Alex Rodriguez’s fight for his baseball life kicked off in fittingly dramatic fashion Monday, as the beleaguered Yankees slugger faced off against his primary accuser.
Anthony Bosch, the owner of the now-shuttered Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in South Florida, arrived at Major League Baseball’s Manhattan headquarters at about 3:15 p.m., as announced by his spokeswoman
Joyce Fitzpatrick, to begin testifying on MLB’s behalf in Rodriguez’s appeal of his 211-game suspension.
Bosch, looking considerably cleaned up from his previous photos, is purported to have extensive evidence — including text messages, emails and notes of regimens — linking Rodriguez to the purchase and usage of illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez, after initially denying any connection with Bosch, has since conceded through his attorney, Joseph Tacopina, that he had a “consulting relationship” with Bosch.
Rodriguez and Tacopina reported to MLB’s Midtown office at 9:27 a.m. and departed at 5:59 p.m. A-Rod declined comment besides saying, “Excuse me” to the army of reporters and photographers on site. Tacopina, asked how the day went, responded, “It went well.”
Bosch was still being questioned by MLB attorneys when the session adjourned for the day, a source familiar with the situation said. On Tuesday, Tacopina will likely get his chance to cross-examine Bosch. It’s critical for Rodriguez’s case that he discredit Bosch.
The fact Bosch didn’t even show up until the hearing was well into its first day bodes poorly for an expedient hearing. It now appears unlikely that the hearing will conclude by Friday, the last day of the first window that independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz has given the participants. The hearing would not simply resume on Monday, but rather on a later date that is convenient for Horowitz, who normally works out of Southern California.
That comes as bad news to the Yankees, who are desperately hoping Horowitz upholds Rodriguez’s entire suspension and does so quickly. The Yankees are determined to drop their 2014 payroll under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold, and it will be far more challenging to do so as long as they don’t know how many dollars, if any, they must allocate for the third baseman, who is set to make $25 million next season, plus would earn a $6 million bonus if he hits six home runs to tie Willie Mays’ career total of 660.
The Yankees also will not be thrilled by the public cries of support for Rodriguez and against them and MLB. As Rodriguez arrived in the morning, a group of about 10 people held signs, which included
“LEAVE A-ROD ALONE” and “Bosch Liar.” Moreover, a group called “Hispanics Across America” announced it will rally Tuesday morning while wearing jerseys sporting Rodriguez’s number 13 and protesting against Yankees president Randy Levine, the Yankees and MLB.
In a statement, Fernando Mateo, the president of HAA, said: “A-Rod has been drug tested more than any Major League Player (sic) and has never tested positive for the use of steroids. Randy Levine and the NY Yankees are responsible for this unfair 211 game suspension.”
Tacopina went after Levine in a series of August interviews, accusing him of sending threatening emails to Rodriguez and telling surgeon Bryan Kelly, who operated on Rodriguez’s left hip, that he didn’t want to see A-Rod on the field again. Those claims might not be part of Rodriguez’s defense at all.
Mateo continued: “The punishment does not fit the crime. A-Rod is innocent. If A-Rod is found guilty by association a 50-game suspension like every 1st time offender would be fair.”
Rodriguez has said he’ll attend every day of the hearing. He’s just getting started — and so is Bosch, for that matter. Terry Gonzalez-Chavez, the spokeswoman for Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine
Fernandez Rundle, said that office issued a subpoena for Biogenesis documents.
“We do believe there may be issues of state concern in this case and we are investigating them,” Gonzalez-Chavez said.
While Team A-Rod had been hopeful the threat of further penalties would cause Bosch to cease cooperating with MLB, baseball officials believe Bosch is ready to divulge all details in the case and face all consequences. Bosch showing up Monday was a good first step for MLB.