Page 4B — MONDAY, February 23, 2009 Columbia Missourian

“I made a mistake. It’s something I can’t take back. It happened a long time ago.
I’ve moved on from it. I’m ready to hopefully jump-start my career here.”

MOVING PAST ‘MITCHELL’

Photos by JEFF ROBERSON/The Associated Press

Florida Marlins’ Jay Gibbons is trying to save his career after being named in the 2007 Mitchell Report for using performance-enhancers.

Remorseful Jay Gibbons tries to reclaim career with Florida Marlins

By STEVEN WINE
The Associated Press
JUPITER, Fla. — He took a performance-
enhancing substance, got caught by Major
League Baseball and acknowledged making a
mistake. And when Jay Gibbons reported this
week to Florida Marlins training camp, he
caused hardly a stir.
“I really feel like I have nothing to lose,”
the veteran outfielder said, “because people
don’t expect much.”
A-Rod he’s not. But Gibbons hit 121 home
runs in seven seasons with the Baltimore
Orioles before he was named in the Mitchell
Report in December 2007. He admitted using
human growth hormone and hasn’t played in
a major-league game since.
At 31, he’s trying to revive his career with
the Marlins, who signed him to a minor-
league contract.
“I made a mistake,” Gibbons said. “It’s some-
thing I can’t take back. It happened a long
time ago. I’ve moved on from it. I’m ready to
hopefully jump-start my career here.”
Jeff Conine joined the Marlins in Decem-
ber as a special assistant to the team presi-
dent and encouraged them to sign Gibbons.
Conine and Gibbons were teammates in Bal-
timore for four seasons.
“You get a guy who’s great in the clubhouse
and has good power,” Conine said. “Really
there’s no downside to it.
“The Mitchell Report thing is something
he did a long time ago. You’ve got other big
names who said they did it, and nobody talks
about them anymore. Move on and let him
play. He could really help our team.”
Gibbons said he’s saddened by the recent
revelation Alex Rodriguez took steroids and
The Florida Marlins signed outfielder Gibbons, 31, to a minor-league contract.
by the steroids-related conviction of his for-
mer Orioles teammate, Miguel Tejada.
“I know Miggy very well,” Gibbons said.
“He’s a great teammate, a great person. I
feel sad for him to have to go through what
he’s going through.”
As for Rodriguez: “I feel for him a little bit.
I wish him the best. He’s going to go out and
hit 40 homers this year.”
Gibbons declined to blame baseball’s drug
culture for his misstep. He said he took HGH
to help recover from a nagging wrist injury,
and the decision was entirely his own.
“I took it upon myself to go to a doctor,”
Gibbons said. “I was feeling injuries. I’ve had
that my whole career. That was the reason
for it. I was looking to get back on the field.
“I’m open about it. It’s something that’s
unfortunate, and I’m going to have to live
with it.”
Gibbons played in 84 games in 2007 and
hit .230 with six homers, both career lows,
before his season was ended by shoulder
surgery in August. Then came the Mitchell
Report. The Orioles released him at the end
of spring training last year, and even after
the 15-day suspension he received for being
linked to HGH was lifted in April, he found
himself out of work.
Gibbons apologized in a letter he sent
to every big-league general manager, but
received no contract offers in response. That
was the low point, he said.
“I was sitting at home the first of June and
trying to wrap my head around what’s going
on,” he said. “I almost retired, and my family
talked me out of it.”
Instead he began his comeback by join-
ing the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic
League. In July, he signed with the Brewers
organization and played in Double-A and
Triple-A, hitting .308 with five homers in 34
games.
This offseason he went to the Venezuelan
Winter League.
“I started out 1-for-31, and I think the
whole country wanted to kill me,” he said
with a laugh. “After that it went real well. I
ended up hitting around .290.”
He returned home to California to become
a father. Twin boys Gavin and Grayer were
born four weeks ago. They and their mom
will join Gibbons for spring training, and
he said if he gets cut, he might become Mr.
Mom. His wife is an employment lawyer.
Marlins infielder Wes Helms said he’s root-
ing for Gibbons.
“We’re all human,” Helms said. “We all
make mistakes. It’s no different from a
person on a normal job making a mistake.
He’s past that. I wish him the best. I hope he
makes the team and helps us go to the World
Series.”
If Gibbons does makes the roster, it would
likely be as a reserve outfielder. It helps his
chances that he bats left-handed and would
provide experience on a team perennially
among the youngest in baseball.
How much does he have left?
“Who knows?” he said. “My body feels
good. I don’t feel any different than I did
four or five years ago. I’m hoping it’s not my
last stand.”

