I must admit, Mike Lupica doesn't know a lot about sports or the law, but he's probably an expert when it comes to lacking credibility.

When Cervelli comes back from the DL later this season, and Cheater Pettitte is pitching to Cheater Cervelli during the pennant race, Lupica will be silent and Yankee fans will cheer.

The issue is not whether or not ARod is a sympathetic character.

The issue is that, when you take so much delight in ARod's predicament, your biases are showing:

"Bosch tried to shake down poor Alex Rodriguez, officially the most misunderstood man in America, unless Ryan Braun eventually takes the title away from him. He likes to party. So he is supposed to be the Brian McNamee of this thing, we’re not supposed to trust Anthony Bosch anymore than we were supposed to trust McNamee, Roger Clemens’ former trainer."

As usual, Lupica attempts to score points by taking down a non-existent opponent.  Nobody is claiming ARod is "poor" or "misunderstood."  Most observers get that ARod is a stupid, arrogant man who lost credibility a long time ago.

However, if he's guilty of association with Bosch, it really makes one wonder why ARod has never failed a drug test, what is deficient in MLB's program, and why Selig isn't focused on fixing these deficiencies.

"You already hear from various experts in and out of the media — whose idea of investigative reporting involves reading actual investigative reporting in newspapers such as this one — that Major League Baseball will lose with Bosch and Biogenesis of America the way the feds lost with Clemens."

Is Mike Lupica seriously attacking his fellow sports commentators for speculating?  What is Mr. Gumshoe's idea of investigative reporting ... did he look up "biogenesis" on Wikipedia?  

"If we’re not supposed to believe Bosch, even before we know whether he has the goods or not, because he’s supposed to be some kind of pimp, why are we supposed to believe the alleged johns?

What about the credibility of Alex Rodriguez at this point, if the present story about Biogenesis goes absolutely nowhere?"

We're not supposed to believe ARod, nor do we need to believe ARod.

ARod has the presumption of innocence.

ARod does not shoulder the burden of proof.

ARod has never claimed innocence while under oath.

Since you asked.


"You now even see some of Bosch’s associates — you can also call them defendants — being given a platform to whine about being bullied by MLB.

I hope they did. Get bullied, I mean. It is a good thing that MLB has taken this fight to them and out into the open, even knowing it could lose in arbitration or in court in the end. It is a good thing and the right thing for the sport."

I hope MLB goons, in their zeal to to uncover sources at the Daily News, give a knock on the door of Mike Lupica.  Or maybe on the doors of Mike Lupica's family.

It's a good thing and the right thing for the sport.


"Alex Rodriguez talks about the 'process.' He and Braun and others better hope the 'process' doesn’t end with Bud Selig invoking the 'best interests of the game' clause if he feels a solid case has been made against them; these are the most sweeping powers for any commissioner in any sport, ones Selig has never used, not once. They all better watch out that the end of this 'process' isn’t just a suspension, but some of them being banned like Pete Rose."

I must say, I totally agree that Selig has not acted in the best interests of the game, not once.  Ba dum bum.


I suppose this process could result in lifetime bans for several players.  It's a possibility, but not very likely.  So Lupica will likely be wrong again -- and, make no mistake, Lupica is predicting a lifetime ban.

I also don't believe that's in the best interest of the sport in any way, shape, or form: 

• I'm a Phillies fan.  I say Matt Harvey took steroids.
• MLB files a scattershot lawsuit and subpoenas all Fed Ex deliveries and cell phone calls for all MLB trainers.
• I'm the Dodgers GM.  I want out of Zack Greinke's contract.  I found a guy who says Greinke took steroids.

This is what can easily occur once the goons feel comfortable bypassing the process.

The whole point of the process is to help avoid these biases and abuses.


Perhaps Selig can leverage this threat to improve the testing program or to elicit some confessions.  Perhaps, in the long run, this will help weigh down the "cost" side in the cost-benefit analysis.  But a lifetime ban of Ryan Braun is in the best interests of the game?  That is a very tough sell.

"Baseball goes after these guys the way Travis Tygart of the United States Anti-Doping Agency went after Lance Armstrong. How did that one come out?"

Armstrong was banned from racing after he had already retired.


Here's the other thing: Let's say the Accused MLB ballplayers are as lacking in credibility as the Accuser.

Are you familiar with MLB's bizarre lawsuit against Bosch?  The supposed leverage they have against this guy?

It seems to be that MLB is claiming that Bosch damaged the reputation of baseball by supplying its employees with steroids. 
 
Bosch couldn't possibly damage the reputation of MLB because MLB's reputation was already shot.  I mean, MLB hasn't even fired Mark McGwire.  Bosch wouldn't hire a high-profile criminal like Mark McGwire because Bosch has a reputation to maintain.  Bosch doesn't make MLB look bad -- MLB makes Bosch look bad.


Lupica is correct: MLB players are scoundrels.  Since MLB players are well-documented scoundrels with a long, disreputable history, Bosch could not have damaged the reputation of MLB players.  Since Bosch could not have damaged the reputation of MLB players, the lawsuit against Bosch has no merit.  Since the lawsuit against Bosch has no merit, Bosch has no reason to flip.  If Bosch doesn't flip, nobody gets suspended.