Lawyers for Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez on Thursday "came out swinging for the fences" in his suit against MLB, according to Rich Calder of the N.Y. POST. Attorney Jordan Siev told U.S. District Court Judge Lorna Schofield that MLB officials in their "efforts to try nailing Rodriguez 'threatened witnesses, impersonated police officers,' offered cash and jobs to potential witnesses and, in one case, 'engaged in inappropriate sexual relations' with a witness." Among the staffers Siev was referring to is MLB Senior VP/Investigations Dan Mullin, who in the suit is alleged to have had “inappropriate sexual relations” with a witness he interviewed about Biogenesis. Mullin also allegedly exchanged a bag stuffed with $150,000 for stolen records. MLB attorney Joseph Baumgarten told the judge that the league and Commissioner Bud Selig "deny all of the allegations in the suit but did not offer much detail" (N.Y. POST, 11/8). Boca Raton Police Department Public Information Officer Sandra Boonenberg said that the department is probing MLB's "acquisition of allegedly stolen files used in its Biogenesis investigation" against Rodriguez and other players. Boonenberg said the department is "looking into the allegations that Major League Baseball purchased them because the (files) originally would have been stolen." On Long Island, Marcus & Baumbach report MLB is "not being accused of any wrongdoing" in the investigation (NEWSDAY, 11/8).
BUD LIGHT: A Baseball HOF voting committee member said that Selig "fell short" of making this year's ballot and will "have to wait three more years for his next chance for election to the plateau he covets." The member said that came despite “an amazing amount of pressure put on committee members." When asked if it bothered him that he did not make the ballot, Selig said, “No. When I’m done being commissioner, that’s the time to think about that.” However, baseball writer Murray Chass wrote Selig’s backers "presented a different attitude." A committee source said, "It got ugly. People were confronted. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they tried a write-in.” But another committee source wondered what if the Rodriguez grievance "were to blow up in Selig’s face." The source said, “Who knows what’s going to happen? His legacy isn’t finished being written yet" (MURRAYCHASS.com, 11/7).
