Manny Being Everyone Else

Sorry for such a delay between posts. I was busy getting married. But without further ado...Manny Being Everyone Else

"That's just Manny being Manny" is perhaps the most overused phrase that has rolled around major league baseball for the last 24 months. Oh sure some phrases like "Homer-Friendly Ballpark", "Five Tool Player", and "Ouch! Doc I didn't think these steroid injections would hurt so much" may have been uttered more frequently, but nothing quite captured the essence of one segment of baseball like "Manny being Manny."

But Manny is not being Manny anymore. Manny, like 103 other players and almost everyone else (allegedly) in the game, has been using performance enhancing drugs.

I was surprised.

I have always liked Manny, I was never really a fan but I thought he put on a good show. I honestly thought he might have been different from the other sluggers of the era. I mean he was very different from them on the field after all. But sadly this week we have found that he is no different.

I pity him. That's right, one of the most ardent steroid opponents, feels pity for Manny Ramirez. Why? Because he has fallen so far so fast and he, unlike A-Rod, probably does not have enough in the tank to win fans back.

Look at what he lost. "Mannywood" has been stripped away and was renamed Dodgertown. The Dodgers have stopped selling his merchandise. And he has been suspended for 50 games and will forfeit over $7 million in salary.

So yes I feel bad for Manny, but he got what he deserved. And kudos to major league baseball.

What?! Kudos to major league baseball? Yes. MLB has done the one thing that would make be begin to respect them again. They have suspended a superstar player, from a big three market team, who was that teams biggest gate and TV draw. Yes I know there was a smoking gun in this case, but as Bones would tell you (again allegedly) a smoking gun can be covered up by major league baseball.

So MLB doubters you have been put on notice. While there is still work to be done, the first major shot in the war to clean up the game has been fired. Baseball seems to finally be serious about trying to fix its problems, and I have taken notice.