Manny Ramirez is not off gossip sites' and MLB radars

May 7, 9:25 PMSF Baseball ExaminerClaire Reclosado

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Los Angeles Dodgers' Manny Ramirez has been suspended
for 50 games for violating the MLB drug policy. (AP Photo/Lori Shepler)

“Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons. I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation.”
                                                        -Manny Ramirez

How relieved are people that the Giants didn’t sign Manny? Whew.

A big name has gone down and the entire world is now aware. For the first time since the drug policy was enforced, a big dog has been caught. There is no reason to feel a bit of pity toward the man.

Manny Ramirez got caught with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in his system. Funny that he was taking women’s fertility drug, not funny that it is also used to bring testosterone levels back to normal after coming off of steroids. Even more damning is its similarity to Clomid—a drug that Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi are familiar with.

C’mon. Knowing MLB is “cracking down” on PED use and Manny is taking drugs without consulting team doctors? Guilty.

Phillies pitcher J.C. Romero was also suspended for 50 games for breaking the league’s drug policy, but he took an over-the-counter supplement and consulted team doctors. Manny didn’t take the proper steps to ensure he was not jeopardizing his career.

I understand the need to win. The pressure must be enormous. If it wasn't against the rules, I would do whatever I could to be the best and not lose my job to another person. That's not the case, however. MLB is making an obvious attempt to make baseball as immaculate as everyone envisions it to be.

Performance-enhancing drugs are a big no-no, Manny.

If there was a chance that almost a third of my yearly salary may be taken away, trust I would talk to every person they suggest and their mothers. But then again, I wouldn’t have millions left over after the deduction, but I’m a frugal little woman and my actions would reflect that.

This whole situation is the result of an inflated ego. He may be huge, but he is not above the policy. Manny has been in the game for a while and he must know what he is doing. He knew that he was taking a drug that would give him an advantage and he knew that it would affect him beyond baseball.

So the man had some issues in the personal recreation department. Well, that is a possible side effect with some PEDs. A side effect of Manny having trouble with his performance off the field—women contacting gossip web sites and claiming their comments about little Manny’s behavior are the cause of this whole suspension.

Girl, please.

Cleat chasers aren’t the only ones with an opinion about today’s number one story.

Remember Jose Canseco? Well, he has something to say (of course):

“It could be that a player used it because he used steroids and went cold-turkey and needed HCG to get his levels back to normal. I had to use it when I quit steroids cold-turkey,” Canseco, who pleaded guilty last November to a misdemeanor of trying to bring HCG across the Mexican border into the United States illegally, told the AP. “I had to go to a doctor to get it and get my levels back.”¹

"Because you love the game, you never want to have someone taint the game or try to get an advantage by not doing things the right way. It's definitely bad, but hopefully baseball will get through it because it's a great sport." - NBA MVP LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers.²

"When he was young, I definitely don't think he was on steroids. ... In some ways I'm sad about it because I had him when he was young. He's a great talent. I look at Manny Ramirez like my son. I'll wait to see exactly what it's all about." - Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel, who managed and coached Ramirez in the minors and from 1994-2000 with the Cleveland Indians.²

My favorite quote, however, comes from Phillies’ Matt Stairs via Phillies MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki’s twitter:

"People are going to have to stop taking this health bull---- and go back to being chubby and having fun."

Well said.

  twitter.com/BayAreaClaire