Manny being Manny.
I am really, very disappointed by the breaking news in the baseball world today.
Manny Ramirez tested positive for a banned substance – and has been suspended for 50 games.
“The source said the substance was not classified as a steroid but was clearly defined as a banned performance enhancer according to the drug agreement between baseball and its players association. Banned substances can only be taken with prior knowledge and medical clearance from baseball's drug-program administrators. Such exceptions are known as Theraputic Use Exemptions, or TUEs. The suspension is an indication Ramirez did not have a TUE for the substance.”
Okay, I get that Manny is a pain in the ass. He’s a man-child; he’s a simple sheep who will follow any shepherd that whispers into his ear. He's a diva, and drama - and in many ways significantly represents what's wrong with baseball today.
At the same time -- he's an incredible talent. And I do miss him in our lineup. That being said, there is nothing that could excuse this, in any way shape or form. I think he's got some illusion in his head that he's "different" or "special". I'm sorry, but you can’t pull an A-Rod and pretend you “didn’t know” what you were doing! There’s a huge difference from “well, I didn’t really want to be traded” to “I didn’t know it wasn’t legal and that I needed a letter to allow a medical clearance”.
Manny's response was the following via the player's union:
"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 do not believe Canseco's accusations of Manny being on that list of 104 players previously tested positive, yet sealed. That just doesn't ring true for me. However, there is zero tolerance for that "deer in the headlights" naivete regarding this issue, on all levels. At some point you have to have accountability and culpability for your actions. Regardless of what the doctor thinks is legal - it's his responsibility as a player to inform the league of any type of medication that might even be construed as something illegal. (But hey - that's just what I would do.)
And for that – I’m glad that the suspension was handed down. He’s a big boy – he knows the rules, and to have “accidentally” skirted them is inexcusable at this point. Additionally, I think part of the reason why Manny is the way he is -- is because he has been allowed to be that way. I've banged the old "he's your toy - you wound him up, now you play with him" drum for years now. Maybe now that it's at a level that is beyond just the locker room, or salary negotiations - something will be done about it.
But, as a fan of his talent – I’m beyond disappointed.
3 comments:
I wonder what medications are on that list. I mean, if the doctor didn't think they were performance enhancing, it must have been fairly innocuous. Which makes me think that the list might be too all-inclusive.
But knowing that the list is out there, it's Manny's responsibility to check it. But he didn't... he couldn't... because he's a man-boy.
You've always been a Manny fan and generally overlooked his poor behavior when he was on the Sox. They don't need him and have replaced what he brought so far with Jason Bay. Bay is a much harder working player who is about team, not himself like Manny.
This is karma coming back to bite him in the ass. In my opinion, he juiced it up after leaving Boston so he could get people to overlook his bad behavior and get that big contract he wanted. Now he'll never get that contract and I hope he never sees the Hall of Fame over this.
Hi Lloyd - You're right - I have always been a Manny enthusiast. I didn't mind his antics on the field -- but of course, I didn't have to play with him.
I DID totally disagree with his behaviour before leaving Boston...but hey - the team allowed him to get away with certain things, what can you do? And I didn't agree with the way he handled his offseason either. It would've been interesting to see what would've happened had LA not anted up.
I did find this news disappointing just the same... and I think that people are so quick to jump on the bandwagon of not liking him yet prior to this past year leading up to the trade deadline - most Sox fans loved when Manny came up at bat. So I find some of the opinions a little hypocritical at times. Sure it sucks when a player leaves on a bad note...but not nearly as many people thought badly of him prior to last season.
I'm not about to suddenly change my opinon of how I felt about all the years he played for us just because he's not with us any longer... or makes stupid decisions.
Jason Bay is a good, solid ball player. And clearly a great fit for the team. I don't think anyone would argue that....
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