Alex Rodriguez arbitration hearings come to an end

After arbiter Fredric Horowitz reduced A-Rod’s proposed suspension from 211 games to 162, the player filed a suit seeking to overturn the suspension based in part on its unprecedented length. However, Baumbach reports that Friday was the deadline for Rodriguez’s camp to respond to the league’s request to toss the case, and that Rodriguez has opted to voluntarily dismiss it.

By dropping the lawsuit, Rodriguez has ended his pursuit to reduce or eliminate his suspension, reports Daniel Barbarisi of the Wall Street Journal. He will sit out the entire 2014 season, as well as the playoffs if his team qualifies, due to his involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. A-Rod’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, also announced that Rodriguez will not attend spring training, reports Andrew Marchand of ESPN.

It’s unlikely that a decision will come during next week’s Hall of Fame announcements, in order to keep the news from eclipsing the Cooperstown. So, if a ruling isn’t issued sometime in the next few days, A-Rod might have to wait until the week of the 13th to hear if he will face the full 211-games, a reduced punishment, or a complete reversal of his suspension.

If the decision isn’t to his liking, A-Rod could take the case to federal court in an effort to dispute the matter again. While the court is unlikely to get involved in revising the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the process could still lengthen the process considerably.

Speaking at a charity event, Rodriguez had the following to say:

Those comments represent a much more calm Rodriguez, as opposed to the one who stormed out of a hearing calling the entire process a “farce” and telling MLB COO Rob Manfred, who led the investigation into the Biogenesis clinic, that he was “full of [crap].”

This latest ruling allows Sitrick to avoid meeting with the independent arbiter by giving him the chance to appeal the previous ruling, a process which is likely to take longer than the suspension ruling. The judge also ruled against MLB’s request to hold Rodriguez’s PR man in contempt of court and fine him daily for pursuing appeal. Calder quotes Ramos explaining:

The ruling could seriously impact the league’s case against Rodriguez, as Calder explains:

Rodriguez is set to make $27.5 million in base salary for the 2014 season and would be likely to also earn a $6 million bonus for passing Willie Mays on the all-time home run list. That’s quite a bit of money, and it seems the Yankees are planning on Rodriguez’s suspension being upheld, which would absolve them of their obligation to pay him for the duration. In fact, it looks like they have already spent that money.

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During the cross-examination phase of Bosch’s testimony last month, A-Rod’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, reportedly asked the undeniably leading question, “You’ve done cocaine in the past?,” to which the clinic director opted to plead the fifth rather than answer and potentially incriminate himself. (It’s unclear whether one can actually incriminate him/herself at a private hearing, but that’s moot now.)

According to Fishman, Tacopina got the information on Bosch’s alleged drug habits from a man named Robert Miller, a friend of the Biogenesis director who has a rather long rap sheet and was brought on to be a smoking gun of the character-assassination variety for A-Rod’s appeal. One presumes that Miller is now a former friend of Bosch’s.

Echoing the words Rodriguez used to describe Selig in his infamous WFAN radio interview last week, the updated briefing attempts to deliver a point-by-point blow illuminating the commissioner’s alleged bias against A-Rod:

The suit then states that the commissioner “lacked the courage of his convictions” to testify at Rodriguez’s appeal hearing last week, which, to the legal team, indicates that his actions were “aimed at” ruining the three-time MVP’s career.

Rodriguez’ grievance hearing regarding his 211-game suspension closed on Thursday. Both sides have until Dec. 11 to file written briefs to present their closing arguments, then another ten days to respond to file replies to each other’s briefs. Independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz will have 25 days to make decision after last brief is filed, likely pushing a final resolution into January.

The third baseman is proud of his legal team, but expressed concern about the arbitration process itself, telling Matthews:

The hearing was originally slated to last through Friday, but the lack of testimony from Bud Selig and A-Rod allowed things to progress a little quicker than expected.

