To Alex:
As a fan I have always admired your talent on the field, especially earlier in your career when you were a 5-tool superstar player, but can no longer respect you. Since you were implicated in the Biogenesis scandal in January 2013, you have continually alienated everyone from Bud Selig, to the Yankees team doctor, to the fans. I have always been a fan of yours and took your side throughout much of the Biogenesis fiasco, but can no longer do it. Your actions throughout the situation have shown to be nothing but reprehensible given the way that you have dropped your fight without opening your mouth, in spite of not closing your mouth during your fight.
When your name was first attached to the Biogenesis scandal I was saddened, but decided to reserve judgment on the case until the dust settled completely. When you were suspended 211 games on August 5th, 2013, I thought it was way too much and should only be a first offense (50 games). When you appealed it you said that you will not comment, rather you would “respect the process”. That was about the last honorable thing you did.
You ultimately got your day(s) in court and wound up with a 162-game suspension from Fredric Horowitz, which you sued to overturn, along with suing Bud Selig, MLB and your own union (MLBPA) in 2 different lawsuits. I had no problem with any of this, as it appeared that even if you were guilty that you were being punished excessively. I have no problem with you suing your own union, because they did say that you should take a deal, when you were in a quest to avoid suspension. You could also make the argument that Horowitz was biased in an attempt to keep his job, given that MLB fired 12-year arbitrator Shyam Das after he rendered the decision to lift Ryan Braun’s suspension in 2012. All of the litigation was reasonable and should not be condemned.
The reason that I cannot respect you any further as a fan is the cowardice you have exhibited (something you accused Bud Selig of) since dropping these lawsuits. I don’t care what your explanation is as to why you dropped your legal fight, whether your are guilty, whether it was too expensive, whether it was too stressful, whatever the case may be. Just say something! You were so anxious to speak over the last year, until you dropped your legal fight, when you have essentially disappeared. It is always said that America is a forgiving country and if you admit to doing something wrong and apologize for it, you are forgiven and are ultimately able to carry on. Instead of simply doing that, you pushed all of your figurative chips to the middle of the poker table with all of the litigation and then inexplicably folded before the river. As fans, we deserve an explanation for such a move, especially with the continued palaverous statements of nonsense we were exposed to throughout this entire investigative process. Until you finally speak I cannot respect you again and don’t even want to see you on an MLB field again until you give some sort of explanation for your behavior that has consumed the valuable time of every MLB fan over the past 13 months.
Respectfully,
Ryan Molin
