Manny Ramirez will be suspended 50 games for positive drug test

[O'sWhyNot52]

Maybe some of you are still listening-- but he could very well have tested positive for something other than steroids!

If his claim of a "prescribed medication" from his Dr. holds any weight, it is possible that we are talking about something outside the steroid category.

Why dont we wait for more details before starting on another uneducated steroid witch hunt.

[wickedwitch]

Ok, I understand where you're coming from. Obviously yes the easy answer here is yes Manny has been using steroids. I understand that. I just find it strange that he's never failed a positive test until now, I'm sure he's gone through many as have most MLB players nowadays. Doesn't EVERY player get tested at least once or twice a year now?

It's very easy to pass tests without being clean. The tests don't check for everything, including HGH or any new steroid. Drugs can also be masked.

[Goop]

If I were Manny, and this were really the case, I'd hit that doctor with so many lawsuits it'd be unreal. It would be totally irresponsible on the part of that doctor to give him anything on the MLB banned substances list. I don't really think this is the truth, but if it were, there would have to be some kind of legal ramifications. Lucky Jim, is this true?

Well Manny should take some responsibility himself and know what he's getting. He's playing the game, it's his responsibility to know what he can and can't do.

[Lucky Jim]

I know I'm being part of the witch hunt crowd, but what makes you think you have any idea what Manny's natural ability really is?

Manny was widely considered one of the greatest HS hitting prospects in a long time when he was drafted in 1991.

He put up a 1.000+ OPS as a MiL, including hitting 14 HRs in 40 games at 21 in AAA.

[alaniee]

Well Manny should take some responsibility himself and know what he's getting. He's playing the game, it's his responsibility to know what he can and can't do.

VERY true. His own responsibility. Just as for the Dr. it's his responsibility to make sure the medicine is the right medicine for Manny's health issue. That's his job.

Now Manny's job is, ok I've been prescribed this medicine.... Let me call the mlb drug hotline or even contact MLB directly which is not that hard and ask if this medicine is legal or not. Simple enough. Too simple to make me wonder that maybe it wasn't a prescribed medicine after all that he got busted for hmmmm

[Guest rochester]

This is all very strange -

It is reported he was suspended NOT for steroids

He states that he has come up clean in every test in the past few years.

But many on here are talking about him as he was suspended for steroids...

If this was actually a prescribed med from a family doctor why would he not appeal? Even if it turns out it was on the "just say no" list.

I am not defending those that have used but I see nothing here that even alludes to steroids. I have never really thought that Manny really looked juiced - he is big but has always been - plus I am sure his body fat% may reveal Supersized Big Mac and Fries instead of steroids....

Anyway, I am in the camp to just say "wait"...and am totally ignoring any "new" reference/question about Cal (another bumped thread)....

Gee, what's next? Is Kakes gonna hear rumors even though he has one of the sweetest swings in the game with a batting eye to boot? Hasn't BRob hit a couple of HRs recently?

Huff - who knows? I doubt it

[Goop]

VERY true. His own responsibility. Just as for the Dr. it's his responsibility to make sure the medicine is the right medicine for Manny's health issue. That's his job.

Now Manny's job is, ok I've been prescribed this medicine.... Let me call the mlb drug hotline or even contact MLB directly which is not that hard and ask if this medicine is legal or not. Simple enough. Too simple to make me wonder that maybe it wasn't a prescribed medicine after all that he got busted for hmmmm

I agree. Both of them are responsible.

[canonfaz]

Manny being Barry

[Why Not?]

ESPNews says it was a fertility drug. You only take that because you took enough steroids that your body has stopped making its own testosterone.

Manny's a steroid user.

[Lefty0315]

Let the performance enhancing jokes begin.

A source close to Manny Ramirez(notes) said Thursday that the illegal substance for which the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger tested positive was not “an agent customarily used for performance enhancing.”

