Shocker! Sounds like MLB has a double standard when it comes to A-Rod, other players in Biogenesis scandal

Let me get this straight. According to published reports in Yahoo! Sports and elsewhere, Bartolo Colon, Melky Cabrera and Yasmani Grandal will NOT get suspended for their involvement in the Biogenesis scandal, because all already were previously punished by MLB for the positive PED tests they had related to their connections to Biogenesis. (They are apparently considered the same incident.)

Meanwhile, according to Bill Madden of the New York Daily News and other published reports, Alex Rodriguez is about to be suspended for...wait for it folks...multiple violations of MLB's PED policy involving the same incident. Madden explained on WFAN's Boomer and Carton Show how this may work:

“We are talking here (about) non-analytical violations, i.e. in absence of a positive drug test,” he said. “OK? Now, let’s just say for example, they have proof — good proof, legitimate proof, records, whatever — that Alex Rodriguez sought to buy drugs. That’s a violation. Now they have proof that Alex Rodriguez actually bought drugs. That’s a violation. Now they have proof that Alex Rodriguez was administered drugs. That’s a third violation.”

So, again, let me get this straight. Melky Cabrera, who had a fake web site created to explain his PED usage, doesn't get any more punishment. Neither does Yasmani Grandal. And 2013 All-Star Bartolo Colon, who is 40 years old, 14-3 with a 2.54 ERA, and leading the league in complete games this season, has simply found the fountain of youth, and there is no reason to investigate him any further. It's just a miracle!

But A-Rod is allegedly guilty of multiple violations for something any person getting caught with steroids would have to do -- seek to buy PEDs, buy them, and take them. C'mon now. (I also have to laugh over the other idea floated recently regarding tougher suspensions for A-Rod -- that he "recruited" players for Biogenesis like some demented Amway salesman. I thought Alex had no friends in baseball, yet now he's the Pied Piper of PEDs?)

Madden also told Boomer and Carton: "Trust me on this, guys. This is no vendetta on Selig’s part."

Really? It sure sounds like one. Especially given the MLB leaks that Selig plans to 1) ban A-Rod from ever playing baseball again, and 2) wants to punish A-Rod much more harshly than anybody else out there, with an unprecedented use of his powers.

Something I noticed regarding MLB's reported plans to punish Rodriguez via the Commissioner's powers via this clause:

Article XII(B) of the Basic Agreement says: “Players may be disciplined for just cause for conduct that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of baseball including, but not limited to, engaging in conduct in violation of federal, state or local law.”

If Bud Selig is going to use this to punish Rodriguez, then why hasn't he used that to go after MLB players who drive drunk, beat their wives, or break the law in some other ways? And why didn't he use that against players named in the BALCO scandal?

The New York Times says that historically, the clause has only been used for gambling-related offenses, and that the players' union is not happy about the idea of if being used here. In fact, Michael Weiner tells the Times that they have received assurances in the past from Bud Selig that it would not be used in other cases.He also says that “I do not expect" Article XII(B) "to be invoked" in this case. 

In addition, there is this tidbit buried in today's anti-A-Rod story in the Daily News:

By using Article XI, Selig would risk a federal court case or a reopening of the collective bargaining agreement. If the Players’ Association decides to reopen the CBA to negotiation, the union would still find it difficult to defend Rodriguez because many of its players have abandoned support for the Yankees’ disgraced third baseman.

I think Rodriguez's lawyers would relish the chance to put Selig et al under oath. Get your popcorn ready!

Who has worse judgment -- Alex Rodriguez or Brian Cashman?

Geez, I didn't even get to write about all the ways Alex Rodriguez could get into trouble with his brand-new Twitter account, before he got into trouble with his brand-new Twitter account. But as social media goes, A-Rod's tweet was not really all that controversial -- until Brian Cashman made it so, that is.

A-Rod wrote this today on Twitter:

Visit from Dr. Kelly over the weekend, who gave me the best news - the green light to play games again! http://t.co/RuzfXOJjHI

— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) June 25, 2013

To which Brian Cashman angrily responded:

"You know what, when the Yankees want to announce something, [we will]," Cashman told ESPN New York. "Alex should just shut the f--- up. That's it. I'm going to call Alex now."

Get your popcorn ready! It's always fun to hear a guy who jumped out of an airplane and broke his leg, who broke up his marriage, and who gave Kevin Youkilis $12 million this year, criticize somebody for bad judgment and tell him to shut the bleep up. It would kind of be like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, parents of baby daughter North West, getting in Gwyneth Paltrow's face about naming her child Apple.

Or maybe it was that Cashman is still shocked, shocked that somebody who wears pinstripes has been linked to steroids in the Biogenesis scandal. (Cough, Bartolo Colon, cough Francisco Cervelli, etc. etc.)

