Alex Rodriguez Loses Appeal, Suspended For 2014 Season

Alex Rodriguez Loses Biogenesis Appeal, Will Begin 162-Game Suspension

By
Rob Goldberg (Featured Columnist) on January 11, 2014

Alex Rodriguez has officially lost his appeal and will be forced to sit out the 2014 Major League Baseball season. His 211-game suspension was reduced to 162 games, but A-Rod says it isn't over yet.

The New York Yankees third baseman was originally suspended for 211 games in early August, which at the time carried through the end of the 2014 season. According to Bryan Hoch and Joey Nowak of MLB.com, Rodriguez was accused of violating the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and the Basic Agreement.

A number of MLB players accepted 50-game suspensions at the same time for their involvement with Biogenesis, an anti-aging clinic that provided performance-enhancing drugs to players. However, Rodriguez was dealt a harsher punishment for his reported role in tampering with evidence.

According to T.J. Quinn and Pedro Gomez of ESPN, the superstar also helped pay for an attorney for Anthony Bosch, the founder of Biogenesis.

Despite the evidence presented, Rodriguez formally appealed the suspension with the backing of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), according to ESPN. After finally declaring himself healthy, he rejoined the Yankees and remained active through September.

Rodriguez ended up playing 44 games in 2013, racking up seven home runs with 19 RBI while posting a .244 batting average.

With his team out of the playoff picture, he sat out the final weekend in order to prepare for his case and face it "head on," according to Andrew Marchand of ESPN. A-Rod noted the importance of the next few days, telling the media, "I'm fighting for my whole life, my whole legacy."

While this would seem overdramatic in most cases, it is exactly what this appeal was about.

Alex Rodriguez, when we confront this evidence, will have been found not responsible to the point where he should not serve one inning of a suspension, as opposed to 211 games.

I know the evidence against Alex Rodriguez, and I will tell you this — it will never stand up in a court of law or in an arbitration panel courtroom. Never. Because the evidence is based on one person — Anthony Bosch.

Despite this statement, it appears as though the independent arbitrator has sided with the league and Rodriguez will have to serve out his suspension before returning to baseball.

This leaves plenty of questions regarding the three-time MVP's future in the league. He remains in pursuit of Barry Bonds' record mark of 762 career home runs (or Hank Aaron's 755 home runs if you prefer) with a current total of 654, but it will be difficult to reach the pinnacle considering he is already 38 years old.

Rodriguez also has a $275 million contract with the Yankees that runs through 2017, which he signed after winning the AL MVP during the 2007 season. It remains to be seen how the suspension will impact this deal.

Either way, this will remain a landmark decision for the sport in the fight to keep performance-enhancing drugs out of baseball. Rodriguez is undoubtedly the most high-profile player ever suspended, surpassing Ryan Braun, who accepted a deal in July to sit out the remainder of the 2013 season.

Commissioner Bud Selig and the rest of the league will certainly hope that this sends a message to anyone else considering using banned substances in the future.



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