11/20/13, "
Mike Francesa on Alex Rodriguez interview: I asked him all the tough questions," Newsday, Neil Best. image YES
----------------------------------------
Neil Best
twitter, "A-Rod to Francesa: "
You don't need any help with ratings, Mike."
11/20/13, "
A-Rod Walks Out Of Hearing Angry And Into WFAN Studios To Set Record Straight," newyork.cbslocal.com, "Calls Grievance Hearing A 'Farce,' Then Tells Francesa He's Guilty Of Nothing."
"
Alex Rodriguez walked out of his grievance hearing Wednesday after
arbitrator Fredric Horowitz refused to order baseball Commissioner Bud
Selig to testify.
He later showed up at the WFAN studios to talk to host Mike Francesa
about it....
Rodriguez vehemently denied any wrongdoing in the case, including
saying that he’s not used PEDs at all since 2003. He also denied having
leaked documents about Ryan Braun to Yahoo! Sports, calling that
accusation by Major League Baseball “laughable” and “disgusting.”
Finally, he denied any obstructing of justice during the course of this
case, one of the several reasons given by MLB to give Rodriguez the
biggest drug-related suspension of all-time.”
“I can’t make any decision now. I’m way too hot,” Rodriguez said,
adding when asked if he’s guilty of any of the current allegations
against him. “I did nothing, Mike. With the Bosch nonsense, nothing.”
Horowitz was in the midst of the 12th day of hearings on the
grievance filed by the players’ association to overturn the 211-game
suspension given to Rodriguez last summer for alleged violations of the
sport’s drug agreement and labor contract.
After Horowitz made his ruling, the New York Yankees third baseman
slammed a table, uttered a profanity at MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob
Manfred and left. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because
what takes place at the hearing is supposed to be confidential.
“I lost my mind,” Rodriguez told Francesa on Wednesday afternoon. “I
banged a table and kicked a briefcase and slammed out of the room, and
just felt like this system … I knew it was restricted and I knew it
wasn’t fair, but what we saw today, it was disgusting.”
“And the fact that
the man from Milwaukee that put the suspension on
me, with not one bit of evidence — something I didn’t do — and he
doesn’t have the courage to come look me in the eye and tell me this is
why I did 211? I shouldn’t serve one inning,” Rodriguez added.
After walking out of the hearing, Rodriguez issued the following statement:
“
I am disgusted with this abusive process, designed to ensure that the player fails,”
Rodriguez said. “I have sat through 10 days of testimony by felons and
liars, sitting quietly through every minute, trying to respect the
league and the process.
“This morning, after Bud Selig refused to come in and testify about
his rationale for the unprecedented and totally baseless punishment he
hit me with, the arbitrator selected by MLB and the players’ association
refused to order Selig to come in and face me. The absurdity and
injustice just became too much. I walked out and will not participate
any further in this farce.”
Rodriguez’s legal team remains involved in the proceeding. It has been unclear whether Rodriguez will testify.
Horowitz technically is chairman of a three-man arbitration panel
that also includes Manfred and Dave Prouty, the general counsel of the
players’ union.
“For more than 40 years, Major League Baseball and the players’
association have had a contractual grievance process to address disputes
between the two parties. This negotiated process has served players and
clubs well,” the commissioner’s office said in a statement. “Despite
Mr. Rodriguez being upset with one of the arbitration panel’s rulings
today, Major League Baseball remains committed to this process and to a
fair resolution of the pending dispute.”
A day earlier,
Yankees President Randy Levine testified and denied conspiring with MLB on A-Rod’s suspension.
Levine was asked a series of questions by Rodriguez lawyer Joseph Tacopina,
according to another person with knowledge of the proceeding, who also
spoke on condition of anonymity because of the hearing’s confidentiality
provision.
The person said Levine testified for 10-15 minutes and denied having
any personal gain from Rodriguez’s suspension or the Yankees falling
under the luxury tax threshold; and of having an agreement to receive a
commission of any money the team saved because of the ban.
Levine also denied discussing Rodriguez’s discipline with Major
League Baseball or Selig and telling Rodriguez surgeon Dr. Bryan Kelly
or anyone else that he wanted the player off the field, the person said.
The person said Levine testified he may have jokingly used the phrase
“is he off the juice?” when talking with Rodriguez about other players
who weren’t performing. Levine testified he had no exact recollection.
The hearing resumed Monday before Horowitz, who also heard the case from Sept. 30-Oct. 3 and Oct. 15-18.
Howard Gans, a lawyer for MLB, said in papers filed in federal court
that Horowitz will hear the case daily through Nov. 26 rather than the
original plan to recess after Friday and resume Dec. 16.
MLB said U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in Manhattan issued an
order Tuesday compelling Michael Sitrick, head of the public relations
firm Sitrick & Co., to comply with a Sept. 19 subpoena issued by
Horowitz to appear at the arbitration and to provide documents. Sitrick
& Co. worked on Rodriguez’s behalf earlier this year.
In papers filed in New York Supreme Court on Oct. 29, MLB alleged
Sitrick & Co. had provided records from Bosch to Yahoo Sports, which
published a story Feb. 5 saying the name of 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun
appeared in records of Biogenesis of America, the Florida anti-aging
clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.
MLB said in the court papers it believed the documents had been
“provided to Sitrick & Co. by Rodriguez or others acting on his
behalf.” Miami New Times had reported Jan. 29 that Rodriguez bought
human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing substances from
Biogenesis during 2009-12.
Sitrick’s lawyers, who had the matter removed to federal court, did
not respond to an email seeking comment on Ramos’ order, which MLB said
was read from the bench.
Braun agreed July 22 to a season-ending 65-game suspension. Rodriguez
was suspended Aug. 5 for alleged violations of the sport’s drug
agreement and labor contract, and the players’ union filed the grievance
to overturn the penalty. Under baseball’s drug agreement, he was
allowed to continue playing while contesting the discipline.
The three-time AL MVP said four years ago he used PEDs while with the
Texas Rangers from 2001-03, but has denied using them since. At the
time of his suspension, MLB said the penalty was for “use and possession
of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances,
including testosterone and human growth hormone over the course of
multiple years” and for “engaging in a course of conduct intended to
obstruct and frustrate the office of the commissioner’s investigation.”" Arod
photo from WFAN website
11/21/13,
Newsday back page (Arod picture from
Tues., 11/19/13)
Labels: Alex Rodriguez interview with Mike Francesa on WFAN and YES Network after storming out of MLB arbitration hearing
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