http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3812620

 

Updated: January 6, 2009, 12:54 AM ET

Yanks' Mitre to get suspension

Comment Email Print By Jerry Crasnick

ESPN.com

Archive New York Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre will receive a 50-game suspension Tuesday for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy. Like Philadelphia Phillies reliever J.C. Romero, Mitre claims he had no desire to break baseball rules and that he took the banned substance unwittingly after purchasing a legal supplement at a GNC store in Florida.

 

Mitre Mitre told ESPN.com that while he takes "full responsibility" for his actions, he failed a drug test because a trace amount of androstenedione appeared without his knowledge in a nutritional supplement that he bought at GNC. "Although being suspended for 50 games is tough to accept, I think that it is important to understand that I am in full support of drug testing in baseball," Mitre said in a statement released through his agent, Paul Cobbe. "I did take the supplement in question and accept full responsibility for taking it. What has been difficult for me to understand is that I legally purchased this supplement at GNC and had no intention nor desire to cheat or to circumvent the system in any way. "As confirmed through the drug testing and grievance processes, it contained a 'contaminant' amount of an illegal, performance-enhancing drug. This was not listed as an ingredient on the packaging, should not have been in the supplement and certainly should not have been available for legal purchase at a store." Mitre, 27, underwent reconstructive elbow surgery in July and was rehabilitating at the Florida Marlins' spring training facility when he bought an unidentified supplement at a GNC outlet in Jupiter, Fla. He failed a random drug test in late August and said he was surprised to learn that the test revealed a trace amount of androstenedione in his urine. Androstenedione, or andro, is a natural steroid hormone that produces testosterone in the body. The substance received widespread attention in 1998 when an Associated Press reporter spotted a bottle in St. Louis first baseman Mark McGwire's locker stall. Andro was legal in baseball at the time, but it was banned in 2004 as part of the game's new drug testing agreement. Mitre filed a grievance in September only to lose his case. He's not expected to return from Tommy John surgery until midseason, and will serve his suspension and be docked 50 days pay while on the disabled list. Mitre has a 10-23 record in five major league seasons with the Chicago Cubs and the Marlins. In November, the Yankees signed him to a split contract that will pay him about $1.5 million if he makes the major league roster. While Mitre only stands to lose about $60,000 or $70,000 from the minor league salary he's docked while rehabbing from his injury, he's more concerned with the public perception that results from his suspension. Like Romero, he wants the public to understand the circumstances that led to the disciplinary action against him. "I accept my punishment because, as a professional, I have a responsibility for what I put into my body," Mitre said. "For this I will suffer a significant financial penalty and, more importantly, it will affect my reputation. I only hope that this will help others avoid being punished for having taken a product bought legally at a retail store." Jerry Crasnick covers baseball for ESPN Insider.

Rabbethan will be crushed.

:blink: Wow I'm surprised.

It was all that rum I tell ye

You know what galls the most, is when these guys blame it (and the media allows them to get away with it) on "supplements".

 

Its bullcrap, plain and simple.

 

I have my own theory on what they are taking, I can't prove it, so I won't say it. But I doubt that baseball would suspend someone 50 games for a trace element of anything. That amount is not going to give anyone a competitive edge.

Why is this loser in the Marlins section?

Why is this loser in the Marlins section?

 

I was surprised to see it here too. I went 1st to the MLB forum to see if it was there, and when it wasn't I went to the Marlins forum. I know he played for us, but he's a Yankee now. This should have been in the general MLB forum.

Its amazing how none of these guys ever take the drugs intentionally, its always a product purchased at GNC that they didn't know was illegal.

Not too many years ago the FBI raided a supplement manufacturer's production facility because their claim of an ED miracle drug seemed too good to be true. In fact, what they had done was buy the active ingredient in Cialis in Europe where it was originally marketed, shipped it over and mixed it with their herbs and minerals in their "100% organic" product - the point being you never really know what's in non-FDA approved OTC products.

 

Seems to me if a guy tests negative 30 times in a row and then all of a sudden tests positive, that shouldn't be grounds for punishment. Look at the guy who won the Tour de France a few years ago. he had never tested positive, tested positive once and then never tested positive again - one day because during the race they test every day - and they disqualified his victory.

 

A little common sense here would be great. It may be that Mitre had multiple positive tests but if this was an isolated event this is going too far. And not because it's Mitre.

Its amazing how none of these guys ever take the drugs intentionally, its always a product purchased at GNC that they didn't know was illegal.

