Months before Alex Rodriguez was hit with a 211-game doping suspension by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Seligon on Aug. 5, a series of email exchanges between the embattled Yankee third baseman and team president Randy Levine -- published Monday by New York Magazine -- show a preview of the deteriorating relationship between the two men, as well as the paranoia Rodriguez was already starting to display.
Suffice it to say that what once appeared to be an amicable relationship between Levine and A-Rod devolved into a war of electronic words once A-Rod became embroiled in the Biogenesis drug scandal last winter, which resulted in his historic suspension.
But the exchanges reprinted in New York - which according to sources were leaked by A-Rod's side - also appear to belie the so-called bombshell communications that Rodriguez's legal team has hinted for months would exonerate the $275 million Yankee in the Biogenesis matter, even though the email evidence in the New York article was never presented during the three-time MVP's arbitration hearing that ended in November. Representatives from A-Rod's side deny they leaked the emails to the magazine.
The News has also reviewed additional emails that underscore there is no evidence the Yankees conspired to keep Rodriguez from playing following his January hip surgery, or that any emails exist that prove Rodriguez's claim that he was misdiagnosed by Yankee physicians in October 2012.
"There's nothing there," said one source, referring to the emails in New York Magazine.
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Independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz is expected to rule in the next two weeks on whether the suspension will be upheld, reduced or tossed altogether.
The email correspondence printed in New York dates back to 2011, and paints a much sunnier picture between Levine and the slugger. But it is clear by February 2013 - one month after Rodriguez is listed in a Miami New Times report as having performance-enhancing drug ties to the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic and its founder, Anthony Bosch -- that Rodriguez has become a desperate man who thinks his team has abandoned him.
(From Rodriguez to Levine on Feb. 28): "Randy, As you can imagine, I'm feeling left out...and this leaves an empty hole in my life. And on top of that I'm dealing with the backlash of all these ugly rumors and false stories," Rodriguez wrote. "Of course I am very concerned about these rumors and about what the team is doing and saying about me. … People have been telling me that you have an 8% bounty on my contract. Maybe all of this is coming from my cousin, who knows."
Robert Sabo/New York Daily News
Alex Rodriguez grows increasingly paranoid of the Yankees as the Biogenesis scandal worsens.
The latter reference is A-Rod's infamous cousin, Yuri Sucart, the same family member Rodriguez pinned as his steroid mule in his 2009 admission of PED use.
"(Sucart) claims he met with the Yankees and that you are after me and it has me concerned. I hope this (email) is the start of us clearing the air between us. I don't want us to be enemies," Rodriguez continues in the email. "I am loyal to the team. I only want the best for the Yankees organization. But I do need reassurance from you and I need to know what is going on. It is bad business for everyone."
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Levine fires back that same day that "neither I nor anyone at Yankees ever met with your cousin. This (Biogenesis investigation) is being handled by MLB and we r allowing them to do their job. There is no bounty on you. We have no idea who MLB is meeting with or what course their investigation is taking. It is entirely in their hands. We r not talking to the media on this issue, we have said this is being handled by MLB, and we will have no comment until the investigation is over. That's it. There is nothing else going on. I wish u health and a good rehab."
Prior to that Feb. 28 email, however, The News reviewed Levine correspondence in which Levine was also trying to discredit early innuendo that he would receive a bonus if Rodriguez ended up getting suspended.
On Feb. 27, Levine wrote: "I can assure you this is complete fantasy. You may want to tell (your camp) it's b---."
The cordial behavior between Rodriguez and the team president began to unravel following that February exchange. After a summer in which he openly fueded with GM Brian Cashman, Rodriguez's exchanges with Levine became more and more curt as the summer unfolded.
On July 3, Levine inquires about one of Rodriguez's attorneys, who, according to Levine, is bothering team owner Hal Steinbrenner:
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Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News
Randy Levine jokes about PEDs in an email exchange with Alex Rodriguez.
"Hey Al, glad ur on ur way back. Quick question: some lawyer named James McCaroll (sic) keeps calling Hal, says he is your lawyer, wants to talk about your investments. I called him. He is not taking my calls. Is he your guy?" writes Levine. "If so, have him call me. If not, you should have someone shut him down."
Rodriguez thanks Levine that same day "for the good wishes" and says he is "focusing 100% of my energy on health, baseball, and returning to help us win. I will talk to Jim."
But by early August, Rodriguez seems to have had enough of his battle with the Yankee front office:
"Can u please stop!! I want to play baseball and I could make a big difference to the game," Rodriguez rails against Levine in one email August 3, two days before Selig's office announced the historic ban. "(George) Steinbrenner would roll in his grave IF he knew what was happening! Stop, Randy, this isn't going to be good for any of us!! You are a businessman and what you are doing is ruining the business of baseball. If u want to meet in person to discuss it, let's do it!"
The New York article also reveals several exchanges in which Levine appears to reference PEDs in connection with Rodriguez and former Yankee Robinson Cano, but Levine testifed during A-Rod's arbitration that he was joking in those references.
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(August 21, 2012): "Hey, what's up with Robby," Levine writes when Rodriguez was injured and not playing. "This guy must not be using the liquid. U didn't tell me what did Chris and Steve say your ETA is. Don't rush it unless u r right. We need you. (Ivan) Nova looks like he may need a breather. What do u see."
But in an April 27 email from that same year that The News reviewed, Levine was already writing about the "liquid" which apparently refers to Vita Coco coconut water, which Rodriguez endorsed.
In a two-year stretch, Rodriguez transforms from a confident baseball player, willing "rally the troops" and take on a team leadership role to avoiding correspondence with Levine altogether when his 211-game ban is finally handed down.
"Despite your continued false accusations (which you know are false) we have acted consistently," writes Levine Aug. 5. "My focus and direction, as well as that of the entire Yankees organization, has been, and continues to be, to treat you in the same manner as we do all of our players, to have you healthy and ready to play as soon as possible. Good luck."
Rodriguez never responded.
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