Rabu, 13 Februari 2013

Wire Taps: Washington Nationals' Gio Gonzalez Addresses Miami New Times' PED Report

Gio Gonzalez spoke to reporters yesterday in Viera, Florida on the first day for pitchers and catchers at the defending NL East champion Washington Nationals' spring home. The Nats' 27-year-old left-hander reiterated that he had no connection to the Coral Gables, Florida-based Biogenesis clinic, its chief Anthony Bosch, the "pink cream" or any PEDs. Yes, his father had attended the clinic, but he said he didn't even know that until it came out in the Miami New Times' report a few weeks back now. Gonzalez's comments inevitably raised some more questions as you'll see below, with detail-oriented reports noting how some things don't quite add up. The 21-game winning Nats' starter told reporters he would answer their questions, but said clearly that he didn't want it to become a distraction for his teammates. The story isn't going to go away any time soon either, as MLB has provided no hint as to when the investigations into claims made in the Miami New Times' report about the clinic supplying performance-enhancing drugs to pro athletes might end.

' THE BIG STORY!!: (Today In Two Parts) -

' "How, for instance, can he claim that he didn't learn of any of this until the New Times story was 'posted,' when the newspaper has said repeatedly it sought comments and explanations from every player named, prior to the story's publication?" - "Gio Gonzalez unable to turn the page - Spring Training Blog" - Jayson Stark, ESPN

' "However, two sources said Tuesday that any discipline arising from the Biogenesis investigation is unlikely to be announced soon enough to impact the WBC, which begins March 8 for Team USA." - "Ryan Braun and Gio Gonzalez likely cleared to play in World Baseball Classic" - Jon Morosi, MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN

' NATS BEAT:

' "[Gio] Gonzalez was his typical gregarious, grinning self as he met with reporters." - "Gio Gonzalez confident about Biogenesis investigation, 'shocked' about report" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' "Looking thinner than the 200-pounds he was listed at on the Nationals' 2012 roster, Gonzalez said he was "shocked" and "stunned" when he heard his name was found in Biogenesis records..." - "Gio Gonzalez reiterates PED denials on arrival at Nationals camp" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "Asked how he believes his name wound up in [Anthony] Bosch's records if the two had never before met, [Gio] Gonzalez suggested the link was suspected because his father, Max Gonzalez, was a patient of Bosch's weight-loss clinic." - "Gonzalez 'confident' he'll be cleared of wrongdoing" - Mark Zuckerman, CSN Washington

' "In one of the entries in Bosch's notebook, the words 'pink cream,' which is a synthetic testosterone, were listed next to Gonzalez's name. Gonzalez said that he doesn't know anything about pink cream and did not receive any such substance." - "Nationals Pastime: Gonzalez 'very confident' he'll be cleared despite link to PED clinic" - Dan Kolko, MASNSport.com

' "He'll come in and be able to separate that stuff out. I think that's one of the things our clubhouse has been special for, we're able to cut out the outside factors." - Drew Storen - "Gonzalez maintains he hasn't used PEDs" - Kyle Hightower, AP/WTOP.com

' "[Gio] Gonzalez won a career-best 21 games in his first year with Washington last season, finishing third in the National League Cy Young Award vote and helping to lead the Nats to the NL East title." - "Gio arrives at camp, reiterates no ties to PEDs" - Joey Nowak, nationals.com: News

' "If MLB finds evidence Gonzalez used steroids, it could levy a 50-game suspension. The league's investigation is expected to last weeks, at minimum..." - "Gio Gonzalez says he's 'never taken performance-enhancing drugs,' expresses excitement for 2013 MLB season" - Adam Kilgore, The Washington Post

' "Gio on WBC invite: 'It's an honor'" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "Henry Rodriguez is an enigma. The right-handed reliever has mounds of potential with his fireball fastball and electric stuff." - "Henry Rodriguez, fighting for a spot in the bullpen, says his elbow feels fine" - James Wagner, Washington Post

