Amended A-Rod suit names Selig
— -- NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez's lawyers amended their lawsuit against Major League Baseball and Bud Selig to include the fact that the longtime commissioner did not have to testify and give a justification for the New York Yankees slugger's unprecedented 211-game drug suspension at the recently concluded arbitration hearing.
"Mr. Selig lacked the courage of his convictions to explain under oath the reasons for the suspension and the conduct of the investigation," the complaint now reads.
Since the Joint Drug Agreement was agreed upon in 2002, Selig has not testified in any of baseball's PED-related hearings.
The updated lawsuit also includes a picture of Selig with a young fan wearing a Cincinnati Reds hat and a T-shirt that reads, "A-Roid."
"Sadly, this cowardly stance by Mr. Selig is consistent with his past and highly inappropriate conduct in posing, smilingly, with a young fan wearing a T-shirt with a derogatory message directed at Mr. Rodriguez," the amended complaint reads.
"One cannot imagine the commissioner of any other professional sport -- or indeed CEO of any business -- doing something similar with respect to one of his or her players or employees."
The amended complaint was filed in federal court in Manhattan, a spokesman for Rodriguez said.
The next conference on the suit is not expected to return to court until 2014. It has not been determined whether there will be a court case.
Arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is expected to issue a ruling on Rodriguez's suspension in early January. The sides have until Dec. 11 to file written briefs -- the labor-hearing equivalent of closing arguments -- then will have until Dec. 21 to file their reply briefs.
Rodriguez left the hearing abruptly Wednesday and called the proceedings a "farce" in a written statement. The embattled third baseman then took to the airwaves, denying that he used performance-enhancing drugs while claiming that Selig "hates my guts" during an interview on WFAN 660.
Rodriguez was suspended Aug. 5 for his alleged involvement in the Biogenesis scandal.
At the time of his suspension, baseball said the penalty was for "use and possession of numerous forms of prohibited performance-enhancing substances, including testosterone and human growth hormone, over the course of multiple years" and for "engaging in a course of conduct intended to obstruct and frustrate the office of the commissioner's investigation."
A three-time American League MVP, Rodriguez said four years ago he used PEDs while with the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003, but he has denied using them since.