By the way, why hasn't anybody in the New York sports media (other than Squawker Jon, that is) -- noticed that Cash recently signed former Met Fernando Martinez, who has been named in the Biogenesis scandal? Don't you think it would be kind of difficult for the Yanks to try to void A-Rod's contract after doing so?

Again, on the A-Rod scale of all the dopey things he has said, tweeting that one of his doctors had cleared him to play is hardly that big a deal. Until Cashman made it that way, of course. He could have made his point -- that the Yanks had not officially cleared A-Rod for play yet -- in a professional way, one that didn't unleash the F-bomb. Instead, Cash showed his usual poor judgment here. (Not that the media will ever call him on it, though!) 

My initial reaction upon hearing this STORY was that Cash is probably going to do the reverse of rushing back Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis after the Mets swept the Yankees -- something that put them both back on the DL -- and try to stall when Alex would be back for as long as possible. "Sorry, folks, the docs say A-Rod won't be ready until 2018," I can imagine Cashman saying. (An aside -- give me a player who is ready and eager to come back any day over the Carl Pavanos of the world. Of course, Cash loved Pavano, and even tried to re-sign him! Again with that lousy judgment thing of Cash's.)

My favorite part of this story, aside from the sheer hypocrisy of Cashman, the guy who publicly criticized his own team's ownership for signing Rafael Soriano, criticizing A-Rod for speaking out of turn, is this rather meek response after Cash got all George Costanza in a snit fit, bellowing "That's it. I'm going to call Alex now." 

According to ESPN New York, "Cashman ended up emailing Rodriguez and did not get an immediate response." That's it? He sent an email? What, did A-Rod see Cash's number show up on his caller ID and let it go to voice mail or something? Ha!

You know, I have been saying this last October than A-Rod ought to let loose and say what he really thinks about Cashman, Joe Girardi, etc. Wouldn't it be great if he actually did, without the filter of the New York sports media to censor his words? Dare to dream!

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Note to the media: What part of 'A-Rod has a guaranteed contract' did you not understand?

So I've been asked what I think about the Biogenesis scandal, and what do I think will happen to Alex Rodriguez, Francisco Cervelli, and the rest of the players named in the scandal now that Biogenesis head honcho Tony Bosch is reportedly about to sing like a canary. Since you asked, here are my thoughts:

1. The idea of 100-game suspensions here for what are technically first-time offenses is overblown, and is based on this from the ESPN article that broke the story:

"One source familiar with the case said the commissioner's office might seek 100-game suspensions for Rodriguez, Braun and other players, the penalty for a second doping offense. The argument, the source said, is the players' connection to Bosch constitutes one offense, and previous statements to MLB officials denying any such connection or the use of PEDs constitute another."

That is a real reach, given that the MLB Players' Agreement clearly states that a first-time offense would be only 50 games. Using that logic, every player who denied being dirty and appealed a test would have had to have been suspended for 100 games for lying about it. MLB may try this, but they are not likely to win.

If A-Rod, Braun, et al are proven to have juiced, then they deserve to be punished. But forget about them getting 100-game suspensions.

2. Note to the media: Stop talking about how the Yankees really ought to give A-Rod the what-for and void his contract: We have been hearing this nonsense for months, and it will never happen. What part of "A-Rod has a guaranteed contract" do you all not understand?  The New York Post's Joel Sherman, who should know better, makes some noise about it today. And the Star-Ledger's Steve Politi has a whole screed today talking about the Yankees' voiding the contract, and that even if they are unsuccessful, this will be the end of his time in pinstripes. "His career in the Bronx, already in doubt because of his broken-down body, is over now." Really, Steve? Have any evidence to back that up? I suppose the Yankees could release him tomorrow, and eat the 100+ million still owed him, but I strongly doubt that will happen.

3. PED suspensions happen the same time a player is on the DL: If A-Rod and Cervelli are suspended, they would conceivably serve that suspension at the same time they are on the disabled list (of course, Cervelli is supposed to be back within this month.) I wrote in 2010 about how ridiculous it was that a player like Edinson Volquez could be on the DL with Tommy John surgery, and not miss a game due to a 50-game PED suspension.

4. Be careful what you wish for: ESPN's Ian O'Connor sez today that Rodriguez should get ahead of the story and "come clean" now. Imagine if A-Rod really did, and ratted out not just other players using, but Yankee team management being complicit in PED use? (Sorry, there are no innocents here -- front offices and managers are content to look the other way, as long as they can reap the benefits of players juicing. Of course, the players take all the risks here -- financial, legal, and health-wise.)

Anyhow, if you really want to get PEDs out of baseball, start with taking away wins and punishing managers and general managers, instead of just the players. If team front offices started suffering personal financial consequences from players juicing, they would be much better at policing their own teams.

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