TAMPA — While Alex Rodriguez spent time hitting yesterday, we learned considerably more about his defense.
Major League Baseball isn’t impressed. And baseball is so offended by A-Rod’s alleged behavior it might try to keep him off the field immediately.
With MLB set to bring down the suspension hammer on Rodriguez and other Biogenesis suspects as soon as tomorrow, his attorney, David Cornwell, offered a glimpse yesterday of how the beleaguered Yankees’ third baseman intends to appeal such a penalty. The Post reported Sunday that MLB is leaning toward suspending A-Rod for the duration of the 2013 season and all of 2014, as it would be difficult to defend a life sentence in front of arbitrator Fredric Horowitz.
Cornwell, who made his name in baseball by successfully defending Ryan Braun’s positive drug test last year, told Stephen A. Smith of ESPN NY Radio he expects Rodriguez to challenge his imminent suspension and focused his criticism on the documents (featuring the names of Rodriguez and other ballplayers) that appeared originally in the Miami New Times.
“What’s been made public are various documents that a disgruntled ex-employee of Biogenesis allegedly stole,” Cornwell said, referring to Porter Fischer. “I would imagine we’ll spend some time talking with the arbitrator about the documents and things of that nature. Their authenticity, their relevancy, the reliability — all of the things that typically arise in an adversarial proceeding will be the basis of our defense of Alex in his appeal hearing.”
While the New Times’ publication of these documents publicized the Biogenesis case, MLB officials believe that they have gathered enough other, superior evidence from Biogenesis owner Anthony Bosch — most notably direct communication between Bosch and Rodriguez — that Fischer’s credibility is a moot issue.
Asked yesterday what would constitute a victory, Cornwell replied, “No discipline.”
Of Bosch, Cornwell said, “Obviously, they [baseball officials] believe that he’s credible. I have my concerns. But what’s most important is whether or not arbitrator Horowitz will believe that he’s credible or not. And that’s something we will present in a hearing room, not through the media.”
The Associated Press reported last night that baseball could look to suspend A-Rod, who is suspected of obstructing MLB’s investigation into Biogenesis, under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, rather than its Joint Drug Agreement. Unlike the JDA, the CBA doesn’t allow for automatic stays under suspensions, and since obstruction in and of itself isn’t a drug-related penalty, this could be a viable avenue that would spare MLB the embarrassment of Rodriguez playing with the Yankees while a suspension hangs over him.
However, a person in the loop characterized this scenario as unlikely. When Ryan Braun accepted his 65-game suspension last week, part of the suspension tied into his behavior last year — accusing baseball’s urine collector of impropriety, among other transgressions — after he won the appeal for his positive drug test. This, too, could be construed as not a drug-related penalty, yet it was classified as a JDA act.
Baseball intends to announce its decisions on Rodriguez and the remaining Biogenesis suspects all at once, with the thinking that the other players found guilty would be presented with 50-game suspensions in line with first-time offenders.
Rodriguez spent about three and a half hours yesterday at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa, as he’s hoping to play in either a simulated game or a minor league game on Thursday. He hit in the batting cage, took groundballs at third base (but didn’t throw them to first) and ran the first-to-third base arc along with his injured teammate Curtis Granderson.
Rodriguez pointed and smiled at reporters as he departed the complex but didn’t stop to answer questions.
According to Granderson, he and A-Rod pushed themselves while running the arc, at the urging of head athletic trainer for player development Tim Lentych.
Lentych wanted the pair to clock under 13 seconds, Granderson said, and they both came in at about 12 seconds.
“We were doing arc runs. The first two were just to make conditioning time,” Granderson said. “The last one, [Lentych] said, ‘Let’s push it,’ and we both came at the time, which is a good thing.
“Obviously [Rodriguez] was a little fatigued, but in terms of the explosiveness, he kept up with me. And I’ve been running a lot longer than he has, which is definitely a good sign.”
A-Rod suffered another legal setback yesterday when his notorious cousin, Yuri Sucart, lost in his effort (as well as that of others) to dismiss MLB’s lawsuit against people affiliated with Biogenesis. Baseball has subpoenaed Sucart — who gained fame when A-Rod referred to him, without naming him, during his 2009 confession of prior illegal performance-enhancing drug usage — to speak to its investigators about the alleged illegal PED usage of Rodriguez and other players.
Fort Lauderdale attorney Jeffrey Sonn, representing Sucart, said he will appeal the ruling of Miami-Dade Circuit Court Ronald Dresnick. Sonn argued a third party shouldn’t be sued for violating a collective bargaining agreement between two other parties. For now, Sucart still won’t speak to MLB officials — although again, MLB appears confident even without Sucart’s contributions.
“This case is far from over,” Sonn told The Post.
The buildup to A-Rod’s case, however, is just about over. We’re approaching the big moment.
kdavidoff@nypost.com