Thread: Manny Ramirez Suspended for 50 Games

And, the ending...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...7&sportCat=mlb

We look at the 2004 banner again. I always thought that, for the rest of my life, I would look at that banner and think only good thoughts. Now, there's a mental asterisk that won't go away. I wish I could take a pill to shake it from my brain. I see 2004 and 2007, and think of Manny and Papi first and foremost. The modern-day Ruth and Gehrig. One of the great one-two punches in sports history. Were they cheating the whole time? Was Pedro cheating, too? That 2004 banner makes me think of these things now. I wish it didn't, but it does. This makes me sad. This makes me profoundly sad.

My son can read it in my face. I am sad. He can see it.

"That's OK, Dad," he says, rubbing my shoulder. "Everyone cheated back then."

I hate Manny and always have that douche dumbass.

Now he has screwed up two teams I like. What an ass he his
and is dumb as a post.

Some article mentioned that in the Steroid Era, the only two players with 500+ homeruns who haven't been caught with a positive PED test are Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Thome. If Junior Griffey had a clean career, it's really a shame his injuries took away what could've been the true homerun king. And Thome quietly is the best power hitter the game has seen in the Steroid Era along with Griffey. Well, so far because you never know now do you.

Today, I consider Albert Pujols and Johan Santana as the two best at the plate and on the mound respectively. I don't trust anyone, so if they do get caught, let's just allow steroids in the game, be like wrestling fans and just pretend what we're seeing out there is real when we all know it's not.

Manny

Damnit!!Damnit!!Damnit!!Damnit!!Damnit!!....Ramire z, you douche!

Dodgers are looking to be back on top for the first time in how long?!?

Damnit!!

Originally Posted by SoCalImport

Damnit!!Damnit!!Damnit!!Damnit!!Damnit!!....Ramire z, you douche!

Dodgers are looking to be back on top for the first time in how long?!?

Damnit!!

Last year

Originally Posted by MissouriBronc

Last year

It was intended as a general statement. Not specific to this year. Or even to the NL west.
Last year was a step.
I'm talking about the dodgers on there way to being a real powerhouse in MLB, and maybe making the world series. it has been a long time.

Originally Posted by MissouriBronc

Like him or not, this column is brilliant, and scary...

Thanks for posting that Mo. Pretty interesting and the innocence of children shows through. We grow up and in our society there's always an excuse to make everything ok...as long as the end result is what we want, it's ok to take the shortcuts to get it. It's sad that this kid's eyes are wide open to the problem...he's 6. The message baseball and the fans have passed to kids is that if you aren't good enough....there are ways around it...and in a lot of cases people won't blink an eye. I feel bad for kids coming up in high school sports, the pressure that if you really have the talent to do what you love, but are just below the star level, it's ok to cheat. I would imagine not a lot of them WANT to cheat, but to compete, you have to.

There was a cyclist on 950TheFan yesterday afternoon who talked about trying to compete in a steroids world without steroids. It was depressing to listen to.

Originally Posted by In-com-plete

A.) Manny signed a 2 year $45 million dollar deal. 45/2 = 22.5.
B.) All the reports are saying he took a PED, but it wasn't a steroid.
C.) This isn't funny. Unless you're not a baseball fan at all.
D.) The Dodgers will still win the west . . . easily.

The female hormone found in his testing is a masking agent for steroids.

Originally Posted by GEM

Thanks for posting that Mo. Pretty interesting and the innocence of children shows through. We grow up and in our society there's always an excuse to make everything ok...as long as the end result is what we want, it's ok to take the shortcuts to get it. It's sad that this kid's eyes are wide open to the problem...he's 6. The message baseball and the fans have passed to kids is that if you aren't good enough....there are ways around it...and in a lot of cases people won't blink an eye. I feel bad for kids coming up in high school sports, the pressure that if you really have the talent to do what you love, but are just below the star level, it's ok to cheat. I would imagine not a lot of them WANT to cheat, but to compete, you have to.

There was a cyclist on 950TheFan yesterday afternoon who talked about trying to compete in a steroids world without steroids. It was depressing to listen to.

It was a fictional column. He was writing it in the future...his son was a little too knowledgeable, and that was part of the schtick.

Originally Posted by MissouriBronc

It was a fictional column. He was writing it in the future...his son was a little too knowledgeable, and that was part of the schtick.

But that is a conversation that could easily happen at any ball park in America today. That really wasn't the point of my post though...More getting at the point of the young kids and guys coming up in the world of sports today.

