Alex Rodriguez's appeal of 211-game suspension begins in New York

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez began his appeal of a long suspension Monday as the founder of a Miami clinic at the heart of his case faced a new probe.

Major League Baseball convened the hearing at its New York offices to consider the all-star third baseman's challenge of the unprecedented, 211-game suspension for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs.

The suspension was handed down Aug. 6 and Rodriguez played the rest of the season as the case was on appeal.

Rodriguez appeared at the MLB office for the hearing, along with Anthony Bosch, founder of the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic, whom investigators say distributed PEDs to 14 major-league players, the New York Daily News reported.

Bosch is the subject of a new criminal investigation in Florida, which has already produced subpoenas for documents and other "material issues," Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office spokesman Ed Griffith told the newspaper.

"We are looking at issues that relate to potential state concerns," he said, adding that at least one MLB player has already received a subpoena while others linked to Biogenesis could be called as witnesses.