The A Rod Suspension Makes Me Miss The Boss

Previously on The Bronx is Burning II

Alex Rodriguez's name was scribbled on a piece of paper and sold to Major League Baseball by a drug dealer thus making him the star witness of a case against the players. Alex Rodriguez was then suspended for 211 games after everyone else on that same piece of paper that Anthony Bosch had to be paid millions of dollars to produce only got 50 game suspensions and Ryan Braun took a 65 game ban. Months went on and Alex returned to baseball only to get beamed by opposing pitchers because he was using his right to appeal the decision. Alex's season finally ended with a leg injury and the appeal to Frederic Horowitz began, not that he ever had a chance. The MLB's star witness, Horowitz, apparently made his case because A Rod's ban was "reduced" to 162 games, more than 100 games more than anyone else and 97 games more than the guy with the failed test that blamed the Fed Ex guy. Now we wait as Alex takes his case to the Supreme Court, again his God given right, and drags this out some more. The problem I have with this whole ordeal is how little support Alex has been given throughout the whole process.

The Major League Baseball Players Association and the MLB Players Union were put in place to protect the player, where in the world were they during this whole ordeal? The New York Yankees are on the hook for a whole lot of money to Alex Rodriguez this season and beyond, you would think they want to protect their investment, no? Surely they are not THAT worried about saving somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 million are they? Is this what we've been reduced to? Coupon clipping and penny pinching? George Steinbrenner, wherever you are, must be rolling over in his grave right now.  

Times like these make me really miss the boss. Not because this site was sort of inspired by him and his greedy ways when it came to acquiring players and talent but because, especially in the latter part of his career and his life, he stood up for his players. The way this whole thing has gone down George would probably be banned from baseball again, and would be happy to do it for the Yankees. You know why? Because bottom line, hate the man or not, Alex Rodriguez makes us a better team. Bottom line. Makes us a better team on Hal's Excel spreadsheets and makes us a better team on the field. George knew that, George could recognize that, and George would have done everything he could to make sure his investment, and the team he loved so much, were protected.

If I could just have one wish it would be to bring back George for just one more day. Not to have fun with it and fire Billy Martin for a 19th time but to fire Randy Levine and tell his sons "sorry, not sorry" and sell this team to someone else. Those three men are a disgrace to this game and to the Yankee pride. Selling their souls, and the Yankees soul, for $25 million bucks.