Dodgers in favor of harsher PED penalties

LOS ANGELES -- Count the Dodgers in favor of the harsher performance-enhancing drug penalties announced earlier Friday by the Commissioner's Office.

Among the stricter penalties: A first-time offender will be suspended without pay for 80 games (increased from 50), a second-time offender will be suspended without pay for 162 games and a third violation will result in a permanent suspension. Another key element: A player who is suspended for a PED violation will not be eligible for the postseason.

"It's something the players have been interested in and pushing for for a long time," Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said. "We had a meeting in August in St. Louis with Tony Clark [who then ascended this winter to replace the late Michael Weiner as the players' union chief] and we talked about it.

"It's something the players want. The players want to make the game clean. We want to make the penalties harsh. We want to level the playing field, and the penalties should be severe."

First baseman Adrian Gonzalez acknowledged discussing the subject during players' meetings this spring.

"With everything going on, you want a level playing field," he said.

Manager Don Mattingly essentially repeated what he's been saying for years.

"I like stronger penalties," he said. "I want it to be tougher. It protects players, it protects organizations from giving huge deals to those who aren't doing it on their own and it protects the fans who want to see players who are clean."