Rodriguez walks out of grievance hearing
Alex Rodriguez walked out of his grievance hearing Wednesday after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz refused to order baseball commissioner Bud Selig to testify.
Horowitz was in the midst of the 11th day of hearings on the grievance filed by the players’ association to overturn the 211-game suspension given to Rodriguez by Major League Baseball last summer for alleged violations of the sport’s drug agreement and labour contract.
A person familiar with the session said that after Horowitz made his ruling, the New York Yankees third baseman slammed a table, uttered a profanity at MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred and left. The person spoke on condition of anonymity.
“I am disgusted with this abusive process, designed to ensure that the player fails,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
“… This morning, after Bud Selig refused to come in and testify about his rationale for the unprecedented and totally baseless punishment he hit me with, the arbitrator selected by MLB and the players’ association refused to order Selig to come in and face me. The absurdity and injustice just became too much. I walked out and will not participate any further in this farce.”
Rodriguez’s legal team remains involved in the proceeding. It has been unclear whether Rodriguez will testify.