This has not been a banner year where baseball and steroids are concerned. First we find out that the poster boy for MLB, Alex Rodriguez, has been juicing in past years, and now we find out that Manny Ramirez has been doing the same. This comes on the heels of Manny having one of the best stories in baseball last year with his personal destruction of National League pitching.

Manny Ramirez literally turned Los Angeles upside down last year en route to leading them to the National League Championship Series against eventual World Series Champion Philadelphia. He not only brought the Dodgers a world class hitter, but he was a model citizen by all accounts. This after he spent several years in Boston being at the center of controversy. It appeared that Boston was absolutely wrong about Manny. Now I am not so sure.

The bottom line is that the days of using those excuses about it being so “common” are over. Steroids are clearly being watched closely now in the world of sports, and Manny knew exactly what he was risking. That is what makes it all so darn crazy. What the heck was he thinking in doing this? He had to know that he would be caught.

Then again, who knows how long he has already gotten away with it? Maybe Manny has been doing it for years and baseball simply ignored it or they did not bother to test correctly for the big name stars.

To MLB’s credit, they stepped up and suspended Manny Ramirez. It has to be hard for MLB when these mega stars get caught doping. It costs them tons of money to take them off the ball field, and at the same time puts a big black eye of the game they represent. Given this, one has to admire the fact that they do it anyway.

Manny Ramirez is just the latest disappointment in a string of sorry situations in baseball. Between Ramirez and Rodriguez, both of my early favorites in the game are now confirmed dopers and cheaters. I have no interest in them or their careers now. I think maybe I will move on to those ball players that are just average. Maybe they are clean.

Though the game of baseball has seen their fair share of problems, and the biggest stars in the game have taken the black eyes, I still love the game. Baseball does not have to be ugly. It will take a number of years and many more suspensions to return the game to the natural form that made it famous. Is it really that important to see those light tower home runs? Give me a suicide squeeze anyday.

Image Credited To Wikipedia User Wknight94