Manny Ramirez fails drug test and is suspended. Canseco was right again

May 7, 9:24 AMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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Just prior to noon today Major League Baseball announced that Manny Ramirez tested positive for a performance enhancing substance. Under the MLB policy, the Dodgers outfielder will be suspended for 50 games commencing tonight.

Ramirez knew of this long enough for an appeal to have been filed and rejected and still managed to perform well enough to assist the team to break a baseball record by winning 13 games in a row at home to start their 2009 season.

Under MLB's rules, the league has no right to disclose the information to the player's team until an announcement is about to be made.

But MLB's statement indicates Manny waived his right to an appeal which is intriguing. I guess we can speculate about a strategic decision to take the punishment now rather than down the stretch in the pennant race.

This story is just unfolding and you can bet the news will be dominated by this story for days to come.

What would we want to hear? Well let's list the bullet points:

1) What did he take? UPDATE: Scott Boras has told media that Ramirez tested positive for a prescribed medication that is considered "performance enhancing". He did not take steroids.

2) Was it what the Vikings players took at the end of the NFL 2008 season?

3) What the hell was he thinking?

4) Would the Dodgers have signed him anyway if they knew about this?

5) What will happen to "Mannywood"? The successful promotion begun by the Dodgers named part of the left field seats for their slugger. For $99 a head a customer gets two seats and two special "Mannywood" tee shirts.

Not more than a few weeks ago, Jose Canseco opined in front of a live audience here in Southern California that he wouldn't be surprised if Manny Ramirez was on the juice.

What is this guy, Nostradamus? To be continued...

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