Baseball: A-Rod drops appeal and sits out

Alex Rodriguez, who has the flu, dropped his appeal of a four-game suspension and began serving the penalty when the New York Yankees played the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.


That means the All-Star third baseman also will miss Sunday's game with the Mariners and the first two games -- Tuesday and Wednesday nights -- of a three-game series at Minnesota. He'll be eligible to play Thursday night against the Twins.


Rodriguez was one of five players who were suspended after a fight between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on July 24. The brawl started after Bronson Arroyo hit Rodriguez with a pitch. and Rodriguez and Boston catcher Jason Varitek scuffled.


Before Saturday's game, Yankees manager Joe Torre said he was reluctant to have Rodriguez start serving his suspension while he was ill because the team is carrying 12 pitchers. Their bench players for Saturday's game were Kenny Lofton, Tony Clark and Jorge Posada.


Rodriguez already was missing from the Yankees' lineup for the second straight game on Saturday because of the flu.


He didn't accompany the team to Safeco Field on Saturday. He was sent back to the team hotel before Friday night's game, an 11-3 victory by the Yankees over the Seattle Mariners.


"I talked to him this morning," Torre said before the game. "He was chilling under the covers."


Rodriguez, who is the Yankees' cleanup hitter with 29 homers and 71 RBIs, started all 114 games for New York at third before he missed Friday night's game.

[Edited on 8/14/2004 by Ben]