NEW YORK Alex Rodriguez walked out of his own grievance hearing on Wednesday after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz refused to order baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to testify.
Horowitz was in the midst of the 11th day of hearings on the grievance filed by the players' association to overturn the 211-game suspension given to Rodriguez by Major League Baseball last summer for alleged violations of the sport's drug agreement and labor contract.
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A person familiar with the session said that after Horowitz made his ruling, the New York Yankees third baseman slammed a table, uttered a profanity at MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred and left. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because what takes place at the hearing is supposed to be confidential.
"I am disgusted with this abusive process, designed to ensure that the player fails," Rodriguez said in a statement. "I have sat through 10 days of testimony by felons and liars, sitting quietly through every minute, trying to respect the league and the process.
"This morning, after Bud Selig refused to come in and testify about his rationale for the unprecedented and totally baseless punishment he hit me with, the arbitrator selected by MLB and the players' association refused to order Selig to come in and face me. The absurdity and injustice just became too much. I walked out and will not participate any further in this farce."
Rodriguez's legal team remains involved in the proceeding. It has been unclear whether Rodriguez will testify.
Horowitz technically is chairman of a three-man arbitration panel that also includes Manfred and Dave Prouty, the general counsel of the players' union.
"For more than 40 years, Major League Baseball and the players' association have had a contractual grievance process to address disputes between the two parties. This negotiated process has served players and clubs well," the commissioner's office said in a statement. "Despite Mr. Rodriguez being upset with one of the arbitration panel's rulings today, Major League Baseball remains committed to this process and to a fair resolution of the pending dispute."
Rodriguez was suspended Aug. 5 for alleged violations of the sport's drug agreement and labor contract, and the players' union filed the grievance to overturn the penalty. Under baseball's drug agreement, he was allowed to continue playing while contesting the discipline.
The three-time AL MVP said four years ago he used performance enhancing drugs while with the Texas Rangers from 2001-03, but has denied using them since.
At the time of his suspension, MLB 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."
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