Griffey Jr., as someone mentioned above -- did it pure -- he will always be Tha King.

Originally Posted by GEM

But that is a conversation that could easily happen at any ball park in America today. That really wasn't the point of my post though...More getting at the point of the young kids and guys coming up in the world of sports today.

It is.

But I ask myself, do I care?

EVERYONE knew it was fishy when McGuire was doing his 70-home run season, everyone...media, fans, players...but it was just ignored, because we loved it. It was fun to watch. I'll never forget where I was for No. 64 when he broke the record. It was that type of fun. Of course, it was a good story too...I was just sitting on my couch at home here when Bonds hit 74, so that's not as good of a story, but you get the gist. I remember where I was for all of that. I remember where I was when Dante Bichette hit that Home Run in the the 13th inning in the first game at Coors Field, and Dante was probably doing something supplement-wise, but I just don't care.

The point I'm trying to make is that baseball is baseball. No steroid helped Manny Ramirez have the best swing in baseball. I heard Tim Kirkjean of ESPN talk about his balance at the plate and his batters eye. No steroid did that. No steroid made Bonds hit a home run, but they helped him to keep doing it for longer.

I just can't tell you if it really tainted the game. Up until five years ago, it wasn't even illegal in the sport. Yes, I know, they were breaking a law, but they weren't hurting anyone but themselves in the process, it was a personal choice. And it's just a game. It's entertainment.

I've continued to watch baseball through all of this, and will continue to do so. It's my favorite sport. And looking back and trying to indict these men for doing something, like the public court of opinion battle that A-Rod is fighting right now, is just preposterous. And the way the media, the FBI and the government is going after baseball alone is a travesty. They are apparently trying to kill baseball. Don't tell me football players don't take steroids. If someone looks me in the face and says that there aren't football players out there finding ways to cheat, I will flat out call them a liar.

/rant

Originally Posted by Cicero

Griffey Jr., as someone mentioned above -- did it pure -- he will always be Tha King.

Did he?

Originally Posted by MissouriBronc

It is.

But I ask myself, do I care?

EVERYONE knew it was fishy when McGuire was doing his 70-home run season, everyone...media, fans, players...but it was just ignored, because we loved it. It was fun to watch. I'll never forget where I was for No. 64 when he broke the record. It was that type of fun. Of course, it was a good story too...I was just sitting on my couch at home here when Bonds hit 74, so that's not as good of a story, but you get the gist. I remember where I was for all of that. I remember where I was when Dante Bichette hit that Home Run in the the 13th inning in the first game at Coors Field, and Dante was probably doing something supplement-wise, but I just don't care.

The point I'm trying to make is that baseball is baseball. No steroid helped Manny Ramirez have the best swing in baseball. I heard Tim Kirkjean of ESPN talk about his balance at the plate and his batters eye. No steroid did that. No steroid made Bonds hit a home run, but they helped him to keep doing it for longer.

I just can't tell you if it really tainted the game. Up until five years ago, it wasn't even illegal in the sport. Yes, I know, they were breaking a law, but they weren't hurting anyone but themselves in the process, it was a personal choice. And it's just a game. It's entertainment.

I've continued to watch baseball through all of this, and will continue to do so. It's my favorite sport. And looking back and trying to indict these men for doing something, like the public court of opinion battle that A-Rod is fighting right now, is just preposterous. And the way the media, the FBI and the government is going after baseball alone is a travesty. They are apparently trying to kill baseball. Don't tell me football players don't take steroids. If someone looks me in the face and says that there aren't football players out there finding ways to cheat, I will flat out call them a liar.

/rant

I can agree that with the ish going on in the world today, baseball is really the last place the government needs to be sticking their nose.

So what is the solution Mo....do they just lift the bans on these substances and openly tell the kids growing up to do these substances, no matter the consequences they have to deal with later in life (i.e. Lyle Alzado) or is it just too far gone to step in now? There's no way to compete fairly anymore unless you really are doing these substances.

Say you have 17 year old A and 17 year old B. Both go through high school being somewhat smaller for their age but each is a star in his sport. Scouts start keeping track of them and the knock on both is size. So player A decides to do a cycle or take a supplement and it pushes him over the concerns that are being talked about. Player B decides to ride out on talent alone. Who ends up further? By the time they hit the majors (if they do) Player A has gained the weight needed and can attempt to knock off the use and hold weight with training, etc. Player B is still what he was before....a bit bigger, but small for the majors.