The Alex Rodriguez saga took another interesting turn Monday morning, and this time it didn’t directly involve Rodriguez or the Yankees.
One of Rodriguez’s lawyers, Joe Tacopina appeared on the “Today Show” with Matt Lauer, and said he was anxious to talk about Rodriguez and his case against baseball as he fights to overturn a 211 game ban he was given for his part in the Biogenesis scandal, but wasn’t allowed to because of MLB’s confidentiality clause.
“If the Vice President of Major League baseball would be good enough to waive the confidentiality clause, I would love nothing more than to talk about Alex’s Rodriguez’s testing history and various things. I would love nothing more,” Tacopina said.
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Lauer was prepared for that response and surprised Tacopina by saying that Major League baseball had just so happened to fax over a two-page document which would allow for Tacopina to talk about those very issues if he signed the document.
“That office sent us a letter overnight saying they are willing to do exactly that. They sent me a letter saying if you’ll sign this letter, they are willing to waive the confidentiality clause in the joint drug prevention and treatment program, that they’ll be allowed to talk about everything, and that you’ll be allowed to talk about everything, and they say that would include all prior violations to the program committed by Rodriguez, all documents, records, communications text messages and instant messages relating to Rodriguez’s treatment by Anthony Bosch. Would you do that?” Lauer asked.
Tacopina clearly was not expecting that from Lauer, and stuttered to compose himself, but when he did, he answered with the following:
“We’ve been asking that for three or four weeks. They would love nothing more than for us to be able to not hide behind this anonymous source doctrine which they’ve been doing,” Tacopina said.
Tacopina released a statement later on Monday.
“The letter was a publicity stunt; such a waiver would require PA to be party of the agreement and signatures, nothing but a trap hoping I would sign knowing that I couldn’t and in fact would have me breaching the JDA agreement,” it read.
Lauer kept the pressure on during the interview.
“I just received this. They say if you’ll sign it, everyone can talk about…”
Tacopina then shot back, “If you would like me to sit and read this two page letter now…”
MLB exec Rob Manfred fires back at Tacopina’s claim that letter to Today Show was a stunt that could not be done outside of the OK of the Players Association.
“The Players Association has never stood in the way of an individual player publicly disclosing his own drug testing history. We are more than happy to add a signature line for the MLBPA to my letter.”
The interview, originally scheduled for last week, was canceled by Rodriguez’s people because, “Alex was on the field and he was playing well and we didn’t want to try this case in the media” said Tacopina, who has gone on the attack against the Yankees and MLB in recent days.
Tacopina said he wasn’t permitted to answer some questions because of the confidentiality agreement and that he wished he had received that two-page document in advance of the interview.
Lauer also asked Tacopina if there was a number of games Rodriguez would accept as a suspension right now and drop his appeal.
“If he listens to me if I were to advised him based on the evidence and based on what I know about the evidence, I would tell him don’t take one inning, Alex. Forget 50 games. That being said, that is his decision to make, if and when that question is presented.” Tacopina said.
Rodriguez is batting .319 with two home runs and six RBIs in 12 games this season. He went 3-for-4 with a home run against the Red Sox on Sunday night and was hit by a pitch.