Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, fighting to reverse his historic 211-game doping ban, walked out of a grievance hearing on Wednesday calling the proceedings a farce.
Rodriguez left the hearing after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz ruled that Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Bud Selig wouldn't be required to testify.
"I am disgusted with this abusive process, designed to ensure that the player fails," Rodriguez said in a statement. "I have sat through 10 days of testimony by felons and liars, sitting quietly through every minute, trying to respect the league and the process.
"This morning, after Bud Selig refused to come in and testify about his rationale for the unprecedented and totally baseless punishment he hit me with, the arbitrator selected by MLB and the Players' Association refused to order Selig to come in and face me.
"The absurdity and injustice just became too much," Rodriguez added. "I walked out and will not participate any further in this farce."
Rodriguez was banned for a record 211 games in August for taking performance-enhancing drugs including testosterone and human growth hormone.
A dozen other players were also suspended for their ties to the now closed Biogenesis anti-ageing clinic in Florida, said to have been a source for performance-boosting drugs.
Rodriguez's punishment was more severe because baseball officials said he attempted to impede their investigation.
A defiant Rodriguez continued to play through the end of the 2013 season because his appeal was under way and, in September, seized MLB's record for career grand slams with his 24th bases-loaded home run.
He also sued Selig and Major League Baseball in New York's state court, alleging baseball officials bought the testimony of a key witness in the doping case against him.
In his lawsuit, Rodriguez charged Selig and other officials were attempting to "improperly marshal evidence that they hope to use to destroy the reputation and career of Alex Rodriguez".
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