Horowitz is supposed to make his decision based on only the evidence presented in the courtroom over the last two months, but you’d be forgiven if you thought otherwise given the spectacle that occurred around the hearing. Rodriguez and MLB have exchanged accusations throughout the proceedings, with matters ultimately coming to a head on Wednesday when A-Rod stormed out of the courthouse then bashed Selig and company in a subsequent radio interview.

Yes, it would seem that way. So:

(Audio courtesy of @EliIsElite)

The army of attorneys for Alex Rodriguez are planning to make all of the evidence from his appeal public on Friday when the hearing comes to a close, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPN:

Per Matthews, the evidence that Berkowitz speaks of is likely to include transcripts of witness testimony, sworn affidavits and information from an MLB “whistle blower” who reportedly is unhappy with how the league conducted its investigation.

The reactions to A-Rod’s performance on the radio Wednesday have been fast and furious across baseball’s small corner of the Internet. Rather than make you seek them all out, we thought it’d be nice to throw the meat and potatoes of the best commentaries into one post.

Your A-Rod #hottakes of the day:

Behold, annotated A-Rod:

• A-Rod storms out of hearing | Proclaims innocence to WFAN’s Francesa

For that to be true, you have to accept:

My own suspension of disbelief struggles to overcome that last bit. It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who wrote the rich “are different from you and me” (to which Ernest Hemingway mythologically responded, “Yes, they have more money”). It is hard to think of a way in which they are more different than this: When you or I have a cold, we go to a doctor. If we have chest pains, we might seek out a cardiologist. Cancer? Oncologist. If you have good insurance and or great financial resources, perhaps you might even seek out the best, most expensive doctor in his respective field to treat you. What we don’t do is seek out the most unqualified, fly-by-night, strip-mall/office-park-dwelling quack to treat our ills. Apparently being that stupid is a privilege that only the very wealthy possess.

Alex Rodriguez’s grievance hearing Wednesday turned heated after the third baseman stormed out of the proceedings upon learning the MLB commissioner Bud Selig would not be forced to testify by independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz. Agent Scott Boras defended the actions of his former client on Fox Sports 1, saying that Rodriguez should be given the chance to face his accuser and noting “players should have the same rights as American citizens.”

Rodriguez is appealing the 211-game suspension levied upon him by Selig for his connection to the Biogenesis clinic. In an interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesa after the hearing, Rodriguez maintained his innocence, answering definitely that he never used performance-enhancing drugs, and claiming that Selig “hates my guts.” During the hearing, Rodriguez reportedly calling the hearing a “farce” before leaving. He told MLB COO Rob Manfred, who directed the Biogenesis investigation, that he is “full of shit.”

The latest twist in the continuing Alex Rodriguez saga started this morning as he stormed out of the courtroom and called the entire arbitration process a “farce,” which is ironic enough on its own.

But things really got going this afternoon as A-Rod joined Mike Francesa on WFAN and YES. Let’s set the scene:

Rodriguez’s frustration stems from independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz’s refusal to force baseball commissioner Bud Selig to take the witness stand and testify. When Horowitz made that decree, Rodriguez allegedly yelled, “This is ridiculous.”

Neither Selig nor Rodriguez have been reported to take the witness stand to answer questions at this point. Rodriguez missed an investigatory meeting with MLB officials on Friday when he claimed he was sick. Because of this, the MLB is expected to ask that Rodriguez not be allowed to take the stand.

Both the players union and the MLB are hoping to finish testimonies before Thanksgiving, according to USA Today. It remains unclear whether Rodriguez himself will be questioned. He had been slated for an investigatory interview with the MLB Friday, but cancelled when he said he was sick and could not travel from California. Because that meeting never took place, it is likely that the league will ask that he not be allowed to give testimony. There have also been no confirmations that commissioner Bud Selig will testify.

After confirming that he was on the witness list, Yankees President Randy Levine did take the stand on Tuesday, reports the New York Post. Levine was questioned by Rodriguez’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, for about 10 minutes, with MLB’s lawyers declining to cross-examine him.