Manny Ramirez Tests Positive, Suspended for 50 Games

By Scott

Earlier this afternoon, news broke that Manny Ramirez tested positive for 'drugs', and will be suspended for the 1st time offenders' mandatory 50 games.  While there is still speculation as to what exactly he tested positive for, it has become rather apparent that Manny has in fact tested positive for some variety of performance enhancer, also known as a "P.E.D".  Earlier today, Manny released a statement regarding the positive test:

"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.

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But, what Manny tested positive for is not the issue here.  The fact that baseball's most beloved character of the last decade or so has cheated the game is heart breaking to say the least.  We can no longer say with any honest degree of certainty that any player is clean.  Manny was supposed to be the guy that was definitely clean, but then again, so was A-Rod.  

 

And in what may ultimately prove to be baseball's darkest day, I, as a lifelong fan of the game can hereby no longer watch baseball with integrity.  I stood by as the ultimate optimist, but I suppose at some point, faith has to be lost. I understand that essentially every stud hitter of the last 10-20 years may have been, and probably was juiced, but to see Manny Ramirez, the ultimate innocent character fall into the category of so many tarnished images is truly heartbreaking.

So, where does baseball go from here?  Attendance is free falling and the economy is crippling many of the game's fundamental income.  Add on the game's two biggest stars losing credibility, and baseball is in trouble.  Ultimately, the suspicion of players will shift from guys who look big to anyone who is out-producing everyone else, and fans may now have to watch the game with every player as a suspect.  But, I guess that is just what the game has become and until Bud Selig steps up and starts take some serious initiative (unlikely), baseball might not recover for long time.