The season was not even a month old when Manny Ramirez decided to retire, all the better to avoid a 100 game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's anti-drug policy. He was awarded weasel ears then, and, guess what? He's picked up a second pair this week.
It got out in the press that Manny was expressing some interest in playing winter ball in his native Dominican Republic, I believe. Today, Yahoo! is reporting that Manny is ineligible for the winter league due to the simple fact that he never served his suspension. When I first read of his wanting to play this winter, I figured he was trying an end around, stupidly thinking that the winter season was exempt from MLB rules. It isn't. MLB and the Players Association wouldn't allow that to happen, perhaps fearful of the public relations nightmare that would surely follow if Ramirez were to play even an inning.
It's time to stop "Manny being Manny". If the man wants to play, he's got to do the time for his crime first. I doubt very seriously if he can land a gig in Japan next year, largely for the same reason. Basically, stick a fork in Manny, he's done, as long as he keeps trying to avoid acceptiing responsibility for his mistakes.
Forget Cooperstown. Manny needs to go back to school.
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