 

Well I didn't want to say it.....but its suspicious in the least. Its ALWAYS a supplement. How many times do they expect us to buy this story ? If these "supplements" contain illegal substances then why did you ingest anything that came from one......HEEEEEELLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOO :banghead These guys are not that dumb. They just have been allowed to be arrogant jerks all their lives, because they are jocks. The rules only apply to the little people, not to them. They think they can get away with it, because they always have -- people have made excuses for them all of their lives.

and I might add....expect many on this board to continue that trend and paint what I have said as dangerous, and bannable, and I just hate athletes, etc etc etc........

 

Whatever

While the Marlins said it was because of his injury and upcoming arbitration, I'm wondering if this was the real reason the Marlins cut him.

wow way to go Admin beinfest! it really was a smart move to cut this guy so before this whole mess occured so that we wouldn't have to put up with it :thumbup

It says that MLB confirmed that the supplement in question had andro in it, even though it was not supposed to. I don't agree with the suspension or all of the criticism of Mitre if this is the case.

So now we know what Captain Mitre's Pirate Crew has been smuggling all along...

Man, what a shame. I'm glad he is gone.

I would love for one of them to say "there must have been some traces of this substance in the steroids that I bought. I did it so I could be a better baseball player to make more money and provide for my family."

Why is this loser in the Marlins section?

 

I was surprised to see it here too. I went 1st to the MLB forum to see if it was there, and when it wasn't I went to the Marlins forum. I know he played for us, but he's a Yankee now. This should have been in the general MLB forum.

 

Yeah, my bad. Just some inexperience at topic starting - I was reading something on the Marlins forum when I saw it on TV, so then i opened a new tab to pull up the link, and just clicked "New Topic" on that screen. And now I see that that starts the topic in the same forum - duh!

It was all that rum I tell ye

Bah, beat me to it.

 

 

Also....

 

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

You know what galls the most, is when these guys blame it (and the media allows them to get away with it) on "supplements".

 

Its bullcrap, plain and simple.

 

I have my own theory on what they are taking, I can't prove it, so I won't say it. But I doubt that baseball would suspend someone 50 games for a trace element of anything. That amount is not going to give anyone a competitive edge.

Actually, according to their own rules, they have to ban someone for trace elements.

It says that MLB confirmed that the supplement in question had andro in it, even though it was not supposed to. I don't agree with the suspension or all of the criticism of Mitre if this is the case.

 

Just continuing the cycle of the "Jocks are better than everyone else and don't have to live by the rules the rest of us do".

 

Are you really serious ? You believe what MLB says about this ? When they had to be horse collared by Congress to do anything at all about the steroids problem ?

 

:whistle

 

Are there people really this dumb ? :blink:

It says that MLB confirmed that the supplement in question had andro in it, even though it was not supposed to. I don't agree with the suspension or all of the criticism of Mitre if this is the case.

 

Just continuing the cycle of the "Jocks are better than everyone else and don't have to live by the rules the rest of us do".

 

Are you really serious ? You believe what MLB says about this ? When they had to be horse collared by Congress to do anything at all about the steroids problem ?

 

:whistle

 

Are there people really this dumb ? :blink:

 

I'm dumb now? I swear I put a disclaimer in there...

If they are serious about testing a legitimate substance and finding banned substances illegally within it, I don't see how they can fault the player.

It says that MLB confirmed that the supplement in question had andro in it, even though it was not supposed to. I don't agree with the suspension or all of the criticism of Mitre if this is the case.

 

Just continuing the cycle of the "Jocks are better than everyone else and don't have to live by the rules the rest of us do".

 

Are you really serious ? You believe what MLB says about this ? When they had to be horse collared by Congress to do anything at all about the steroids problem ?

 

:whistle

 

Are there people really this dumb ? :blink:

 

You're wrong. Selig, like him or not has been trying to address the issue for years, almost a decade, got it done in the minors wanted it in the MLB but it was the union that adamantly refused to go along, even in front of Congress Donald Fehr refused to agree any type of drug testing. Fehr is out for one thing and that is ever spiraling higher salaries and if he personally has to inject every player in his union with steroids he would. You can't blame the MLB for this one, at least not in the last five or six years, they got religion a lot earler that the MLBPA.

Do you think Beinfest knew and cut him b/c of it? I think that makes sense. :mis2

Sure seems like a lawsuit against GNC and/or the supplement manufacturer would be warranted for the loss of income-unless it is not true.