Ah, yes, now A-Rod’s publicist has joined the fun.
Now, MLB is accusing A-Rod’s publicist (aka the guy who’s job it is to keep A-Rod from making a fool of himself in the public eye) of attempting to sabotage their case against him.
TMZ reported the following:
MLB just filed legal docs in A-Rod’s ongoing appeal of his 211-game suspension for using banned substances, claiming the Yankees star’s publicist is refusing to fly from L.A. to New York to testify in the case … despite a subpoena ordering him to do so.According to the docs, Michael Sitrick doesn’t want to fly 2,400 miles because it would be “overly burdensome and unfair” … even though Sitrick’s PR company has an office there.
Sitrick’s people have offered to make him available via video chat, but MLB is demanding he appear in person. A judge has since ruled that Sitrick MUST comply with the subpoena … so Sitrick has filed an appeal of his own in federal court, asking to be excused from flying to NYC. Now, MLB wants a judge to hold Sitrick in contempt and fine him for every day he refuses to show up.
The arbitrator in A-Rod’s appeal must make a decision ASAP — whether to uphold, overturn, or reduce his suspension — but MLB officials think Sitrick is trying to run down the clock … in order to force the arbitrator to make a ruling without his testimony.
A-Rod’s publicist is obviously stalling the process, but it’s not like MLB didn’t do some shady things of their own to even get to where we are now–stolen documents, paying off drug peddlers in exchange for evidence, etc…
As a publicist it’s truly in Sitrick’s best interest not to snitch on his client, so this is just as much Sitrick doing what’s best for him, as much as it is him sticking up for A-Rod.