Even when Alex Rodriguez is suspended from baseball he still manages to steal the headlines from the game. According to an upcoming book by Tim Elfrink and Gus Garcia-Roberts, Major League Baseball allowed Rodriguez to use performance enhancing drugs in 2007.
In the book, Blood Sport: Alex Rodriguez, Biogenesis and the Quest to End Baseball's Steroid Era, the writers claim that Rodriguez requested permission to use testosterone, and it was granted by then-independent program administrator, Bryan W. Smith.
According to Sports Illustrated, the MLB’s drug policy allows for exemptions from certain drugs if there is sound reasoning for it’s usage.
“Under baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy, players can apply for a so-called therapeutic use exemption (TUE) to take certain medical substances otherwise banned by MLB. A doctor appointed by both sides—the independent program administrator (IPA) -- reviews all applications. Baseball also has an expert medical panel to advise the IPA. If an exemption is granted, the player cannot be punished for using that substance. The exemption is good for one year.”
The report was revealed during Rodriguez’s fall 2013 grievance hearing along with several other exemption requests from his time with the New York Yankees. Even as the “steriod era” comes to a close, MLB cannot escape the black eye it received at the hands of the PED users. This exemption for Rodriguez is just the latest demon baseball has to live with despite the advisory medical panel not exisiting in 2007.
In 2007, Rodriguez played in 158 games and posted career numbers. Rodriguez had a .314 batting average, hit 54 home runs, drove in 156 runs, had an 1.067 OPS and a .645 slugging percentage on his way to the American League Most Valuable Player Award.
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