Posted on 05/07/2009 8:52:53 AM PDT by kellynla
Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs and will be suspended 50 games starting today, The Times has learned.
The test result and suspension is expected to be announced later today. The Dodgers informed triple-A outfielder Xavier Paul this morning that he was being promoted to Los Angeles.
Ramirez is expected to attribute the test results to medication received from a doctor for a personal medical issue, according to a source familiar with matter but not authorized to speak publicly.
With the suspension taking effect with tonight's game at Dodger Stadium, Ramirez will not be eligible to return to the team until July 3.
Ramirez would become the biggest star suspended under an oft-criticized major league testing program that started in 2003. He had been a model citizen since arriving in Los Angeles last August, following a stormy tenure with the Boston Red Sox.
This is the second drug scandal to rock baseball within four months. In a year in which baseball officials hoped their greatest concern would be the slumping economy, the two highest-paid players in the game have been revealed to have failed a drug test.
Alex Rodriguez, the game's highest-paid player, acknowledged during a February news conference that he used steroids from 2001 to 2003. The admission followed a Sports Illustrated report that he failed a drug test in 2003, when players were not subject to suspension.
Ramirez did not appear in the clubhouse after the Dodgers' 10-3 victory over the Washington Nationals Wednesday night. After the game, Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti and Manager Joe Torre said they were unaware of any failed test or pending suspension.
As unconfirmed reports circulated around Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, Scott Boras, the agent for Ramirez, declined to comment.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
So fifty games which Manny isn’t paid. The Dodgers actually come out ahead here. The curious thing...is that Manny will have trouble with home runs for the remainder of this season and what might exist out of next season...if they readily test this guy. There are dozens of players who lost their “abilities” once they started testing. I’m pretty sure....at best, without the drugs...Manny is a 25-home runs per year hitter...which means he is highly overpaid.
Maybe you need to follow the path of our conversation prior to wadding your undies.
New name: L.A. Druggers
I mean, I'd be able to give you the starting line ups of all the AAA teams and some of the AA teams, the majors I could tell you in my sleep.
It was the game I grew up with, my heroes playing a game that didn't change much, and when it did, it was slow. The strikes of 81 and 94 were tough, but I still hung with the game. I was one of the first ones back to the stadium, and I'd see 20-30 games a year at The Vet.
Then, one day, I remember watching the local news sports segment, and I realized that only one of the 12 or so games they showed the score for had A TEAM that scored in the single digits.
This wasn't the game I grew up with, this was beer league softball. I remember my father telling me a pitcher with an ERA below 3.50 was good, 4.0 fair, above 4.5 shouldn't be in the majors.
Watching Sammy Sosa, Mark McGuire and Barry Bonds obliterate the long standing records through their obvious use of steroids was like watching people rape the corpse of a loved one.
10 home runs one year and 47 the next? Do you really think I'm that stupid, Brady Anderson and Luis Gonzalez?
Even with “my” Phills winning the World Series last year was an empty victory for me.
That's Jason "Yankee killer" Bay.
LOL, that's right! I'll take the even-keeled good guy Jason Bay over Head Case Manny any day. Good riddance, Manny! Hubby and I were happy to see him go last summer.
I feel sorry for a lot of the Pittsburgh Pirates fans, though... we visited beautiful PNC Park last week, and I admit it was kind of sad to see so many little kids wearing Jason Bay #38 T-shirts. But, that's the way baseball is...
If I want to pay back the Yankees I hit Jeter or Posada for the weight that they carry in the club house. A-Roid whining because he got hit? Well, who in the Yankee clubhouse is going to care? If they were to lose Jeter for 6 weeks because of a broken hand or Posada gets lost to the DL then there would be words for Chambermaid in the clubhouse.
Looks like he gets an extended vacation back on Planet Manram.
}:-)4
Papi got off to a slower start last year, however, the next two months he went on a batting tear before his wrist injury. His average is starting to creep back up. It won't be long now when HRs come back in bunches.
I feeel the love that transcends threads here.. lol
I’m a haPPY camper,, My TWinKies won two WS.. and as far as I know, my fave Twin, Harmon Killebrew never used anything illegal but I bet he would have liked to have some more hair.
You know, that so-not-steroids medicine.
It's a disk you play on a recort player... but that's not important now.
You want hear about pathetic? A couple of weeks ago two young guys met me outside of a Kohl’s trying to sell me a 5 game package for the Washington Nationals for $40. Of course the Sox series wasn’t available because it’s already been sold out (by Nationals fans I’m sure /s).
Plus Jason Bay has his head on straight and isn't a poison in the club house, as Manny became for the Red Sox.
as I have already posted several times,
according to ESPN Peter Gammons ,the drug was NOT steroids but a prescribed drug by his doctor...
Don’t think you have to worry about knocking Posada out for some time...he seems quite capable of handling that job himself these days.
This started back in 2007 with him though. Jason Bay is a professional who doesn’t stand around pimping his HRs, doesn’t flip his bat or do a slow trot around the bases. Why hit him?
The Yankees don’t need to pick fights, they need to shut up and just play ball. They also need to remember that Beckett and Papelbon throw pretty hard as well.....
Touchy touchy...
Didn’t mean to offend. I don’t know how somebody could get so attached to Manny Ramirez to defend him so, but I’ll take your word for it!
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