Major League Baseball (MLB) issued a 211-game suspension to Alex Rodriguez for alleged use of performance enhancing drugs (PED) and obstruction of baseball’s PED investigation.
If the charge is admitted by A-Rod or proven in a fair hearing, then A-Rod is a cheat deserving of a just penalty. But 211 games is surely not just. The obstruction charge is ludicrous given that 12 of the 13 accused did not even challenge the penalty.
While MLB attempts to scapegoat ARod, who is going to put MLB on trial for the PED epidemic? Was admitted PED user Jose Canseco really the only baseball person who knew about the rampant use of PEDs? Was Tony LaRussa — the manager of Canseco and his teammate and admitted PED user Mark McGwire — unaware? Was Commissioner Bud Selig unaware? LaRussa, with Selig’s apparent approval, even hired McGwire as his batting coach, further enabling the PED users.
The penalty for A-Rod is absurd in light of the fact that all the others received only 50 games, except for Ryan Braun’s 65-game suspension. The hypocrisy and double standard are evident.
Robert R. Salman
Marlboro