Yankees superstar A-Rod given 211-game drugs ban
In a statement last night, the league said the 38-year-old was being punished for “his 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 his attempts to cover up those violations and obstruct a league investigation.
Rodriguez, popularly known as A-Rod, who had been hoping to make his 2013 season debut last night after missing four months with injury, is expected to appeal the decision which would leave him eligible to play until that appeal process is complete.
Rodriguez’s ban stems from an investigation into the now defunct Biogenesis clinic in Miami.
Eleven other players involved in the case accepted 50-game bans without appeal, while Ryan Braun, the 2011 National League MVP, accepted a 65-game ban last month for his involvement in the scandal.
Rodriguez was given the longest ban as Major League Baseball hold evidence to show that he was not only a customer of Biogenesis, but pointed other players in its direction and then obstructed the league’s investigation.
Although drugs have tainted the careers of some of baseball’s biggest names in recent years, Rodriguez is the highest-profile player to be banned during his active career.
He made his Major League debut at the relatively young age of 18, and has hit 647 home runs during a career spent with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Yankees, putting him fifth on the list of all-time home run leaders, 115 behind Barry Bonds — who was never banned for doping but was caught in the BALCO scandal.
The Biogenesis scandal began when a former employee of the now defunct anti-ageing clinic in Florida revealed company documents to the Miami New Times, with the records clearly listing the names of several players who were customers of the clinic, now known to be a distributor of steroids and performance-enhancing substances.
The clinic’s owner Anthony Bosch initially fought efforts to force him to hand over his documentation, but agreed to cooperate with Major League Baseball’s investigation at the beginning of June.
In a statement today, MLB commissioner Bud Selig praised the work of the investigators involved in the case, and said it demonstrated the league’s determination to rid itself of doping scandals.
“Despite the challenges this situation has created during a great season on the field, we pursued this matter because it was not only the right thing to do, but the only thing to do,” he said.
“For weeks, I have noted the many players throughout the game who have strongly voiced their support on this issue, and I thank them for it. I appreciate the unwavering support of our owners and club personnel, who share my ardent desire to address this situation appropriately.”
This is not the first time Rodriguez has been caught in a doping scandal.
In February 2009, Sports Illustrated reported that Rodriguez had tested positive for two anabolic steroids, testosterone and Primobolan, during the 2003 season while with Texas.
Those results were part of a US government report which found that 104 major league players out of 1,200 tested were positive for performance-enhancing substances, although no punishments followed due to the league’s lack of mandatory drug testing and the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players at the time.
Such penalties were subsequently introduced in 2004.
Rodriguez, in the middle of a 10-year $275million contract with the Yankees, will now be left fighting for his future career.
Prior to today’s ruling it appeared he could be facing a life ban from the sport, and even though he has avoided that fate, the New York Yankees may look for ways to cancel the remaining years on his contract which still has around $100m owing.
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