Another one bites the dust

Today, Manny Ramirez announced that he was retiring as a Major League Baseball player.  Two years ago, this would have drawn front-page headlines.  Ramirez was (and still is, for that matter) considered one of the greatest right-handed hitters in the history of baseball.  He hit 555 home runs - 14th all-time, just behind Reggie Jackson and just ahead of Mike Schmidt - both hall-of-famers. He drove in 1831 runs - 18th all-time, just behind Dave Winfield and just ahead of Al Simmons - both hall-of-famers.  His on-base-percentage was .411, good for 16th all-time.  He batted .312 (62nd all-time) and his OPS (on base + slugging) is .996, which ranks at #9 on the all-time list.  This guy was good.

He was a clown, but has been lauded by his teammates as being a hard worker that put in extra hours in the batting cage.  And while he excelled at the plate, he became famous for his limited interest in playing the field or in running out ground balls.  The expression became "Oh that's just Manny being Manny."

Well now Manny has taken it too far.  Twice now he has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.  Twice! Manny just doesn't seem to care.  This time around, instead of taking his 100 game punishment (he had previously been suspended for 50 games) he has decided to walk away from the game.  I brought up Al Simmons in the above paragraph above, so I think its only fitting to highlight the quote that he is known for is this one: "Baseball doesn't owe me a thing. It was wonderful to me, and I owe everything I've got to the game."  Today, after announcing his retirement, all Manny could talk about was the trip to Spain that he was planning to take.  Apparently Manny didn't get the same memo that Simmons received.  Its actually not all about you - its about the game....and integrity.

For someone, like myself, that cares so much about the history of the game this news is particularly devastating.  Another person whose name is all over the record books will now have the famous asterisk next to all of the places where his name inks the page.  And another part of the kid in me - the one that grew up adoring these players and emulating them in my backyard - is crushed again and left to wonder: who is next?  

Farewell Manny.  Thanks for some of the memories -at least the ones that came honestly.  You can have the rest.