J.C. Romero suspended 50 games for “negligence”

January 5, 10:22 PMPhiladelphia Phillies ExaminerPatrick Gallen

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JC Romero wonders why he has been suspended

Philadelphia Phillies reliever J.C. Romero has been suspended by Major League Baseball for apparently taking an over the counter supplement that contained a banned substance.

However, according to the report by Peter Gammons of ESPN.com, Romero says that he purchased the supplement at a GNC store in Cherry Hill, NJ and it was not on the banned list.  The league says Romero showed “negligence” in using the product.

Romero is upset at the fact that what he took is now on the banned substance list, and says his reputation has been tarnished after winning a World Series ring last season with the Phillies.  According to Romero, he even had the supplement checked by a nutritionist to make sure it would fall under the strict guidelines of Major League Baseball.  The lefty reliever will miss the first 50 games of the season, forfeiting $1.25 million; but you better believe he will appeal this.

There seems to be a very large grey area in this story.  Apparently Romero had tested positive for something illegal under the league policy, but this was well before the playoffs.  It seems the league attempted to bargain with him on a suspension, but he declined it and an arbitration hearing was held just before the World Series.  

Here is an excerpt from Peter Gammons article:

“On Aug. 26 and Sept. 19, Romero was tested, as all players are, randomly. On Sept. 23, Players Association counsel Bob Lenaghan informed Romero he had tested positive.

"I immediately stopped taking all supplements, although I had no idea it was the cause of the positive test," Romero said.

He spoke to Michael Weiner at the PA and told him he did not know the cause of the positive test. On Oct. 1, Weiner told Romero that the specific supplemnent was indeed the cause of the failed test and that because it was purchased over the counter in the U.S. he believed the case would be dropped.

That same day, Oct. 1, Romero was again tested. The results were negative. So for the NLDS, NLCS and World Series, the supplement was no longer in his system.

Two days later, Romero was informed that MLB would be willing to reduce his suspension to 25 games, starting at the beginning of the 2009 season on the condition that he admitted guilt. Romero said he couldn't, because he did not believe he did anything wrong.

On on Oct. 12, the second test results came back -- from the Sept. 19 test conducted four days before Romero learned he'd tested positive the first time -- and were positive. MLB then changed its offer: The suspension would still be reduced to 25 games, but it had to start immediately and he had to admit guilt. Again, Romero declined, because he did not believe he was in the wrong and because he did not want to miss his first World Series.

The arbitration hearing was held Oct. 22 in Tampa, the first day of the World Series. Curiously, the bottle of the supplement MLB had purchased contained the label warning: "Use of this product may be banned by some athletic or government associations." However, the bottle Romero had purchased and brought to the hearing contained no warning.

In December, the Players Association informed Romero that the arbitrator had had a change of heart and was ruling against him. Sunday, that was confirmed, and Tuesday afternoon, MLB will announce the suspension.”

Romero is undeniably upset that this could tarnish his name, especially with the facts coming out that he may have tested positive before a World Series in which he won two games.  Romero denies any wrong doing, and hopes to have his name cleared.  

What strikes me as odd is that if he were guilty of cheating, he should have been reprimanded, no questions asked.  But all of this so-called bargaining that went on between Romero and Major League Baseball smells a little bit fishy.  Hopefully for the organization, the fans, and most importantly for Romero himself, he is cleared of any wrongdoing.  As one of the key components of a stellar bullpen, a 50-game suspension could un up being a monumental loss. 

This will no doubt be an on-going story, as Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero finds himself in a tug-of-war with the MLB.  

For another take on this developing story, check out San Francisco Giants Examiner Claire Reclosado.