Guillermo Mota Suspended – Blames Childrens Cough Syrup

He we are in early May and we are talking about prohibited substances again. San Francisco Giants reliever Guillermo Mota was suspended for 100 games on Monday, becoming just the third major league player penalized twice for positive drug tests.

Mota’s agent Adam Katz said in a statement that the Clenbuterol was in children’s cough syrup. ”Players are responsible for what they put in their bodies. Guillermo understands that,” Katz said. ”A 100-game suspension for taking a children’s cough medicine that contains trace amounts of a prohibited substance, which is what happened here, is severe and unfair and does not reflect the intention of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We will appeal it.”

I don’t know about you, but the first thing I would want to ask Mr. Mota is, why are you taking children’s cough syrup to begin with. Here we have a professional baseball player, with probably the best doctors available at his disposal, and the best he can do is… I took my kids cough syrup?

Perhaps Mota’s agent and lawyers should consult with Ryan Braun‘s people. You don’t argue the results of the test ! You argue how the test sample was collected, how it was stored, whose refrigerator was it in ? The chemical found in the sample was Clenbuterol.  Clenbuterol acts as a stimulant, increasing heart rate. In medicine, it is used to treat asthma. Like some steroids, the drug also has anabolic effects. Athletes and body builders use it to build muscle and burn fat.

This is Mota’s third season with the Giants. He was with the Mets when he previously suspended and missed the first 50 games of the 2007 season. At the time of that suspension, the identity of a substance causing a positive test is being made public under the new collective bargaining agreement.

Up until the Ryan Braun case appeals for positive test results were turned down. This one will likely be turned down as well, however you never know. I suppose we all have a right to drink children’s cough syrup. Mota will not be allowed to play during the appeal, since this is his second offense.