Baseball commissioner Bud Selig defended his decision to issue Alex Rodriguez a 211-game suspension to a group of reporters Thursday, telling Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com the punishment was "eminently fair."
Bud Selig calls Alex Rodriguez’s suspension ‘eminently fair’
The commissioner said that he “wouldn’t second-guess” his decision to give Rodriguez a 211-game suspension.
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sport
Selig discussed his decision making with reporters, stating:
“I spent many, many hours thinking about it. Trying to be fair, trying to be logical and rational. And the one thing you learn in this job after 20-something years, I wouldn’t second-guess it today at all. I know why I did it, and what I did. I thought it was eminently fair then and I think it’s eminently fair today.”
MLB suspended 13 players on Aug. 5 for their connection to the Biogenesis scandal. Of those, 12 players received 50-game suspensions and have begun serving their suspensions immediately. Rodriguez appealed his suspension, and has received support from the MLBPA executive director.
Rodriguez has appeared in nine games since his return from hip and quad injuries, batting .278/.350/.417 with one home run in 40 plate appearances.
The third baseman could finish out the season with the Yankees. MLB hopes to present their evidence in late September to the independent arbitrator, according to Christian Red of the New York Daily News, but the arbitrator may take longer than 25 days to reach a decision due to the nature of the case.
More from SB Nation MLB:
See More:
