Report: MLB players wanted to kick Alex Rodriguez out of union

Alex Rodriguez sued the MLB Players Association for breach of duty. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Major League Baseball Players Association player representatives' desire to kick Alex Rodriguez out of the union failed when union leaders informed them an expulsion was not legal, according to a report from Jeff Passan and Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports.

Passan and Brown write that the outraged player reps voiced their desire to expel Rodriguez during a 90-minute conference call on Jan. 13, the same day the suspended Yankees third baseman sued the MLBPA. When union leaders said the move was not legal, reps continued to push the issue and not one player defended Rodriguez.

"That's what everyone was thinking," the player said. "We wanted to get on this call and not let him back. [To say,] ‘This is our game and we don't want you in it.'"

...Union attorneys – along with lawyers hired by Rodriguez – represented Rodriguez in his recent appeal of a 211-game suspension. Though an independent arbitrator cut the suspension to 162 games, the decision was a clear loss for Rodriguez. Two days later, a suit filed in federal court charged the union with breach of duty, claiming it had "completely abdicated its responsibility to Mr. Rodriguez," and also accused former MLBPA chief Michael Weiner of failing to properly represent Rodriguez. Weiner died of brain cancer in November.

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The lawsuit reportedly angered union player reps who felt Rodriguez had gone too far:

While many players allowed for Rodriguez to fight his suspension as he saw fit, they were incensed he would turn on his "brothers," as one player termed the membership.

"It's beyond disappointment," said a player involved in union leadership who was on the conference call. "What brought it beyond disappointment was the fact he's suing the union. Guys understand people make bad decisions, they lie when they're embarrassed or trying to avoid punishment. Those are human qualities. Guys understand. But what made guys incensed is he would bring a suit against the union."