Griffin’s status uncertain

Oklahoma star will be
a game-time decision
for tonight’s KU game.
By JEFF LATZKE
The Associated Press
NORMAN, Okla. — Preseason
All-America Blake Griffin’s
status was uncertain for No. 2
Oklahoma’s game against Kan-
sas tonight after he sustained
a concussion in a loss to
Texas.
Sooners coach Jeff Capel said
Griffin was held out of practice
Sunday, but he won’t know until
game day whether his star play-
er will be able to go against the
15th-ranked Jayhawks tonight
in a game that will give one
team the lead in the Big 12 title
race.
“The most important thing is
him and his future. You don’t
want to do anything to risk any
further damage, so that’s the
most important thing,” Capel
said before practice Sunday.
“We’re going to proceed with
caution with this and make sure
he’s OK.
“And we’ll move on which-
ever way we have to, with him with and on the plane, he just tough part of it.”
or without.” looked tired. He looked really With top-ranked Connecticut
Griffin averages 22 points and fatigued, and that was really having lost earlier in the week
an NCAA-best 13.8 rebounds about it,” Capel said. “I didn’t
per game and leads the nation really bother him or ask him,
to No. 4 Pittsburgh, the Sooners
(25-2) had a chance to move up
with 22 double-doubles this ‘How are you doing?’ or any- to the No. 1 ranking for the first
season. He was hurt Saturday thing like that.” time since 1990 with an impres-
night when he caught an inad- Capel said he was somewhat sive enough victory at Texas.
vertent shot to the face from encouraged by what doctors told The Associated Press’ new poll
the open hand him about an will be released today.
of Dexter Pitt­ MRI that had “I was a history major but I
man, Texas’ been taken don’t get into history or what
3 0 0 - p o u n d “We’re going to proceed to get more that could’ve been,” Capel said.
center. with caution with this information “We lost, so that’s the bottom HARRY CABLUCK/The Associated Press
Griffin sat on Griffin’s line to me.” Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, right, was held out of practice Sunday
out the second and make sure he’s OK.” concussion, With Griffin out, freshman after sustaining a concussion from Texas’ Dexter Pittman, left.
half and ap- JEFF CAPEL but more eval- Willie Warren led the way
peared dazed Oklahoma coach uations would with 27 points and six 3-point- No. 11 Missouri in the confer- they believe and they have a
at times as have to be ers and the Sooners led 61-56 ence standings. The Jayhawks championship spirit about
he sat on the done Sunday with 5 minutes to play before won last year’s meeting in Kan- them,” Capel said. “When you
bench during the Sooners’ 73- night and today before a deci- A.J. Abrams got hot to lead the sas 85-55, with Griffin miss- go through what that program
68 loss. Capel said he knew sion was made on whether Grif- Longhorns to the win. ing all but 5 minutes with his went through last year of mak-
when he saw Griffin stagger fin would play. “I was really proud of our first of two knee injuries last ing the Final Four and winning
off the court at halftime that He said he would not hold guys and how we competed. season. the national championship and
his 6-foot-10 forward wouldn’t Griffin out as a precaution and Again not happy with the result In both instances, he made you return players ... they got to
be returning to the game. that he would listen to what the because we expected to win the a quicker-than-expected return see what a championship men-
“It looked like Lex Luthor doctors say and what Griffin game,” Capel said. “Even with and missed only one game. tality is like and what you have
brought the Kryptonite out and says but “more so what the doc- Blake out, we expected to win The rematch could determine to do, and you can’t buy that
you saw Superman walking tors say.” the game.” the regular-season champion type of experience.
around there,” Capel said. “When you have an injury to Oklahoma and Kansas (22-5) and No. 1 seed in the Big 12 “That’s carried over to this
It didn’t get much better on the head like that, you never enter tonight’s game with iden- tournament. year, when a lot of people maybe
the trip home. know. You just don’t really tical 11-1 records in Big 12 play, “They’re young, but they’re thought they maybe wouldn’t be
“After the game was over know,” Capel said. “That’s the carrying a one-game lead over talented. Those kids fight, as good or would struggle.”