' "[Henry] Rodriguez has been rehabbing all winter and he said that while he feels good to this point, his rehab is not finished." - "Notes from reporting day: Henry Rodriguez, Stephen Strasburg and more" - Amanda Comak, Washington Times

' "Sammy Solis is pretty familiar with the Nationals training staff down here in Viera; he spent all of last season here rehabbing after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March." - "Nationals Pastime: A few notes on Strasburg, Rodriguez, Solis" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "Even 200 innings in 2013 will be a 25 percent jump. And given its status as a World Series contender, Washington must think beyond that number in case of a long postseason run." - "No innings limit for Stephen Strasburg, so how far can he go?" - Brian McNally, WashingtonExaminer.com

' "It's not merely the players and their 70-year-old manager who predict championship bliss. Everybody and their mom said the Nationals are pretty much a lock." - "Washington Nationals suddenly dealing with the weight of great expectations - Mike Wise, The Washington Post

' Audio: Notes from Nats spring training w/ Washington Post's James Wagner - WTOP.com

' "'The shoulder is good. It's coming along. We took it easy, we took it extra slow. I still have to rehab it two to three times a week. I started throwing and hitting two weeks ago.'" - Ryan Zimmerman - "Ryan Zimmerman: 'We don't expect anything to be easy'" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

' "[Christian] Garcia knows the Nationals want him to build endurance for a switch from reliever to starter. He is not quite sure how that will happen." - "Christian Garcia's new role, Stephen Strasburg's first bullpen session" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' "'I haven't gotten any concrete answer [as to] what exactly I'm doing, so I'm just coming into camp as a pitcher,' [Christian] Garcia said." - "Garcia eager to make contribution to Nats" - Joey Nowak, nationals.com: News

' Audio: "'Our manager has definitely already came out and popped off saying that if we don't go to the World Series it's going to be a disappointing season,' Stammen told 106.7 The Fan's Holden and Danny Tuesday." - "Stammen: Our Goal is to 'Win The World Series'" - Craig Stammen w/ Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier, 106.7 the FAN In DC

' "VIDEO: Harper's new Under Armour commercial" - Chase Hughes, CSN Washington

' "The Nationals released a statement on Tuesday in response to recent speculation that they may change Spring Training venues after this season." - "Nats address speculation about spring home" - Joey Nowak, nationals.com: News

' "'People are going to be gunning for us even more,' [Drew] Storen said. 'It won't be the shock factor...'" - "Nationals hoping to bounce back as spring training begins" - AP/WashingtonExaminer.com

' "According to this FOX release, the Nats are scheduled to appear on their Saturday regional broadcasts a whopping nine times." - "Nationals Pastime: Nats will get lots of love on FOX in 2013 (plus spring training statement)" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

' "Several over-the-air stations ' including other Washington network affiliates ' competed for the chance to showcase the Nats, who earned their best-ever television ratings last season." - "WUSA 9 will simulcast 20 Nats games in 2013" - Dan Steinberg, Washington Post

' "The Nationals have been seeking a new spring home for two years, citing the long driving distance between Viera and all other camps in the Grapefruit League..." - "Nats still exploring spring relocation" - Mark Zuckerman, NatsInsider.com

' "Finally healthy, [Cole] Kimball will likely be a long shot to compete for a spot in the already-crowded bullpen." - "Cole Kimball says he is 100 percent: 'It's like I never had surgery'" - James Wagner, Washington Post

' "Lucas Giolito, the Nationals' first-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, is in good spirits at camp, encouraged by his rehab from the Tommy John surgery he underwent on Aug. 31." - "Giolito in good spirits as he recovers from injury" - Joey Nowak, nationals.com: News

' "If suspended, Gonzalez would be eligible to return May 28. If the Nationals added Lohse and found too much of a logjam, they would have the option of trading a newly signed free agent (meaning either Haren or Lohse in this hypothetical) on June 1." - "Kyle Lohse a possible contingency for Nationals as Gio Gonzalez insurance" - Adam Kilgore, Washington Post

' NATIONAL(S) COVERAGE:

