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SPORTSSaturday 13 February 2016

Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia 1st to draw lifetime drug ban

RONALD BLUM In this Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014, file photo, New York Mets relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia tosses the Steve Howe was suspend-
AP Baseball Writer ball to throw out Colorado Rockies’ Josh Rutledge at first base to end a baseball game in New ed for life by Commissioner
NEW YORK (AP) — Mets re- York. Fay Vincent in 1992 after
liever Jenrry Mejia became the pitcher’s seventh drug-
the first player to receive Associated Press. or alcohol-related incident.
a lifetime ban under Ma- Arbitrator George Nicolau
jor League Baseball’s drug said then. “This is the con- would result in a lifetime than for the 2018 season. said doctors concluded
agreement after testing sequence of making bad ban. His 162-game suspen- If an application is made Howe suffered from Atten-
positive for a performance- choices.” sion had matched the lon- and denied, Mejia could tion Deficit Hyperactive Dis-
enhancing substance for The Mets said Friday they gest under the big league ask baseball’s arbitrator order and cut the suspen-
the third time. “were deeply disappoint- program, a year-long ban to end the ban, claiming sion to time served, which
The commissioner’s office ed.” The Major League served by the Yankees’ the penalty is without “just was 119 days.
said Friday that Mejia test- Baseball Players Associa- Alex Rodriguez in 2014 that cause.” The arbitrator can- No players have been
ed positive for the anabolic tion declined comment, originally was 211 games not reduce the ban to less banned for life under the
steroid Boldenone, which and a spokesman for Me- before an arbitrator re- than two years. minor league drug pro-
athletes have used to in- jia’s agents said the pitcher duced it. Outfielder Josh Hamilton, gram.
crease muscle mass and had no comment. Mejia may apply one year then in the minor leagues, A Dominican signed by
once was popular for use in Under pressure from Con- from now to baseball Com- was suspended several the Mets in 2007, Mejia
horse racing. gress to toughen their drug missioner Rob Manfred for times for drugs of abuse reached the major leagues
The 26-year-old right-hand- program, major league reinstatement, and Man- from 2003-05 but was al- in 2010 and became their
er was the Mets’ closer in players and teams agreed fred at his discretion has lowed to return each time. closer in 2014, when he had
2014, then was suspended in November 2005 that a the power to let Mejia back During a time when there 28 saves in 31 chances. He
for 80 games last April 11 third positive test for PEDs in baseball — but no earlier was not a drug agreement, is 9-14 with a 3.68 ERA in 18
following a positive test for starts and 95 relief appear-
Stanozolol, a drug popular ances.
among bodybuilders. At Mejia began last year as the
the time, he said, “I can Mets’ closer, but couldn’t
honestly say I have no idea get loose while warming up
how a banned substance on opening day at Wash-
ended up in my system.” ington and went on the dis-
Mejia returned July 12, ap- abled list with elbow inflam-
peared in seven games mation.
for New York, then was Because of the suspen-
banned for 162 games on sions, Mejia received just
July 28 after a positive test $496,311 of his $2,595,000
for Stanozolol and Bold- salary last year. He will re-
enone. ceive none of his $2.47 mil-
“I think not surprisingly lion salary this year.
there’s a tremendous In Mejia’s absence, Jeu-
amount of disappointment, rys Familia became New
I think to some extent, York’s closer, and the Mets
anger, to some extent, went on to reach the World
amazement that this could Series for the first time since
happen so soon after a 2000. New York lost the
previous suspension was World Series to Kansas City
completed,” Mets general in five games.q
manager Sandy Alderson

Ter Mors beats U.S. duo to women’s
1,000m world skating gold

Jorien ted Mors, of the Netherlands, competes to win the wom- gold at the world single dis- second gold of the cham- championships, though he
en’s 1000 meter race of the speedskating single distance World tance championships on pionships in the 5,000. Sab- missed the podium at the
Championships in Kolomna, Russia, on Friday, Feb. 12, 2016. Friday. likova’s time of 6:51.09 was 2014 Olympics.
Ter Mors won her first ca- a full 3.87 seconds ahead Nuis was 1.53 seconds be-
Associated Press reer world championship of Carien Kleibeuker of hind Yuskov, with Krol 0.09
in 1 minute, 14.73 seconds, the Netherlands, with an- seconds off the silver.
KOLOMNA, Russia (AP) — katers Heather Richardson- 0.21 ahead of Richardson- other Dutch skater, Irene The men’s 6,000m team
Jorien Ter Mors of the Neth- Bergsma and Brittany Bowe Bergsma. Schouten, in third, 4.84 sec- pursuit brought the third
erlands beat U.S. speeds- to women’s 1,000-meter World record-holder and onds off the pace. Dutch gold of the cham-
reigning champion Bowe Russian Denis Yuskov won pionships in 3:40.03, 1.23
took the bronze, a further the men’s 1,500 in 1:44.13 seconds ahead of silver
0.07 seconds back, as the to cheers from the home medalist Norway and 3.25
U.S. won its only medals of crowd, beating Dutch skat- seconds ahead of bronze-
the championships so far. ers Kjeld Nuis and Thomas winning Canada. Fourth-
A day after winning the Krol. placed Italy missed out on
3,000, Czech skater Mar- Yuskov also won the 1,500 a medal by one hundredth
tina Sablikova won her at the 2013 and 2015 of a second.q