NEW YEAR, SAME AROD

Well, maybe not the same Alex Rodriguez. He could very well be a suspended ARod. The decision on the ARod arbitration hearing is due early January. Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is said to be ready to deliver a verdict, as early as January 1st.

Horowitz has the job of deciding whether to uphold, overturn, or reduce ARod's record setting 211-game suspension. He was hit with 50 games for a first time offender, 100 games for a second time offender, and 61 games for tampering with evidence. The MLB was not innocent by any means in this case. It was clearly a witch hunt, I have said this several times over. However, if ARod is guilty, he deserves to be punished fairly. "Fairly" being the operative word in that statement. Technically, ARod is only a first time offender. My best guess is that the suspension is reduced to 100 games.

I have been covering this ARod stuff since it started in October. Believe me when I tell you that I am as exhausted by it as most fans are. I hope that the MLB, and Bud Selig are not looked at as saviors, because the reality is they allowed this PEDs issue get to this point to begin with. Selig turned a blind eye on the problem for years. His "cleaning up baseball" act is a last ditch effort to go out as the commissioner that made the change. Too little, too late. As for the decision, I hope that Horowitz makes the fair choice.

Let me just say, thank you baseball gods! It took long enough! And while we are thanking the baseball gods, can I put in a request to see Joe Torre as the new commissioner? Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Stay tuned to BYB as we continue to cover this story until the decision is handed down.

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804

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