If A-Rod makes good on his promise threat to show up at spring training, like the bad fairy in a Brothers Grimm tale, the Yankees don’t have to let him into their major league camp.
Since he’s not on their 40-man roster because of his suspension, they can send him to minor-league camp.
A-Rod’s 211-game suspension has been reduced to 162 games — the entire 2014 regular season — plus any post-season games the Yankees might play.
He is planning to sue in federal court — good luck with that!
Yankee fans will have to face the insult of seeing A-Rod in the line-up tonight (Can you expedite that appeal please?), but we won’t see Jeter — his calf injury has landed him back on the DL.
“And the Banned Played On”
New York Post, with photo of A-Rod
“I think we all agree that we want to get rid of PEDs; that’s a must. All the players, we feel that way.”
Alex Rodriguez
“The Yankees would rather fly the Boston Red Sox’s World Series flags at Yankee Stadium than see Rodriguez step on the field again.
“The Yankees are disgusted by him. They want him out of their lives. And they want Major League Baseball to suspend Rodriguez into eternity.
“The Yankees no longer are concerning themselves with the race to win the American League East, but the race to see whether Commissioner Bud Selig can banish Rodriguez before he gets healthy.”
Bob Nightengale, USA Today
Even if his hip heals, it doesn’t look as if A-Rod will be on the field this season. The MLB is seeking to suspend him (and 19 other players, including Yanks’ catcher Francisco Cervelli) 100 games for their connection to a clinic in Florida that provided them performance-enhancing drugs.
As I’ve said before, A-Rod will never play again for the Yanks.
Embattled Farmers 