Now the colossal enemies get to face off in person once again.
It has been a long month without action in The Appeal Hearing of the Century, but based on how these two sides operate, they should catch up in a hurry. A-Rod resumes the appeal of his 211-game suspension Monday at MLB’s Park Avenue headquarters, and the case will go 10 straight days, if necessary _ through November 27, until a break for Thanksgiving — in the interest of getting this craziness over with already. The Yankees, whose payroll flexibility depends on independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz’s ruling on this matter, sure can’t wait for a resolution.
When we last left our combatants on Oct. 18, MLB wrapped up its presentation. Now it’s Team A-Rod’s turn, it surely will be even more entertaining than what preceded it. The Post is jealous of the people who actually get to witness the closed hearing.
In honor of our star A-Rod, let’s spell out the five key factors that should define these 10-or-fewer days:
–A is for Animosity. OMG, the animosity. Never in the history of baseball, if not professional sports altogether, has there been a legal proceeding quite like this. Team A-Rod hates MLB and vice versa — the two sides regularly exchanged public accusations and insults during the month-long hiatus — and the Players Association isn’t particularly fond of anyone in this drama.
Even as Horowitz tended to other matters and MLB officials attended the World Series (in Boston and St. Louis) and the general managers’, owners’ and industry meetings (all in Orlando), there were still goings-on in actual court, as MLB attempted to compel A-Rod’s former public-relations guru, Michael Sitrick, to testify in the hearing and a federal judge oversaw a conference concerning A-Rod’s lawsuit vs. MLB.
The first eight days of the hearing featured myriad snide exchanges between the sides, highlighted by a particularly tense dialogue between A-Rod’s attorney Joseph Tacopina and an attorney for star MLB witness Anthony Bosch outside the room, and Horowitz has needed to play schoolteacher/traffic cop to keep things moving. There’s no reason to think this last lap will feature any less ill will.
–The hyphen exemplifies this saga thankfully might not end even when both sides rest, or even if Horowitz can issue his ruling by Christmas. That’s because A-Rod’s lawsuit against MLB has another conference scheduled Jan. 23, and it’s possible that if any part of his suspension holds, he could attempt to get a temporary restraining order and continue playing (and drawing paychecks).
A-Rod is well aware of Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma’s successful attempt at challenging his NFL suspension — for his alleged role in the “Bounty scandal” — through federal court. And there’s no sign he’s running out of money to fund his hilarious battle.
–R is for the Risk of A-Rod testifying on his own behalf. He made plans to subject himself to an investigatory interview — a necessary perquisite to testimony — last Friday, in Manhattan, only to call in sick. The matter is expected to be addressed during the hearing.
On the surface, A-Rod testifying sounds like an awful idea for him and a great one for MLB, whose attorneys would salivate at the chance to cross-examine the accused. A-Rod, to be kind, is not a good speaker, nor is he quick on his feet verbally; remember his “confession” news conference at Steinbrenner Field in 2009?
The reward would be if A-Rod came off as more believable than Bosch. Eh. This isn’t a jury of peers. It’s a professional arbitrator. The risks outweigh the reward.
–O is for Opposition, which Team A-Rod hopes to master this week and beyond. One of the first witnesses is expected to be an expert who will contend that, had Rodriguez actually taken the illegal PED protocol that Bosch testified he did, there’s no way A-Rod would have passed the drug tests issued by MLB.
We’re also likely to see Dan Mullin, the senior vice president of MLB’s department of investigations whom Team A-Rod has accused of indiscrete behavior. And don’t be surprised if Team A-Rod tries to get Bud Selig to testify, just as we reported last week, presumably to ask him about the alleged vendetta he has against the game’s highest-paid player. MLB would fight hard to keep Selig off the witness stand, and the call ultimately will be made by Horowitz.
–D is for Disorder, both inside the hearing room and outside the building, where Hispanics Across America members will cheer for A-Rod and HAA president Fernando Mateo will again criticize a process he doesn’t at all understand.
Add these up, and you get more than enough to keep you occupied while the Hot Stove season slowly develops. Enough, really, to make you thankful — 10 days before the big holiday — that we have A-Rod.