Although several players have been suspended in recent years over MLB’s new PED policy (just one all-time ban), Thursday marked the first time in years a super-star got the pink slip.
Miami Marlins star Dee Gordon, the National League’s reigning batting champ, has been suspended 80 games for testing positive for testosterone and clostebol — both considered performance enhancing drugs.
The All-Star second baseman is suspended without pay immediately and won’t be eligible to return until July 29 when the Marlins host the St. Louis Cardinals.
“Dee Gordon is a very important part of our team, and we all love him, and we support him,” Marlins president David Samson said.
“That said, I do not like, or condone, what he did. He’s an important member of this organization and will be for many years to come. It’s a huge, huge disappointment. To the kids, to our fans, to his teammates, and to everyone in our organization who works hard every single day to put a product on the field and off the field that all Miamians will be proud of.”
Here’s what Gordon had to say about the suspension:
“Though I did not do so knowingly, I have been informed that test results showed I ingested something that contained prohibited substances,” Gordon said Friday morning in a statement released by the MLB Players Association. “The hardest part about this is feeling that I have let down my teammates, the organization, and the fans. I have been careful to avoid products that could contain something banned by MLB and the 20-plus tests that I have taken and passed throughout my career prove this. I made a mistake and I accept the consequences.”
Gordon — whose nickname is ‘Flash’ — is the best base-stealer in the Bigs. He led all of MLB in steals the last two years, 58 last year and 64 the previous year with the Dodgers. He’s only hit 6 home runs during that time, so he’s not a slugger by any means, which makes you wonder why he would resort to PEDs.
The best take came from my a buddy of mine:
Today’s news reminds me of that classic 80’s Brat Pack movie, St. Elmo’s Fire.
The scene where bad boy Billy (played superbly by Rob Lowe) goes back to hang out with his old college frat. And he is feeling awesome and great… sure his glory days are in the past but maybe he can just hang on for a little while longer cause adulting is too hard.
And after a hardy game of touch football one of the frat brothers tells him how it’s great to have him back around. And rob Lowe beams and smiles. This is it.
…
And then the frat brother says, “Yeah Billy. .. you always knew how to score the good drugs.”
Way to go, Barry Bonds. You ruined a new generation.
Bonds became the Miami Marlins hitting coach at the start of the season. Coincidence? Of course, it could be. Could be …
21 games into Barry Bonds’ return to MLB as #Marlins hitting coach and one of his batters is suspended for steroids? #Coincidence
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 29, 2016
Dee Gordon suspended 80 games for PED use.
Barry Bonds is the Marlins hitting coach.
Circumstantial evidence, your honor.
— Rob Kunz (@RobKunz_) April 29, 2016
Barry Bonds becomes Marlins hitting coach… Dee Gordon suspended for PEDs… pic.twitter.com/OmWRzOvuka
— Chris Carr (@Chris_Carr5) April 29, 2016
Josh Helmuth is the editor of Crave Sports. Follow him on Twitter or like the channel on Facebook here.
