MLB: How the Biogenesis Scandal Lives on in the Shadows
When Tony Bosch was sentenced to 4-years in prison, many saw it as the end of the Biogenesis chapter for MLB. However, even though you don’t see it or hear about it every day, the scandal lives on in more ways than one.
To the dismay of MLB, over the last month, the Biogenesis scandal has had somewhat of a resurgence. First, in the form of a tell-all documentary entitled Screwball by Billy Corben. Then, in the form of amazing reporting by Miami New Times reporter Jerry Ianelli.
In each instance, we notice a pattern of behavior on behalf of MLB, father-son duo Pedro and Anthony Bosch, Alex Rodriguez, and the American legal system.
- They all proceed as if nothing ever happened
- They’re all still very much entrenched in the scandal
- They’ve managed to distract us from ever knowing that the scandal is actually still alive
So, in an effort to cut through all the bunk, I have decided to indulge you on a journey into the shadows, where the Biogenesis scandal resumes.
Warning: all of what you are about to see is public record and is available to any one of us if we so choose to find it.
Lazaro Collazo vs. Alex Rodriguez & Co.
You wouldn’t know if from watching Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN or following him on any one of his social media accounts, but Alex Rodriguez is currently entrenched in a legal battle with a former client of Biogenesis.
In 2015, the former University of Miami pitching coach Lazaro Collazo sued A-Rod, his business associate Jose (Pepe) Gómez, and a private investigation firm called “Guidepost Solutions” in the Miami-Dade County Courts. Currently, the case remains “open” per the Miami-Dade County Civil, Family and Probate Courts Online System.
According to the complaint(s), Collazo seeks damages form the aforementioned parties for several reasons.
- Common law invasion of privacy: Biogenesis records concerning Collazo were disseminated without Collazo’s consent to “attorneys, investigators, the United States’ Attorney’s Office, and the DEA.”
- Negligence: defendants failed to get written consent from Collazo and other clients of Biogenesis when obtaining confidential medical records. Defendants also failed to get a lawful subpoena.
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress: defendants thrust Collazo into the spotlight, thereby “intruding into his private affairs, by purchasing, obtaining, discussing, and otherwise disseminating his confidential medical records without consent or by subpoena.”
All of this, according to the complaint, with the intent to “avoid and/or minimize the damage to A-Rod’s professional reputation” in the Biogenesis scandal.
We can’t say with 100% certainty whether A-Rod did, in fact, purchase Biogenesis records from whistleblower Porter Fischer.
Exhibits within the complaint indicate that “Pepe” Gomez acted on his own in obtaining the documents from Fischer. However, Porter Fischer maintains that he gave copies to Pete Carbone. Another set of copies were later stolen from Fischer’s car.
What we do know is that MLB definitely purchased copies, raising the question: why didn’t Collazo sue MLB?
MLB Has yet to Turn Over Stolen Documents
Upon learning of Tony Bosch and his high profile clients via a Miami New Times report by Tim Elfrink, MLB sought to obtain client records that had been taken from Biogenesis by Porter Fischer. Fischer apparently took the records because he was upset that his initial investment in the amount of $4,000 to Biogenesis was not returned.
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This set off a series of events that would ultimately result in some shady activities involving MLB and a cast of characters.
According to an affidavit that can be found in the aforementioned complaint (see the previous slide), MLB paid Gary Jones $125K in cash for the first set of records, and then $25K more in cash for the second set of records which were stolen from Porter Fischer’s car.
According to Fischer, the first set was most certainly provided to Gary Jones by Pete Carbone, a long time associate of Fischer’s. Fischer knows this because he gave a set of documents to Carbone in exchange for his initial investment of $4,000.
Another set of documents were later stolen from Fischer’s car by Jones and his associates.
In the end, MLB successfully obtained the Biogenesis records and as of today have yet to turn in any of it. These records could include innocent children that were clients of Tony Bosch, law enforcement officials, and more.
Next. Raiders: Antonio Brown Tied to Biogenesis Doctor. dark
In the end, it seems that nobody has learned a lesson from this whole debacle. Per Porter Fischer, A-Rod continues to work out in the same gym with the same trainers as he used to; Tony Bosch continues to operate suspect anti-aging clinics with high-profile clients; MLB continues to occupy a set of records that were taken illegally.