Joe Says "No" To Manny Playing In The All-Star Game

Suspended LA Dodger Manny Ramirez should skip the 2009 Major League All-Star if he voted in by fans, Dodger manager Joe Torre said.

When asked if Manny should play in the July 14th spectacular Joe Torre said "No". "I think if you asked Manny, he'd give you the same answer."

Manny Ramirez is currently serving a 50-game suspension for violating baseball's drug policy but is currently fourth among outfielders in the All-Star voting. Ramirez has received over 450,000 votes and is about 35,000 votes behing Mets' Carlos Beltran for the third starting spot for the game in St. Louis on July 14.

Ramirez hit .348 with six home runs and 20 RBIs in 27 games before he was suspended May 7. He is set to return to the Dodgers on July 3.

"To me, I think the significance of the All-Star Game is to reward players who have a good first half," Torre said. "We don't always do that, because it's a popularity vote, for the most part. If you want to include the fans, that's how it's got to be."

First of all the voting of Major League Baseball All Stars needs to be taken out of the hands of the fans to remove the favoritism and popularity vote. Gvie it back to the coaches and players to decide.

And even more important, MLB must act, and act now - to prohibit any player, suspended in the second half of the previous season or first half of the current season, from participating in the All-Star Game - no exceptions! Otherwise, what kind of message is MLB sending?

MannyWood To MannyHood

Manny Ramirez, the star slugging outfielder for the LA Dodgers will still be spending his time on the coast, just not the West Coast. After being suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for failing a drug test, Manny will be holed-up in his home in southern Florida.

Manny disappeared from sight on May 7 immediately after discovering he had failed the MLB drug test. He learned of the failed test during a Dodgers game and asked manager Joe Torre to take him out for personal reasons. For nearly a week Manny did not address his manager or teammates. He did however, meet twice with Dodgers owner Frank McCourt last weekend. McCourt encouraged Ramirez to apologize to teammates "eyeball to eyeball."

Manny Ramirez took McCourt's advice and met with his Dodger teammates at their waterfront hotel on Friday before the team opened a three-game series against the Florida Marlins. The meeting was brief, no more than 10 minutes. Manny hugged his teammates and coaches and said "I'm sorry".

According to sources familiar with the details of the suspension, Ramirez used the female fertility drug HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). HCG is popular among steroid users because it can mitigate the side effects of ending a cycle of the drugs.
Ramirez denies he took steroids and said he was given medication by a doctor that contained a banned substance - Whatever!

Manny is expected to remain in South Florida for the duration of his suspension but will continue to workout. It's plainly obvious that Manny is ashamed and embarrassed over the whole thing.