Joe Girardi was asked for a reaction to the news that Bartolo Colon, briefly a Yankee sensation for the first half of last season, had been banned by MLB for 50 games after having tested positive for testosterone.

"It’s sad,'' he said. "The idea behind the testing is to keep everything fair and to keep people from doing things. I mean, it’s sad. It’s not good for our sport.''

Girardi said the news was especially affecting since he managed Colon last year. "Obviously, there’s a relationship there so it probably hurts a little bit more, because you appreciate what they’ve done for you and you have a liking for them,'' he said.

And asked whether the recent spate of drug positives, which includes another former Yankee, Melky Cabrera, was evidence of the effectiveness of baseball's drug-testing policy, Girardi said, "I think so. I think it’s working. Hopefully there’s a point where we won't have to deal with this, but I don't think that’s ever gonna happen. Everyone’s always trying to get ahead. You see it in the Olympics. And athletes know exactly when the Olympics are played. Every four years.''