Say it ain’t so Man-Ram!
Major League Baseball suspended Los Angeles Dodger left fielder Manny Ramirez for violating the league drug policy. As a result Ramirez will miss the next 50 games of the MLB season.
It is still not clear if Manny used steroids or not, although he was quick to claim he had never used performance enhancing drugs and the positive test was the result of taking medication for a personal health issue.
"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue,” says Ramirez. “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.”
The Dodgers started the 2009 [kwlink 2671]Major League Baseball [kwlink/] season on a record breaking pace with the help of their newly signed superstar. The team has a Major League best record of 21-8 so far this season. This includes a 13-0 record at home, which is a modern day MLB record.
Needless to say it will be very interesting to see if the Dodgers can maintain that form in the face of this recent setback. Ramirez was batting .348 and had six home runs and 20 RBIs to date for the Dodgers, making him look like he was worth every penny of his newly minted $25 million contract.
Depending on what side of the fence you sit you Ramirez is either one of the most loved or most hated baseball players in the league. His dreadlock hair and homerun power make him shine at times but his big mouth and shaky fielding have gotten him into more than a little trouble during his career.
Antics such as leaving the field in the middle of a game to take a pee have led to the very commonly used phrase “Manny, being Manny.” Unfortunately for him and Los Angeles Dodgers fans, including all the kids that look up to him, Manny being Manny may now also come to mean cheaters being cheaters.
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