I never bought into the 'Manny being Manny' line long fed by the media but must say I was stunned to hear that Ramirez had received a 50-day suspension for PED use. I was at a morning game between the IronPigs and the Buffalo Bisons yesterday morning when I heard the news. It was around the time that young starter Carlos Carrasco was losing his focus and coughing up the game, which was already making me out of sorts. Carlos has done that too often of late. And he knows it. So let's move on, baby!
The Ramirez news though was something else. I'm not a Manny fan but the news made me very sad again for baseball. Given that Ramirez was suspended for using a female fertility drug, used as a masking agent by 'roiders, it would be funny if it were not so sad. Headline writers have been having a field day with it: Manny being Barry, Manny being mini, Manny being many, etc. What came to my mind was how Harry Kalas, taking the mike on the field after game 5 (part 2) of the World Series, summed up each postseason series the Phillies had played: "CC, see ya" was followed by "Manny my fanny." Seems that Harry was on to something.
Those who propose a cheaters' wing for Cooperstown may also be onto something. Most baseball fans know Ruth's 714 and Aaron's 755. How many know how many home runs Barry Bonds hit?
