The New York Yankees season has ended, but the action is only heating up for third baseman Alex Rodriguez as he began the appeals process Monday for his unprecedented 211-game suspension handed down in August for his alleged connection to Anthony Bosch and the Biogenesis clinic responsible for providing players with performance enhancing drugs.
Rodriguez was at Major League Baseball's headquarters in New York Monday for Day 1 of his appeals process, USA Today Sports reports. Rodriguez, who is fighting to protect his reputation and overall legacy as a baseball player, has begun to present his argument in front of arbitrator Frederic Horowitz, who is expected to rule within 25 days whether or not the punishment will stand, be reduced or be lifted.
Rodriguez was one of 14 players that were suspended due to a link between them and Bosch's now defunct Biogenesis anti-aging clinic, but he was the only player to appeal the ban. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was the first to accept his suspension back in July when he agreed to serve a 65-game punishment for his connection to the clinic, and he has attempted to make strides at saving his reputation after being dropped from many endorsements and losing the respect of his peers, friends and the fans.
The other 12 players all agreed to and served 50-game bans back in August, but Rodriguez has stuck to his guns and was able to finish out the season until his appeal process played out. If Horowitz rules on the side of the MLB, perhaps A-Rod's legacy will be tarnished, at least in the eyes of some.
Rodriguez was in no mood to speculate on the possible results.
"I'm not going to get into my expectations. I'm fighting for my life, and my whole baseball legacy," Rodriguez said over the weekend, according to USA Today Sports
MLB commissioner Bud Selig, set to retire after the 2014 season, said the punishment for Rodriguez was just due to the investigation's findings, and he still stays with that sentiment today.
"I thought it was eminently fair then, and I think it's eminently fair today," Selig said at the owners' meetings last month per USA Today.
Bosch, who has cooperated with the MLB during its investigation, was on-hand for the first day of A-Rod's appeals process Monday, but the New York Daily News reports that Miami officials are launching another probe into Bosch.
"We are looking at issues that relate to potential state concerns," Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office spokesman Ed Griffith told the Daily News.
Rodriguez appeared in 44 games this season for New York, and hit .244 with seven homers and 19 RBIs. For his career, Rodriguez has played in 2,568 games while notching a career average of .299 with 654 homers and 1,969 RBIs. Rodriguez ranks fifth all-time on the MLB's career home runs list.
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