Joe Camporeale – USA TODAY Sports
With the newest suspension being levied on New York Yankees‘ Alex Rodriguez, MLB is beginning to show conviction to stop PED use for good. The 12 other players who were suspended face 50-game suspensions (or agreements, as they were), but A-Rod was singled out with a 211-game suspension and for that, Bud Selig deserves a round of applause.
But it’s still not enough.
Rodriguez should never be seen on a MLB field ever again. He has burned every bridge and used every excuse. It’s time that A-Rod and baseball part ways once and for all.
If A-Rod plays tonight as he is supposed to, it is a loss. He doesn’t care about playing — he cares about being paid. The Yankees would show tremendous character and class by denying Rodriguez from stepping onto the field. The once fan-favorite has quickly spiraled into one of the most despised figure in sports.
It’s not enough to put a finite number of games on his suspension. It is in the best interest of baseball to suspend A-Rod for life and make sure he never has any interaction with MLB again. He deserves to be treated worse than Pete Rose.
Steroid scandals are still a frequent occurrence. The set rules of the Joint Drug Prevention policy have not deterred PED use. However, with the 65-game minimum suspension of Ryan Braun and this new 211-game suspension of Rodriguez, Selig and MLB are taking steps in the right direction. However, they need to continue the trend of heightened punishments, not just for repeat offenders, but for first-time offenders as well.
There is no excuse for PED use. Everyone knows they are wrong. If a player doesn’t know if what they want to take is a banned substance, it is their responsibility to find out. Offenders should not be spared, and if Selig is serious about cutting out cheating, he has to change the drug policy.
