Reports: Phillies' Romero to Be Suspended 50 Games

Updated 2:34 AM PST, Tue, Jan 6, 2009

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PHILADELPHIA — Phillies reliever J.C. Romero will be suspended for the first 50 games of next season after testing positive for a banned supplement, according to a pair of reports, and he thinks the punishment is unfair.

Romero, who earned two wins in Philadelphia's World Series victory over Tampa Bay last year, thought the supplement he took during the season was legal because he bought it over the counter at a nutrition store in the United States, ESPN.com reported Monday night.

The players' association had told major leaguers the supplement was permissible, and Romero's case went to an arbitration hearing in October, the Web site reported. In November, the union notified players that it had learned of supplements available at U.S. retail stores that could cause a positive test, the report said.

The arbitrator decided against Romero, who was ruled guilty of negligence, and the pitcher's suspension will be announced Tuesday by Major League Baseball, according to the report. The penalty will cost the left-hander $1.25 million in salary, ESPN.com said.

"I still cannot see where I did something wrong," Romero told the Web site. "There is nothing that should take away from the rings of my teammates. I didn't cheat. I tried to follow the rules."

The Philadelphia Inquirer also reported Romero's suspension and details of the case on its Web site early Tuesday.

"If I'm guilty of something, you know what? I will face it. But I'm not guilty, and I'm not letting people that don't really know me judge me over something and accuse me of something that I didn't do," Romero told the newspaper.

ESPN.com said Rob Manfred, MLB's executive vice president of labor relations, didn't return a call seeking comment. The Inquirer said Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. declined to comment.

"For me to keep my mouth shut? That's not the right thing to do," Romero told the Inquirer. "If they want to bump me out of the game, so be it. What am I going to do, just sit back and take it? When I know in my heart I'm innocent? That doesn't fly well with me and it doesn't fly well in my house, either."

Romero was the winning pitcher in Game 3 of the World Series and the clinching Game 5 for the champion Phillies.

ESPN.com said the pitcher was tested on Aug. 26 and Sept. 19, then informed by the players' union on Sept. 23 that he had tested positive. Romero said he immediately stopped taking any supplements. He was tested again Oct. 1 and that test came back negative, according to the ESPN.com report.

Romero went 4-4 last season with a 2.75 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 59 innings. He appeared in 81 games and had one save.