ALLENTOWN, Pa., August 5, 2011 — Alex Rodriguez just can’t catch a break. Whether it's his steroid use while with the Texas Rangers, his subsequent denial of using the same banned substances after being traded to the New York Yankees, the controversy surrounding the Yankees and MLB banning his cousin, sometimes chauffeur, and alleged steroid mule Yuri Sucart from team gatherings, to treading on the sanctity of Dallas Braden’s pitching mound, A-Rod has proven to be a lightning rod for front-page drama. No matter what Rodriguez does, or is alleged to have done, the negative coverage goes spinning out of control.
The media circus continues with the latest allegations levied at A-Rod; namely, Star Magazine's report that he allegedly participated in illegal high-stakes poker games. Depending on the outcome of the MLB investigation, Rodriguez could be suspended.
But there’s an important distinction here, critical to the entire issue. Whether the allegations are true or not, Alex Rodriguez did not bet on baseball. Pete Rose, the universal comparison, bet money on baseball games that he played and/or managed. Alex Rodriguez allegedly played poker with fellow multi-millionaires.
Gambling in general and gambling in connection with on-field events are entirely different animals. Both are illegal in the league's eyes, but only the second, as is right, carries the possibility of permanent ineligibility, like the bans given to the Black Sox and Rose.
Unproven allegations similar to those surrounding Rodriguez brought a year-long suspension down on the head of Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher in 1947. Even merely working as greeters at an Atlantic City casino after their playing days were over resulted in a permanent ban from organized baseball for legends Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. (The pair of bans, issued in 1979 by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, were overturned in 1985 by his successor, Peter Ueberroth.)
Yet, there are multiple directions MLB could go in pursuing an investigation. Back in 2005, Rodriguez was warned by Commissioner Bud Selig about involvement in similar underground gambling activities. That alone could leave Rodriguez open to an increased suspension length for failing to heed official instruction if the MLB chooses to find fault with his conduct.
But the bottom line is that another supposed incident has been blown out of proportion because the protagonist is Alex Rodriguez. If Rodriguez is eventually suspended after an MLB investigation, it won’t be a case of wish fulfillment for those who have searched for the proverbial nail to hammer a controversial player's coffin, and it won't be an affirmation of everything that the public wants to believe. It'll be just be A-rod catching another bolt of lightning.
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.
