The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Cincinnati Reds Minor League pitcher Jose Marmolejo has received a 50-game suspension for the use and possession of a prohibited performance-enhancing substance, a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Marmolejo, a member of the organization’s Dominican Summer League team, served a club-imposed 10-game suspension as the case was being reviewed at the end of the 2009 season. Thus, Marmolejo will serve the 40 remaining games at the start of the 2010 season. According to sources, Marmolejo's suspension is based upon a non-analytical positive through investigation, and not based upon a positive test, thus the club-imposed suspension and the delay on the additional 40 games being added by the Commissioner's Office. Marmolejo represents the 74th minor league suspension of 2009, an increase of 12 percent from last year's total of 66 total drug suspensions. In terms of just PEDs, there were 65 in 2009, the same number as 2008. This year sees more "Drug of Abuse" suspensions, than 2008 when there was only one. 2009 is sees the second highest rate of drug suspensions at the minor league level since testing became mandatory at the minor league level. See a complete history of drug suspensions in Major League Baseball OTHER NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK   (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) Boise St. Engages PR Firm in Attempt to Gain BCS Game Does the NFL Salary Cap Still Work? Browns Fire GM George Kokinis After 1-7 Start UFL Failing to Dazzle at the Turnstiles DeMaurice Smith and Roger Goodell to Testify Regarding "StarCaps" Case Buccaneers Fire Back After Report That Team May Be Up For Sale (THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) Panel Installs Mike Ouellet As Acting Executive Director of NHLPA Ian Penny Steps Down as Interim Exec. Director of NHLPA NBCU & VERSUS: An Alternative to ESPN? (THE BIZ OF BASKETBALL) Clippers Owner Donald Sterling Settles For $2.725M in Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Rajon Rondo Reached 5-Year, $55M Extension with Celtics NBA.TV Adds Brent Barry to On-Air Talent Roster (SPORTS BASH) Yankees Make Some Want to Eat the Rich 5,855 You Twit: NBA Players Make MLB Look Anti-Social The Joy of Six When Is Shane Victorino Going to Show You the Finger? George W. Has to Go to Japan To Play Baseball NFL, MLB Tell States to Get Off Their Lawn When it Comes to Drug Policies Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Follow Maury Brown on Twitter Follow The Biz of Baseball on Twitter Follow the Business of Sports Network on Facebook