Selig Says the Recent Suspensions Weighed on Him MINNEAPOLIS - In the 48 hours after Major League Baseball suspended Alex Rodriguez and 12 other players connected with the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in South Florida, Commissioner Bud Selig said he thought a lot about his friend A. Bartlett Giamatti, the former commissioner who died of a heart attack eight days after barring Pete Rose from baseball in 1989. Selig referred to Giamatti several times Wednesday in his first public comments since the suspensions. His comments were made during a news conference at Target Field for the R.B.I. World Series, the national championship of baseball's initiative for disadvantaged city youths. Selig said the weeks leading to the suspensions weighed on him, reminding him of how the Rose case affected Giamatti. "The night before he passed away, I talked to him until 1:30 in the morning," Selig said. He died early the next morning. He and I were very close, and it was very stressful. And I have to tell you, this has been very stressful for me. You asked the question; I've got to give you an honest answer. It's been tough. Addressing a small group of reporters, Selig appeared relaxed and jovial except when questioned about Rodriguez, who continues to play for the Yankees while appealing his 211-game suspension. Selig declined to say whether baseball would negotiate further with Rodriguez, the only player appealing, on the length of his suspension, or if it bothered him that Rodriguez could postpone his penalty long enough to possibly help the struggling Yankees reach the postseason. "Look, he has a right to do what he's doing," Selig said. My own personal thoughts on the subject are not relevant, because he has the right to do it. Selig said he received overwhelming support from owners, players, trainers and baseball officials, with many calling him to say so. Selig said he especially appreciated comments from players like Boston's Jonny Gomes, who called it a good day for baseball. Selig said he watched multiple games on television Tuesday night for the first time in a while. What I am proud of, No. 1, 13 players accepted the penalty. That's hard to believe," said Selig, including the previously suspended Ryan Braun with Monday's group. Braun, a Milwaukee Brewers slugger and a former National League most valuable player, accepted a 65-game ban on July 22. A lot of things in life you wish didn't happen, but you can't say we ignored this. Selig said. There was a big debate Monday and Tuesday: is this a good day or a bad day for baseball? It's not even a question - it was a good day for baseball, because we faced up to the problem. Nobody's hiding it. Nobody swept it under the rug. We did what any social institution should do. And I really appreciate the player comments, and there have been a lot of them. Some of those who commented said they felt the suspensions were not long enough. "I'm comfortable where we are," Selig said. Whether we need tougher penalties is something we're going to talk about in the future. He added: "I feel badly in one sense. The great majority of our players who have done this well and clean don't like being tarred with this. I understand that, and I've heard from a fair number of players. They're very supportive of what we've done, and that means a lot to me. Though Selig again lauded baseball's drug-testing program, it failed to catch any of the players suspended this week. But with baseball this year turning to more sophisticated testing for human growth hormone and abnormal testosterone levels, Selig said he expected more positive tests in the future. Testing is conducted by a Montreal lab that is accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. "I won't stand here today and tell you it's perfect," Selig said. But I think there has been no stone left unturned, and there will be no stone left unturned.