon, and Faustino de Los Santos. Melky Cabrera was has already been suspended for PED use. Do you not think when his name was found that MLB did not immediately contact him and ask him to start naming names in return for not pursuing another suspension? Grandal and Colon were in the same boat--the needed a lifeline. Martinez, Montero, Peralta, E. Cabrera, Cervelli, and de Los Santos have barely received a mention save the release of their names. Gio Gonzalez is an interesting case. First, he has adamantly denied the use of steroids--stating that his father was the person that bought and received them. Given that he burst on the scene two years ago and received national attention as one of the best pitchers during that time, would he not be a great target for media scrutiny? Yet, very little has been made of this. Why not? Perhaps because MLB is directing the media attention from the background and he is not a premier target at the moment. Further, there is the case of Cruz. His name was dropped and then quickly moved over. It was not until word was spread that he would be appealing in order to go the postseason that he began to receive much more speculation and probably increased scrutiny from MLB.

Finally, there is a simple truth to all of this. A cheater is a cheater. If a person will knowingly take a substance that they know is illegal and will result in a suspension or worse simply to have better numbers and increase their value, what else are they capable of? Anything. These guys will always put themselves above everything else. That said, I would imagine that loyalty, friendship, and brotherhood go quickly out the window when it comes to saving their own asses. You have a group of guys trying to avoid suspensions (for some a secondary or tertiary one). You have a guy who ran a clinic that was built to beat drug testing systems in professional sports. This guy faces serious charges. Gather these degenerates together and you have a group that will turn on each other as quickly as possible if it means saving their own skin.

I think that MLB knows exactly what it is doing. It has managed to play one bad guy against another until it had enough evidence to convict whom it feels are the worst offenders. It also has managed to create such a storm that other players will think twice before venturing into PEDs in the near future. Here is another thought: negative publicity is still publicity. Finally, there have been 13 names released to this point, continued reports say 20 plus players will be indicted...who are the remaining players and why have their names not been acquired or released?

 

Read your last paragraph and if true you are saying MLB is guilty of selective prosecution. That is red meat in civil court.

 

If Arod can prove in Civil Court that MLB is being arbitrary and capricious dies he win or lose?

 

As far as gio gonzalez goes,reportedly he only received legal products and will not be suspended.also being reported that colon,melky and the third name I believe was grandal but I could be wrong will not be suspended bc they already served their susupensions in this case.

As for a-rod,if it was just buying hgh then mlb would have no case to argue for anything other than a 100game max suspension.now if the proof of "obstructing" goes beyond him trying to pay to shut people up then he's looking at serious time.that's most interested about,what evidence do you have piled up against him other than buying?if it's only circumstantial then mlb may just be shooting itself in the foot pushes for a longer sentence,if it's solid then they may have a legit case.also,do they maybe have evidence that he was selling or pushing other players to buying?idk the answers to any of these questions but I does seem like mlb is trying to pin the whole biogenesis scandal on him

 

The bigger question to me is,can a civil court only throw out the suspension completely or can they reduce it to an amount they feel is on par?

 

Yea mlb says he tried to sabotage their investigation but what exactly does that mean?if it was only paying people to keep their nouth shut,who in his position wouldn't do the same?or is it more than that?that's why I really can't wait for all the details to come out but the only way of knowing for sure is if this goes to court.

I read a quote a few weeks ago when braun was first suspended that the players union and the players are open to raising the suspensions,but I suspect it will include specific language to raise suspensions for steroid and hgh users and not all banned drugs.for instance,carlos ruiz was suspended 50 games for testing positive for adderrall and I think that's fair.also with how many new fitness substances that come out a year and the grey area involved in them when released 50 games would seem fair

 

It is not the suspension it is the denial of a right to make a living by voiding a contract with an arbitrary and capricious action. Winning for Arod is the suspension being upheld with salary or pay. He is guilty and it s about the money. He is guilty of violating the drug policy which carries a 100 game suspension. Selig sis trying to deviate from that with a policy that gives him unilateral power in the interest of the game. MCcourt turned those special powers into a dildo and used it on a bud. Unlike most players ARod is wealthy enough to mount a fight independent of the union and their legal team.

 

Exactly. Buds also trying to cement his legacy as the man who got rid of the scourge of baseball and to try to make baseball forget that he let McCourt in as an owner. I'm not fan of A-Rod but talk about over the top pursuit of a god forbid (gasp) LIAR! Are there not more morally reprehensive crime and other incidents to focus on in this world!

My stance on PED use is simple, pitchers and batters BOTH were and continue to use them. If it were 1 or the other were only doing them then my perspective would change.

 

Now they are talking this year and all of 2014 which is more doable.

 

Food to ponder about coming down real hard on PED users and second offenders and AROD is a prime example. If he had stopped using them after signing his big contract teams would ave had a very high priced player who sucked eggs. Do teams really want payers to go clean after signing big contracts with the resulting loss in performance.

 

I heard that too but that just makes me wonder what they have on him to be vacillating between lifetime and just 1 year plus. Just do it already so the rampant speculation on the level of evidence obtained through Biogen can begin. Morbid curiosity only on my part, yours?

 

That's kinda why I'm hoping it goes to court so we know EXACTLY what he did to sabotage the investigation and what evidence they have...but at the same time,just make it go away

 

If I'm A-Rod, my move is pretty simple.

1) I tell the MLB to shove the suspension up their ass (Appeal, play 2013)

2) In the offseason, I approach the MLB and give them this ultimatum. Either you reduce the suspension to 50 or 65 games, whatever he feels he should take, or that I out every single player in this era that used. Whether it be Chipper, Helton, Thome, Jeter, Mariano, Abreu, Beltran, whoever. I'm not saying all these guys used, I bet most of them didn't, but I'm sure A-Rod knows a lot of HOF caliber guys who used, and if he outs them it'd be bad news for Selig and his legacy.

 

I like the thought BUT:
1.arod has no credibility and would have even less if he was just looking for retribution as u say
2.he has no proof
3.he could just name superstars just to try to get mlb to lower the suspension

 

A lot of it is the press pretending like they know something with their how ant time wrong sources?