At least not on the baseball diamond. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the substance is supposed to boost sex drive. It is not Viagra, but a substance that treats the cause rather providing a temporary boost in sexual performance, the source said.

[Don_Aase_Fan]

ESPNews says it was a fertility drug. You only take that because you took enough steroids that your body has stopped making its own testosterone.

Manny's a steroid user.

Yahoo is saying it's something a little different.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ys-ramirezsuspension050709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Manny = E.D.?

[Lefty0315]

Did juice help him put the bat on the ball?

Depends what you mean by bat and ball.

A source close to Manny Ramirez(notes) said Thursday that the illegal substance for which the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger tested positive was not “an agent customarily used for performance enhancing.”

At least not on the baseball diamond. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the substance is supposed to boost sex drive. It is not Viagra, but a substance that treats the cause rather providing a temporary boost in sexual performance, the source said

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ys-ramirezsuspension050709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[Flosman]

Manny's natural abilities at baseball is amazing! He doesn't even really try much at baseball yet he's one of the best hitters. He doesn't care for fielding and you can tell when he's half-ass running out in the outfield. Even if he used steroids, fine that helped his numbers some I am sure, however, nobody can deny how talented of a hitter he is. He has one of the best eyes out there and his average tells it all year in and year out!

and also with all this drug testing since 2003-2004 you would think he woulda tested positive for something but hasn't up until now, so maybe he did take something prescribed by a doctor and did not check with MLB. I do not like Manny for the way he is but I can't deny his baseball talents. For the fact this is his first positive, I have to give him the benefit of doubt right now but we'll see as more truths come out with time. Would be strange for him to finally get caught for steroids if he's been using for a while... .are there ways to fool the testing system easily?

The bolded part is one of the most misinformed and dumbest things I have read in a while. First I don't like Manny much and until this winter I would say I didn't like him at all. However my Daughter and Manny shared medical Docs this winter and I got to see him in real life a little. Manny I know for a fact works and alot more than you would think. He got his hitting work in at the same facility my daughter used and let's just say atleast in the offseason hitting is pretty much a full time job for Manny. Manny is moody on the field and laid back and people assume that he does not work but I can assure you it is not the case.

[brvn52]

You need to compare like to like. Manny is not "like" Huff. Expecting Huff to perform based - in any way - on Manny is silly. Just as predicting Huff to perform based on, say, Hank Aaron would be silly.

In other words, I agree that teams should be skeptical of static (rather than declining) performance in players' 30s. That said, I don't think Manny is relevant in any real way other than some incremental increase in skepticism.

I understand that Manny is not "like" Huff on a performance level. But he is another example of guys lasting into their late 30's that may very well been because of 'roids. You can't expect players values to remain fairly high when they're 33, 34, 35, 36 like players such as Manny was.

I think we have a similar opinion, we just may have misinterpreted how we were each phrasing our argument. We need to be careful of guys like Huff who are about the entering that declining period because they won't have the ability to maintain success (relative to their recent performance) like guys such as Manny Ramirez did. I'm just comparing Huff in the next 4 years to Huff's performance recently vs. the change (or lack thereof) in Manny's performance over the past 4 years. I hope that helps make my argument a little clearer.

[alaniee]

The bolded part is one of the most misinformed and dumbest things I have read in a while. First I don't like Manny much and until this winter I would say I didn't like him at all. However my Daughter and Manny shared medical Docs this winter and I got to see him in real life a little. Manny I know for a fact works and alot more than you would think. He got his hitting work in at the same facility my daughter used and let's just say atleast in the offseason hitting is pretty much a full time job for Manny. Manny is moody on the field and laid back and people assume that he does not work but I can assure you it is not the case.

OK OK maybe hitting is a full-time job for Manny but we all know fielding is NOT. He runs in the outfield half-assed and there have been numerous of times where he coulda made a play on the ball simply by hustling or diving and he didn't. It's no secret that Manny doesn't care much for defense and that is why he is known primarily for his offensive prowess.