Cubs' backstop Geovany Soto - the National League's 2008 Rookie of the Year - failed a drug test for marijuana during the World Baseball Classic. He was banned from international play for two years, but MLB and the Cubs decided not to penalize the pothead player.

"He made a mistake," said Cubs assistant GM Randy Bush. "None of us thinks any less of him.''

Soto played on the Puerto Rican team during the WBC in March. He learned about the positive test result in April, but only acknowledged it this week, after several delays by the International Baseball Federation.

'[When] I found out, it bummed me a little bit,'' Soto stated on June 25. 'It's embarrassing. It was a mistake. I'm man enough to face it. I just want to put this behind me."

Then Cubs' manager Lou Pinella came to Soto's defense, admitting: "Look, I have smoked dope one time in my life. And it didn't do a damn thing for me, and I never tried it again. I'm fortunate because of that. A lot of people do. You can even buy it in California from a pharmacy."

Soto batted .285 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI in during hos rookie season in 2008.

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