A-Rod he's not. But Gibbons hit 121 home runs in seven seasons with the Baltimore Orioles before he was named in the Mitchell Report in December 2007. He admitted using human growth hormone and hasn't played in a major-league game since.

At 31, he's trying to revive his career with the Marlins, who signed him to a minor-league contract.

"I made a mistake," Gibbons said. "It's something I can't take back. It happened a long time ago. I've moved on from it. I'm ready to hopefully jump-start my career here."

Jeff Conine joined the Marlins in December as a special assistant to the team president and encouraged them to sign Gibbons. Conine and Gibbons were teammates in Baltimore for four seasons.

"You get a guy who's great in the clubhouse and has good power," Conine said. "Really there's no downside to it.

"The Mitchell Report thing is something he did a long time ago. You've got other big names who said they did it, and nobody talks about them anymore. Move on and let him play. He could really help our team."

Gibbons said he's saddened by the recent revelation Alex Rodriguez took steroids, and by the steroids-related conviction of his former Orioles teammate, Miguel Tejada.

"I know Miggy very well," Gibbons said. "He's a great teammate, a great person. I feel sad for him to have to go through what he's going through."

As for Rodriguez: "I feel for him a little bit. I wish him the best. He's going to go out and hit 40 homers this year."

Gibbons declined to blame baseball's drug culture for his misstep. He said he took HGH to help recover from a nagging wrist injury, and the decision was entirely his own.

"I took it upon myself to go to a doctor," Gibbons said. "I was feeling injuries. I've had that my whole career. That was the reason for it. I was looking to get back on the field.

"I'm open about it. It's something that's unfortunate, and I'm going to have to live with it."

Gibbons played in 84 games in 2007 and hit .230 with six homers, both career lows, before his season was ended by shoulder surgery in August. Then came the Mitchell Report. The Orioles released him at the end of spring training last year, and even after the 15-day suspension he received for being linked to HGH was lifted in April, he found himself out of work.

Gibbons apologized in a letter he sent to every big-league general manager, but received no contract offers in response. That was the low point, he said.

"I was sitting at home the first of June and trying to wrap my head around what's going on," he said. "I almost retired, and my family talked me out of it."

Instead he began his comeback by joining the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League. In July, he signed with the Brewers organization and played in Double-A and Triple-A, hitting .308 with five homers in 34 games.

This offseason he went to the Venezuelan Winter League.

"I started out 1-for-31, and I think the whole country wanted to kill me," he said with a laugh. "After that it went real well. I ended up hitting around .290."

He returned home to California to become a father. Twin boys Gavin and Grayer were born four weeks ago. They and their mom will join Gibbons for spring training, and he said if he gets cut, he might become Mr. Mom. His wife is an employment lawyer.

Marlins infielder Wes Helms said he's rooting for Gibbons.

"We're all human," Helms said. "We all make mistakes. It's no different from a person on a normal job making a mistake. He's past that. I wish him the best. I hope he makes the team and helps us go to the World Series."

If Gibbons does makes the roster, it would likely be as a reserve outfielder. It helps his chances that he bats left-handed and would provide experience on a team perennially among the youngest in baseball.

How much does he have left?

"Who knows?" he said. "My body feels good. I don't feel any different than I did four or five years ago. I'm hoping it's not my last stand."