Phillies' Romero suspended 50 games

Jan 6, 2009 - 3:28 AM BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) -- When the world champion Philadelphia Phillies begin their title defense in April, they will be doing it without their key lefthander in the bullpen.

According to a report on ESPN.com, Phillies lefthander J.C. Romero has been suspended 50 games for using a banned supplement.

The 33-year-old reliever, who won the third and clinching game of the 2008 World Series, has been ruled guilty of "negligence," though Major League Baseball did not say that Romero cheated, according to the report.

Romero said on Monday that he bought a supplement from a GNC store in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, last July - and that the Players Association had told players that was acceptable.

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

Three months after Romero was tested before a game on August 26, the Players Association sent a letter to players.

The letter stated, "We have previously told you there is no reason to believe a supplement bought at a U.S. based retail store could cause you to test positive under our Drug Program. That is no longer true.

"We have recently learned of three substances which can be bought over the counter at stores in the United States that will cause you to test positive. These three supplements were purchased at a GNC and Vitamin Shoppe in the U.S."

Romero had an arbitration hearing in Tampa Bay during the first two days of the World Series in which it was claimed that in early July, the Center for Drug Free Support had notified baseball of questions about the supplement Romero had purchased, according to the report.

Baseball and the Players Association never got the questions straight, Romero told the web site.

"What's most important is that I get back my honor," Romero told ESPN.com. "This just isn't fair."

Romero went 4-4 with a 2.75 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 59 innings last season as Philadelphia's primary lefthander out of the bullpen. He stands to lose $1.25 million in salary during the suspension.