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| USA Today Sports Images |
Updated at 5:36 p.m.
By Mark Zuckerman and Chase Hughes
Major League Baseball's long-awaited announcement of suspensions for players who received performance-enhancing drugs from the Biogenesis clinic in Miami has confirmed what the Nationals expected all along: No punishment for Gio Gonzalez.
The left-hander has been cleared of any wrongdoing by MLB, which officially announced suspensions today but said the investigation found "no violations of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program" by Gonzalez.
"I am very pleased that Major League Baseball has cleared my name," Gonzalez said in a statement released by the Nationals. "With this process now complete, I have no lingering sense of animosity, as I quickly realized that the objective of this investigation was to clean up our game. This is an ideal that I share with both Major League Baseball and the MLBPA. I would also like to acknowledge the unwavering support of my teammates, the Lerner Family, Mike Rizzo, Davey Johnson, our coaching staff and Nationals fans everywhere."
Gonzalez's teammates said they're glad the pitcher can put this behind him now and perhaps be vindicated from the initial accusations
"He really shouldn't have been mentioned anyway," said reliever Tyler Clippard, one of the club's union representatives. "I think that it's unfortunate he was on the list to begin with. He's obviously been doing the right things. Gio's a good guy and he wasn't cheating. For him to be on the list in the first place is kind of unfortunate, but I guess this is good for him to get a clean slate."
23 comments:
Confirms my faith in Gio. I knew he was innocent all along.
Valdespin... Seems like he owes us about 3 wins.
Just a question about the headline: "No punishment" seems more equivocal than "Exonerated." Is there some reason to hedge?
Or have I been in DC a long time?
I wonder how the Padres feel knowing that their one All-Star is a cheater.
Yeah,whatsanattau, how do we get the wins back that that s.o.b. Valdespin stole from us??
I kinda had faith in Gio, after Torre chose him for the WBC Team.
ARod needs to get the full brunt of MLB punishment. He gives the appearance of being above any sanctions.
Good news for Gio and it has to be somewhat a relief that the whole thing is over now for him. Even though it did not look like he was indicated, you never know what that investigation might have turned up. Now, lets win 2 of 3, make no more than one error in this series (and that it doesn't cost us even a run), pitch well, catch the ball, throw the ball and maybe even hit the ball.
Go Nats!!
Mule thinks Sec. 3, My Sofa to be very perceptive, ". . .in DC a long time" or not.
"No punishment" in no way conveys a sense or meaning of "Not Guilty"; it is Washington-speak for "they let him slide, but he did it".
Washington) Times sportswriter Amanda Comak's report is headlined "Gio Gonzalez avoids suspension", (much the same as saying "No punishment". This is, however, followed by the stronger statement "cleared of wrongdoing in Biogenesis case".
A certain amount of journalistic caution is surely prudent, but this sort of thing informs that were sportswriters to become gardeners, their favorite plant would be "The Hedge".
I wonder how much this affected Gio's spring (and the rest of the Nats). Even if he was pretty sure early on that he would be cleared, there was still the investigation.
Faith in Gio never wavered.
Wait, Babe Valdespin is on the list? Hmmm...
And glad to hear good news for Gio.
I hope Gio can go back to being the "character" he was beford all this, but I doubt it. He will be forever more careful about Twitter, about "friends" and maybe even about "family."
When you are dealing with a snake like Tony Bosch you never know what he would say to save his own skin. I was worried up until now. Rumor was 2 weeks ago Gio got interviewed again by MLB.
To be cleared in the face of all this proves that due process does sometimes find in favor of those who really didn't do anything wrong.
It is a distinct warning shot to Gio to watch out who you can trust around you. Guilt by association is very lethal.
http://taylorhooton.org/taylor-hooton-foundation-statement-on-the-suspension-of-alex-rodriguez/
Youth & PEDs and a statement on ARoid.
Also, the SS that took Desi's spot on the All Star team named Everth Cabrera was suspended.
The far reaching effects of PEDs in sports goes far beyond the player suspended. How many jerseys are going to be shredded today?
Happy this is over with, glad that Gio was cleared, now on to baseball
Never doubted Gio. Not for a second.
"To be cleared in the face of all this proves that due process does sometimes find in favor of those who really didn't do anything wrong."
Gio would have sued both Bosch and MLB out the wazoo if he hadn't been cleared. I'm sure Bosch was advised to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, or any deal MLB had made with him would be null and void.
He didn't dare lie about Gio.
And yet ... "No punishment", Won't be suspended" (W.Times), "Avoids punishment" (WaPo) ...
Like I said, I might just be reading too much into that
Whew.
Laddie, very true.
"out the wazoo". Since I couldn't curse as a kid that's what we would say instead.
I hope this frees him in some way. It must have been so hard to live with this, even knowing he was clean. PHEW!
People who aren't guilty of anything tend to avoid punishment a lot.
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