Was Selig's Punishment Too Heavy-Handed?

[ABM]

Man, it's a tough one.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Why is it a tough one? All of them except for A Rod will be back in time for the playoffs.

 

[porkchopexpress]

Why is it a tough one? All of them except for A Rod will be back in time for the playoffs.

In order to 'come back', he first has to leave.

 

[MARIS61]

Lifetime ban and expunge all records, stats, and mention of any kind for all juicers and other cheaters.

Anything less is no punishment at all.

Also, since all wages and endorsement earnings were the result of conspiracy to defraud, all money should be forfeited and prosecution under the RICO act should follow.

 

[BlazerWookee]

On the contrary. Not heavy-handed enough.

 

[ABM]

Why is it a tough one? All of them except for A Rod will be back in time for the playoffs.

I should have been more specific:

A-Rod.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

I should have been more specific:

A-Rod.

Nope, not heavy enough. He was encouraging players to join him in using PEDs. That would have been similar to Pete Rose not only betting on baseball but also acting as a bookie for other players.

 

[PapaG]

I hate the Yankees and Alex Rodriguez, but he got screwed. Ryan Braun should have had the same penalty, at the very least.

 

[MARIS61]

It's a form of embezzlement. Any other field of employment you'd be fired, arrested and blacklisted.

 

[Hobbesarable]

I should have been more specific:

A-Rod.

He should be banned for life. If baseball wants to bring its "magic" back, then it's time to make a purge.

Btw, I am a Yankees fan. I'm upset with several juicers from the Yankees like A-Rod and Roger Clemens.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Why should some players who used be suspended for 50 games and A-Rod be suspended for a lifetime? Seems a bit disproportionate.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

Why should some players who used be suspended for 50 games and A-Rod be suspended for a lifetime? Seems a bit disproportionate.

It was a second violation by A Rod.

I do not think it was too heavy handed. However, I still think there is a huge drug problem throughout the sport. These guys were just stupid and got caught.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Why should some players who used be suspended for 50 games and A-Rod be suspended for a lifetime? Seems a bit disproportionate.

While MLB has not released any evidence it's been reported that A-Rod referred the other players involved to the clinic in Miami. So he not only cheated he encouraged and helped others to cheat.

 

[PapaG]

It was a second violation by A Rod.

I do not think it was too heavy handed. However, I still think there is a huge drug problem throughout the sport. These guys were just stupid and got caught.

No it wasn't. He's never been suspended by MLB, and never tested positive. This is a first suspension for A-Rod under the drug testing guidelines.

He'll end up with 50 games. Ryan Braun made a mockery of testing, got busted, got suspended ruined the career of the guy who collected his sample with some bogus story, had a non-MLB arbitrator buy his story, and he only got 60-odd games.

He even won an MVP while clearly juicing. Luckiy for him, he plays for the Brewers, which is Bud Selig's team.

 

[PapaG]

While MLB has not released any evidence it's been reported that A-Rod referred the other players involved to the clinic in Miami. So he not only cheated he encouraged and helped others to cheat.

So that means he should get 4x the penalty? Did he force other players to cheat, too?

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

No it wasn't. He's never been suspended by MLB, and never tested positive.

So his admission after the SI article ran did not count for anything?

 

[PapaG]

So his admission after the SI article ran did not count for anything?

No, it doesn't. Not according to the rules of the MLB CBA. He is a first-time offender, and the suspension being given him is ridiculous.

 

[SlyPokerDog]

So that means he should get 4x the penalty? Did he force other players to cheat, too?

The law tends to look at it that way. If a person helps to facilitate a drug deal they get a punishment more in line with a drug dealer than a drug user.

 

[PapaG]

The law tends to look at it that way. If a person helps to facilitate a drug deal they get a punishment more in line with a drug dealer than a drug user.

Is MLB 'the law'? I also hadn't heard of the "hey, here is my dealer" extra punishment. I call bullshit.

 

[ehizzy3]

if anything braun should be banned

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Is MLB 'the law'? I also hadn't heard of the "hey, here is my dealer" extra punishment. I call bullshit.

I didn't say MLB was the law. I'm just trying to explain why A-Rod's punishment is more severe.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

"Rodriguez's discipline under the Basic Agreement is for attempting to cover-up his violations of the program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the Office of the Commissioner's investigation," Selig said in the statement.

I am going let them fight it out and am not going to bother with reading whether they can legally do this or not.

 

[ehizzy3]

it was too harsh, and the appeal process will prove that.

 

[PapaG]

I am going let them fight it out and am not going to bother with reading whether they can legally do this or not.

So, Selig basically just pulled it out of his old white ass, and goes all in toward the Hispanic player.

Meanwhile, Braun, who vehemently denied using PEDs to the point of destroying a man's career, is able to just miss the rest of a lost season for Milwaukee, and gets a fresh start next season.

 

[Charcoal Filtered]

So, Selig basically just pulled it out of his old white ass, and goes all in toward the Hispanic player.

Meanwhile, Braun, who vehemently denied using PEDs to the point of destroying a man's career, is able to just miss the rest of a lost season for Milwaukee, and gets a fresh start next season.

Braun bargained. Probably also helped that he played for the Brewers.

An unarmed teen is killed walking home because of a chain of events that started because he looked suspicious and you have no problem with that. You have a problem though if drug cheats are not penalized properly?

As I said earlier, let the lawyers figure it out.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

I will have no sympathy for A-Rod when it comes to his punishment. But it does seem like he is the poster child for steroids and MLB (with Bonds out of the picture) and I think he is turning somewhat into the fall guy where if he is punished sufficiently that somehow wipes the slate clean and gives MLB some credibility back.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

"Rodriguez's discipline under the Basic Agreement is for attempting to cover-up his violations of the program by engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the Office of the Commissioner's investigation," Selig said in the statement.

I am going let them fight it out and am not going to bother with reading whether they can legally do this or not.

If that were a valid justification for a more severe penalty, then why didn't they give Melky Cabrera an extended suspension when he had a fake website created to try to justify his PED use?

(From my understanding) Based on the terms of the CBA, they don't have grounds for this suspension under the drug policy. If Selig had invoked the "best interests" clause, then it would be a different story. But he didn't (which we know because A-Rod was given opportunity to appeal), so I doubt it stands.