Monday, August 19, 2013

Alex Rodriguez told us to expect a new story every day, and he wasn't lying when he said that.

A day after reports surfaced that A-Rod had filed a medical grievance against the New York Yankees, as well as reports that Major League Baseball offered A-Rod a 50-game suspension back in April, coming a day after A-Rod's lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, fired comments towards the Yankees on Saturday that team prez. Randy Levine told A-Rod's hip surgeon, Dr. Brian Kelley, the if A-Rod never played again, Levine would be fine with that.

All of this coming just a day after reports came about, saying that A-Rod took evidence from the Biogenesis clinic in South Miami and leaked information after Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, as well as Rodriguez's own teammate, Francisco Cervelli.

Yeah, I know, there's been a lot happening lately, but I still haven't even told you what went down today in the drama that is know as "As The Alex Turns".

Early Monday morning, Tacopina received a letter from MLB executive VP Robert Manfred, while Tacopina was on the "Today" show. In the letter, Manfred agreed to waive the confidentiality clause written into the league's drug-testing agreement with the MLB Players Association -- something Tacopina had suggested would be a possible course of action.

Manfred was suggesting more than the drug-testing information, suggesting all of evidence collected in the Biogenesis case as it concerns A-Rod could be released for the whole world to see, including "all documents, records, communications, text messages, and instant messages relating to Rodriguez's treatment by Anthony Bosch."

"Listen, we would love nothing more than to be able to discuss the testing history, the scientific evidence and the tests of Alex Rodriguez under this JDA drug program, nothing more," Tacopina said in response to the letter.

Tacopina would later go on the release a written statement, calling the letter "a publicity stunt."

"Such a waiver would require PA to be party of the agreement and signatures," Tacopina said in the statement. "Nothing but a trap hoping I would sign knowing that I couldn't and in fact would have me breaching the JDA agreement."

The New York Daily News was able to obtain a copy of the letter, in which Tacopina says he is not able to talk about the specifics of the investigation because of the confidentiality clause.

"I will make Manfred a deal if he, in writing, waives the confidentiality clause, and agrees that it would not be a breach of the confidentiality clause, if he allows us to discuss exactly what he wants us to discuss, including the testing result, including the specifics of the tests, the results, we would be happy to discuss it. It would be my pleasure to discuss it. I would love to discuss it. But the minute I discuss it, I'm in violation of the confidentiality clause of the JDA," Tacopina said.

According to the Daily News, Manfred responded in the letter.

"While we believe that your public comments are already in breach of the confidentiality provisions of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (the "Program"), we will agree to waive those provisions as they apply to both Rodriguez and the Office of Commissioner of Baseball with respect to Rodriguez's entire history under the Program, including, but not limited to, his testing history, test results, violations of the Program, and all information and evidence relating to Rodriguez's treatment by Anthony Bosch, Anthony Galea and Victor Conte. Specifically, both Rodriguez and the Office of the Commissioner will be permitted to publicly disclose information and documents relating to:

"1. their results; 2. All drug tests that were conducted on Rodriguez under the Program and All prior violations of the Program committed by Rodriguez; 3. All documents, records, communications, text messages, and instant messages relating to Rodriguez's treatment by Anthony Bosch; 4. All documents relating to Rodriguez's treatment by Anthony Galea and Victor Conte; and 5. All documents relating to the issue of whether Rodriguez obstructed the Office of the Commissioner's investigation."

Then, later in the day, we were led to this story. As mentioned previously, A-Rod has already began the process to file a medical grievance against the Yankees, and now his legal team is preparing to file a medical malpractice suit against the Yankees' team doctor, says Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York.

A-Rod and his lawyers have believed that they have enough evidence to prove their claims that Yankees team doctor Chris Ahmad had misdiagnosed A-Rod's hip injury during last October during the playoffs.

Marchand says that A-Rod and his team have yet to file the lawsuit, as they continue to prepare their case.

In those playoffs, A-Rod went 3-for-25 without an extra-base hit, while striking out 12 times. His poor play eventually led to Yankees manager Joe Girardi benching and pinch-hitting for during the ALDS and ALCS.

In a game against the Baltimore Orioles on Oct. 10, Girardi pinch hit for Rodriguez for the first time, using Raul Ibanez, who would go on to hit the game tying and walk-off homeruns for the Yankees.

Following the game, A-Rod told the Yankees his previously injured right hip was feeling off. He went for an MRI on the hip, then was later deemed to need surgery on his left hip.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman defended the Yankees doctors in a statement.

"Our trainers and doctors will continue to provide the best medical care possible," Cashman said. "That is for Alex as well as anybody else regardless of what they say and what they do. They're going to continue to do that for Alex as well as anybody else on the team. Is it an unusual circumstance? Absolutely. Are any of these people happy with these allegations that continue to get thrown? It's odd. It's odd and it's false, but we still have to go through the motions."

The Yankees also released a statement on the potential malpractice suit:

"We relied upon Dr. Christopher Ahmad and the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital for medical diagnosis, opinions and treatment. The Yankees neither had any complaints from Alex Rodriguez pertaining to his left hip during the 2012 regular season and the Yankees postseason, nor did the Yankees receive any diagnosis pertaining to his left hip during that same period of time. Given the various allegations that have been made by Alex Rodriguez and his counsel, if you have any medical questions they should be directed to the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Dr. Christopher Ahmad."

Clearly, no ones know what direction this whole mess will end up going, and all we can do it watch it play out as more and more stories continue to fly come out to the world.

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