NEW YORK: Beleaguered New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez plans to fight through the appeals process any suspension or banishment Major League Baseball might hand down following its investigation into doping, his lawyer said yesterday.
“We are focused on an appeal,” David Cornwell told ESPN Radio.
Media reports have said MLB was poised to announce penalties against Rodriguez and more than a dozen players involved with the now shuttered Florida anti-aging clinic Biogenesis that is alleged to have distributed performance enhancing drugs.
Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, the 2011 National League most valuable player, has already accepted a 65-game ban through the end of the 2013 season over his ties to the clinic.
“Alex’s primary focus right now is playing baseball,” Cornwell said.
The attorney said he would be challenging the credibility of Biogenesis clinic founder Anthony Bosch, who has been cooperating with MLB, as well as ex-Biogenesis employee Porter Fischer, the man who gave documents to Miami New Times which broke the initial story about the case in late January.
“What’s important is whether (the arbiter) will believe that he (Bosch) is credible or not. That is something we will present in the hearing, and not in the media,” Cornwell said.
“We feel we have good, valid and strong defenses for Alex and we intend to present them when the time comes.”
The power-hitting third baseman is in Tampa rehabbing a quad injury and he is “champing at the bit” to resume playing.
“It has been nearly a year since he played,” Cornwell said. “He has gone through his operation. There is no amount of rehab games or simulated games that is going to give him the feel of a live blitz at a major league baseball level.”
If Rodriguez, is deemed healthy, he was expected to be eligible to play during any appeals process, which could take weeks or months. REUTERS