' "The elephant in the room for Boras is Kyle Lohse, whose stock has waned because of the draft-pick cost associated with signing him..." - "Rumor Roundup: Wednesday, February 13" - Daniel Rathman, Baseball Prospectus

' "There's been little in the way of reports that he's in negotiations with any teams, but Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post writes that the Nationals "may try to swoop in and sign" Lohse as rotation depth..." - "Nationals 'may try to swoop in and sign' Kyle Lohse" - Aaron Gleeman, HardballTalk

' via Twitter:

' "Unlike logs that appeared to link stars such as Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera and Nelson Cruz directly to PEDs, Gonzalez's name appeared alongside references to a 'pink cream' as well as notations that read 'zinc,' 'l-glut,' and 'l-argin.'" - "Gio Gonzalez denies PED use, 'stunned' to be in report" - Paul White, USA Today Sports

' "While MLB has the latitude to discipline players in the absence of a positive test for a banned substance, players are still free to appeal any ruling and have the case heard by an arbitrator." - "Gio Gonzalez and the suspension question" - Dayn Perry, CBSSports.com

' "[Alex] Meyer was a first-round pick, but [Denard] Span is an underrated player signed to a team-friendly contract and Meyer hasn't pitched above Class A." - "Offseason report card: Twins" - David Schoenfield, SweetSpot Blog - ESPN

' Audio: Denard Span on WKFAN FM 100.3 In Minnesota - (Span starts at 18:50-ish)

' "'I wasn't a negotiator,' [Edwin] Jackson said Tuesday, 'but I was kind of right there.' Video replays show Jackson charging out of the dugout..." - "Jackson recalls role in Cubs-Nats altercation" - Carrie Muskat, cubs.com: News

' "'First of all, when I first heard about [Biogenesis and the connection of Alex Rodriguez to it], I started saying that us as baseball players, we pretty much might be the dumbest athletes out of all the sports because the history of players doing stuff like that and later on getting caught..." - David Ortiz - "Full Count " David Ortiz on Biogenesis scandal: Baseball players 'might be the dumbest athletes out of all the sports'" - Alex Speier

' "Despite owning the best record in the major leagues last season, Rizzo did not rest." - "Ranking the offseason for all 30 teams - The GM's Office by Jim Bowden Blog - ESPN [INSIDERS ONLY]

' Your Daily Message From The Dalai Lama On Twitter (@DalaiLama):

' NATSTOWN:

' "File under: Cutter Dykstra continues to make Mike Rizzo look like a genius for the Nyjer Morgan trade." - "Meanwhile, in other Cutter Dykstra news..." - Nats Enquirer

' "Nationals Pitchers And Catchers Arrive To Prepare For Season With High Expectations" - Joe Drugan, The Nats Blog

' "Minors Pitching Staff Analysis, Part One" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

' via Teddy on Twitter:

' NL EAST UPDATES:

' Mets: "If you squint hard enough ' and, gosh, don't hurt yourself ' you can listen to Terry Collins speak, read his words, and envision: "Well, probably not, but maybe. Just maybe. Like, a one in 500 chance." - "New York Mets battling credibility of hope as spring training begins" - Ken Davidoff, NYPOST.com

' Phillies: "Part of the reason [Michael] Bourn's price fell so dramatically was because the Phillies unexpectedly traded for [Ben] Revere, a player who wasn't on anyone's radar after the Washington Nationals traded for Denard Span." - "Michael Bourn Was Never in Phillies' Cards" - Bill Baer, Crashburn Alley

' Braves: "At 6 feet 5 and 235 chiseled pounds, the thin-waisted [Jason] Heyward has one of the most impressive physiques in baseball, even more 'shredded' than he was a year ago." - "Heyward and Uptons outfield takes shape" - David O'Brien, www.ajc.com

' Marlins: "[Jose] Fernandez, a 20-year-old right-hander, looks like he could be good one, perhaps the best homegrown pitching talent the Marlins have produced since Josh Beckett more than a decade ago." - "JUPITER: Miami Marlins' Jose Fernandez: 'I'm ready to pitch'" - Clark Spencer, MiamiHerald.com

                                                                                                                                                                                                               



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