Should we believe Gio?

Year in and year out we always hear about a handful of star athletes being on performance enhancing drugs or HGH. The only person to date to get out of any suspension was Ryan Braun. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have gotten off through the courts but their hall of fame chances have been severely hurt. Rafael Palmeiro pointed his finger at the Supreme Court justices and told them he had never used performance enhancing drugs, yet it came out that he did. So why should we believe Gio Gonzalez? He is on a list with Alex Rodriguez (admitted user), Melky Cabrera (50 game suspension) and Bartolo Colon (50 game suspension). So Gio is the only "clean" player on this list?

Everything points to Gio Gonzalez lying about having never used PEDs or HGH. His name being on a list with 3 other admitted users of these substances and his name being on a list of making a $1000 purchase. I will say that I believe him. My reasoning may or may not make sense but let's compare him to others, particularly Alex Rodriguez. Gio is open to everyone. He goes on the radio and does interviews, does interviews with the MASN crew, even interacts with people on twitter. Hell Gio even put an open ad out for a date to the Nationals gala on twitter. Have you ever seen A-Rod do an interview openly? Do you see him joke around with the rest of the Yankees infield like Gio does with Strasburg, Zimmermann and Detwiler?  People that have something to hide are quiet and don't like to have microphones in their faces.

Aside from while in court, did we ever see Roger Clemens put himself out there? Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa were open to everything during their home run chase, but once they were accused of using PEDs they were gone, out of the spotlight. How about the rumors, though faint, of Cal Ripken Jr using PEDs? It has popped up in the past, but like Gio, Cal has an open personality and is always out doing things, not hiding in the shadows. Bartolo Colon is 39 years old, he is using PEDs to continue his career. Most pitchers at 39 are generally done. Alex Rodriguez claimed that from 2001-2003 he used PEDs to keep up with the extraordinarily massive contract that he signed. Melky Cabrera most likely used because he was in a contract year and has always been a mediocre player. He was just looking for that one big pay day. He is 28 years old and has always just been a utility guy and knew this was his chance to cash in. What would Gio have to gain?

Sure he could use a A-Rod type excuse, since he signed a 5 year $42 million extension securing him through 2016, but he isn't in Washington to be the #1 guy. This is also Washington and he isn't anywhere near the highest paid pitcher in baseball. His 2012 season consisted a stat line like this: 21-8, 2.89 era and 207 strikeouts through 199.1 innings. Coming into this season his average stat line (since becoming a full time starter) was 15.5 - 10.5, 3.17 era and 185 strikeouts through 201.1 innings. Take into consideration the Nationals sport a top defense in baseball and had the best record to go along with it, seems to me that Gio had a pretty "average" year. He is in the prime of his career and this is only his third full year of starting in the majors. He has gotten better each year, so the numbers don't show any sign of performance enhancement. We aren't talking a guy like Barry Bonds who peaked at the age of 28 with 46 home runs only to magically hit 45 or more (including 73) in 5 straight seasons at the ages of 35-39. Maybe I am wrong though, maybe it was just the massive elbow brace Bonds wore. Realistically that is a sign of PEDs.

Gio Gonzalez will now have to fight hard to prove his innocence. In sports, once you are pegged as a PEDs user, you will always be linked to it no matter what. Yes, I have referenced Clemens and Bonds in this and no they have never tested positive, but let's be realistic. The numbers back Gio 100%. His physique, thought that can be misleading, has not changed one bit (see Barry Bonds). I have to back Gio Gonzalez 100%, sure I am a Nationals fan but Gio doesn't fit the prototype of a PEDs user. I would be genuinely shocked to see Gonzalez test positive or come out and admit to using any illegal substance and because of my strong feeling on this, my stance will not change until he comes out and says, "I am guilty."