The sports gods love to torture San Diego fans. Whenever things seem to be going right...something always goes wrong. On the same day that the Chargers were cleared of wrongdoing by the NFL regarding the tacky Gorilla Gold towels, the Padres encountered a little incident of their own. Breakout rookie catcher Yasmani Grandal will face a 50 game suspension because of a positive test for testosterone.
Good for the Chargers for not further embarrassing San Diego and their fans. The team will not face any disciplinary actions by the NFL for use of an illegal substance, but they have been issued a $20,000 fine for not cooperating with league officials. That is barely a blemish considering what could have happened if a guilty verdict had been passed down. But, alas, the end of one potentially damaging incident coincided with the beginning of a new one for our beloved baseball club.
Yasmani Grandal was going to be an Opening Day starter in 2013. For the first time since Benito Santiago donned the brown pinstripes, the Padres had a catcher that was young, talented, and just plain fun to watch. But now, Grandal's positive PED test likely means that his sophomore season will not begin until early June. This is a serious blow to the Padres hopes of contention in the upcoming season. The starting catching duties, at least for the first two months, will likely be handed to the always inconsistent Nick Hundley. The Padres released this statement from Grandal regarding the situation.
The Padres cannot afford a slow start. The Giants are loaded and the Dodgers are extremely talented in their own right. Only time will tell how much of an impact Grandal's suspension will make in the win-loss columns, but I don't think anyone would disagree that his presence provides a certain spark in the lineup that Hundley has a difficult time duplicating."I apologize to the fans, my teammates, and to the San Diego Padres. I was disappointed to learn of my positive test and under the Joint Drug Program, I am responsible for what I put into my body. I must accept responsibility for my actions and serve my suspension."
It just doesn't get any easier to be a San Diego fan...no matter what season it is.
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