By Bill O'Reilly
In 2007, this man, third baseman Alex Rodriguez signed an astounding $275 million 10-year contract with the New York Yankees. Two years later Rodriguez admitted he used steroids before Major League Baseball banned them. By extension that drug use helped the ball players succeed and eventually make all that money.
Well now, Rodriguez has been suspended by Major League Baseball for allegedly using performance enhancing drugs again. A-Rod, as he is called, has appealed that suspension which is for a whopping 211 games far more than the other 12 suspended players.
While the appeal is underway, Rodriguez can play and get paid. But if his appeal is denied, Rodriguez could lose many, many millions of dollars. Now, last night in Boston, this troubling story took another turn as a Red Sox pitcher hit Alex Rodriguez.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First pitch behind him. Ok, he's sending a message. I don't like what you stand for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know to me, it's ridiculous. You had your chance the first pitch to send a message. Don't send it on the fourth one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Now, immediately after Rodriguez was beamed, New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected from the game because he wanted the pitcher Ryan Dempster thrown out as he should have been.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, this is the first time we've seen something like this since Alex Rodriguez' return. And I think we can say with some certainty what the intent was, that trajectory hit him 3-0 pitch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: The manager Girardi calling the pitcher a coward. And then a few innings later, Rodriguez hits a home run off Dempster.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now he hits a deep drive straight away center field and gone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Wow. The case of Alex Rodriguez concerns alleged cheating at the highest level of American business. When a man is paid $275 million, the team, the business taking on that contract is entitled to honesty, honesty on every level. But Rodriguez denies he has done anything wrong in the latest episode.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LAUER: Alex has yet to answer the most important and most basic question in this, whether he once again used performance enhancing drugs. Are you prepared to answer that question this morning?
JOE TACOPINA: Here's what I am prepared to answer. Alex admitted back in 2001, 2002, that he had used performance enhancing drugs as a member of the Texas Rangers when it was not banned. He said since then he has not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: "Talking Points" does not know what Alex Rodriguez did or did not do. But after the Lance Armstrong debacle it is safe to assume that some very powerful American athletes cheat and again that's unacceptable because American business are paying them an incredible amount of money. And they have a right to expect honest behavior.
Bottom line on the story is that Mr. Rodriguez will probably be suspended although Major League Baseball might cut back the amount of time. But it is an awful situation being played out in front of the nation. And by the way, as somebody who was once a pitcher, throwing a baseball at another player is a serious thing. Dempster should not have done it.
And that's "The Memo."
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