A-Rod: Employee of the Year
In 2007, I did a couple of posts on the Yankees’ negotiations with Alex Rodriguez (click here and here), surprising myself by being complimentary of George Steinbrenner’s handling of a human resources problem. I also posted about the so-called Mitchell Report on the steroids scandal in professional baseball, but A-Rod wasn’t implicated in that report. Now, we’re able to combine the two.
As the whole world knows, Rodriguez has admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs between 2001 and 2003. He had to, he says, to deal with the pressure of meeting the expectations of the fat contract he had at the time, though not as fat as the one he has now. Also, when A-Rod was using the substances, Major League Baseball hadn’t yet imposed penalties for their use.
Being employee of the year is stressful. In hindsight, A-Rod should’ve negotiated a smaller, less-stressful contract, but how could he have known? Now, all he can be is the only player who has a shot at breaking Barry Bonds’ tainted record for most career home runs.
No worries. Just as the investment bankers made off with millions and billions of dollars while driving the economy into crisis, A-Rod and others implicated in the steroids scandal have made off with enormous amounts of money while cheapening their sport. President Obama’s “era of responsibility” has come too late.
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About Chris Parker
Chris Parker's practice focuses on the representation and counseling of companies in matters pertaining to the workplace and the protection of their intellectual property and trade secrets. In addition to serving as an advocate for clients, Mr. Parker is also trained as a mediator and frequently serves as a third-party neutral.
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About Jimmy Daniel
Jimmy Daniel provides counseling to businesses of all sizes related to the employment relationship. He assists in the drafting of employment agreements, policies, and handbooks, as well as provides guidance related to compliance with federal, state, and local legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
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About Larry Bridgesmith
While serving in an Of Counsel relationship with the firm, Mr. Bridgesmith also serves as the Executive Director at the Institute for Conflict Resolution at Lipscomb University and as an officer and principal in Strategic Resolutions Group, LLC. In these roles, Mr. Bridgesmith brings over 30 years of legal experience in dispute resolution and innovative workplace strategies to clients, students and business entities alike.
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Come too late? Sooner would have been better, but it is not too late.
“The time is always right to do the right thing.” – Martin Luther King Jr
Nae,
As you surely know by now, I’m prone to hyperbole. Despite Dr. King’s true statement, I’m also prone to cynicism and wonder if doing the right thing has real meaning any more. I hope you’re right.
John