Major League Baseball (MLB) lost me as a fan years ago. I might watch one or two games through the season and catch some playoff and World Series games, but I am certainly not a fan like I used to be.

My favorite sport to watch is Football – NFL, college, high school, two-hand touch – if a football game is on TV, I will watch it and skip baseball. I also watch some NASCAR racing because there might be a wreck and the rules are a lot like they have in professional wrestling. I enjoyed the NBA before LeBron and flopping.

I don’t think many people could escape the Alex Rodriguez “A-Rod” breaking news alerts this past weekend. ESPN was scrolling these alerts across the screen telling viewers that sources are saying he would be suspended today by MLB possibly through the remainder of this season and all of the 2014 season. Rodriguez is 38 and plays for the New York Yankees.  

Of course these “sources” went unnamed which tells us a lot about the leadership of MLB, not to mention the world of journalism in 2013.

The possible suspension of A-Rod and others has something to do with a company called “Biogenesis” and performance-enhancing drugs. Reportedly, Milwaukee Brewers player Ryan Braun was involved with Biogenesis. He was suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season.

But what really gets me in “Biogenesis-gate” is that players are negotiating with MLB over their suspensions and trying to make deals before they are suspended.

That is one of the reasons why MLB is failing. If MLB leaders really have information that players are cheating or have cheated, suspend them. Don’t negotiate or make deals with them. If they disagree with the suspension, let them appeal. If that fails, they can go the justice system route.

MLB has plenty of players playing in farm systems who are clean of performance-enhancing drugs and who would love to get a call up to the big leagues.

MLB doesn’t need to make deals or negotiate with anyone. This is the big leagues – they should act like it.

Note After Posting:

On August 5, 2013, Major League Baseball did suspend Alex Rodriguez. Here is what MLB.com reported:

Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced today that third baseman Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has been suspended without pay for the remainder of the 2013 Championship Season and Postseason and the entire 2014 Championship Season for violations of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and the Basic Agreement.

They also reported, “Rodriguez’s suspension will be stayed until the completion of his appeal if Rodriguez files a grievance challenging his discipline.”

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