May 7, 2009
Manny Ramirez Suspended 50 Games For Drugs
Dodgers Slugger Becomes Highest-Profile Player Suspended For Violating League's Drug Policy
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Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy, May 7, 2009. Ramirez won World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007. (AP Photos/Lori Shepler)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers star said he did not take steroids and was prescribed medication by a doctor that contained a banned substance. The commissioner's office didn't announce the specific violation by the 36-year-old outfielder, who apologized to the Dodgers and fans for "this whole situation."
"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me," Ramirez said in a statement issued by the players' union.
"Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons."
The suspension began Thursday and barring any postponements Ramirez will be able to return to the Dodgers - who now have the best record in baseball - for the July 3 game at San Diego. Ramirez will lose about $7.65 million of his $25 million salary.
While Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Canseco and a long list of stars have been implicated in the use of performance-enhancing drugs, Ramirez is the most prominent suspended under the drug policy players and owners put in place seven years ago.
"I think a lot of people are just stunned that a name like Ramirez [is] getting gathered up in this net Major League Baseball has put out," sports reporter Randy Kerdoon told CBS News. "He's been, with a few exceptions and a few 'Manny moments,' pretty much a model citizen since coming [to the Dodgers] from the Red Sox last year."
But, "The truth of the matter is, he did by his own admission take a performance enhancing drug," Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated told CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian.
Over the years Ramirez's hair-raising antics - like being spotted in a bar after claiming he was too sick to play and refusing to pinch hit in a game - prompted their own catch-phrase: "Manny being Manny," Keteyian reports.
The report of Ramirez's failed drug test and impending suspension was first reported in the Los Angeles Times Thursday.
The league formally issued the suspension soon after the report became public.
Earlier this year, New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez admitted taking steroids between 2001 and 2003 after a Sports Illustrated report detailed a failed drug test in 2003. Rodriguez wasn't suspended because the failed test predated the league's formal drug policy.
The players' association said Ramirez was suspended by the commissioner under the "just cause" provision of section 8.G.2 of the joint drug agreement. That allows players to be penalized for use, sale or distribution of banned substances, even where the agreement doesn't specify a particular penalty, such as for a positive test.
In his statement, Ramirez addressed Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt, and manager Joe Torre.
"I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans," Ramirez said. "LA is a special place to me, and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."
Ramirez is the third player suspended this year under the major league program, following Philadelphia reliever J.C. Romero and Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre.
Just two relatively low-profile players were suspended under the major league program last year, San Francisco catcher Elizier Alfonzo and Colorado catcher Humberto Coto.
In the past, the best-known player penalized was Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro, who received a 10-day suspension in 2005, the first year of penalties for first infractions.
Ramirez was acquired by Los Angeles from Boston last July 31 and became a fan favorite. His contract negotiations became a long-running drama during the offseason, and he agreed in early March - well after the start of spring training - to a $45 million, two-year contract that gives him the right to void the second season and become a free agent again.
Los Angeles even renamed a section of seats in left field at Dodger Stadium "Mannywood" in his honor.
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Add a Comment See all 42 Comments
- Say it ain't so. I'm shocked. Of course he's the only one.
Screw baseball. Who needs it. - Reply to this comment
- I think we really need some new kind of "sport" -- lets see which "athlete" can take the MOST performance-enhancing drugs and still survive and play the longest before their livers turn into huge cancerous masses!
Oh, wait...we're already doing that...nevermind...
Posted by An-Historian
Yeah, let them take what they want. See what kind of freaks develop. Screw "records"...their primary use is to hype the sport anyway. This is entertainment. Let's make it entertaining - Reply to this comment
- Give the guy and the fans of LA a break.
Posted by hamiltongrad
What has this got to do with the fans? - Reply to this comment
- I find it odd that MLB is suspending players for drugs that are legal and prescribed by a treating physician. MLB won't comment further. So it begs the question, what are they hiding.
Posted by have-a-day
There was a procedure to go through, and Ramirez did not follow that procedure. - Reply to this comment
- Manny was just exploring his feminine side. He will now be known as Mammy Ramirez.
- Reply to this comment
- Well others cheat why Manny shouldn't, just look at that idiot Phelphs or Lebron James, someone is gonna tell me that monkey Lebron is clean, yeah he is same like my rear end after using the bathroom.
Posted by zokin
Wow. If you're talking about the pot, it is not a performance enhancer. Phelps did not cheat at his sport. As far as James goes, I am not aware of any allegations of steroid use. Why call him a monkey? - Reply to this comment
- Let the team owners start losing millions, and watch how quickly things would change.
Posted by briannorwood
If the team owners start losing millions, so does the league. I don't think they would stand for it. - Reply to this comment
- 50 games is not enough! I think we could end steroid use in professional sports immediatelyby suspending the entire team if one of their players is caught using performance enhancers.
Let the team owners start losing millions, and watch how quickly things would change. - Reply to this comment
- Haven't you (we) all missed a stop sign, or took off work early, even to beat the traffic ? We need not blame others, when we are all responsible for similar or worse acts. I don't see anything here by jealousy, for a great team and player. Sure he made a mistake , haven't you ? If so you are a hypocrite.
Posted by hamiltongrad at 7:04 PM : May 7, 2009
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A hypocrite? I don't think that any of the 'scenarios' you mention compare even in the very least with someone who has taken an illegal substance to gain an advantage over their opponent. This man was prescribed a drug and should have asked many questions before using it. It is a very thin excuse that doesn't hold any water. His flimsy story is sad. Telling the truth would be more effective and it seems he can't do that. I'm sure he will suffer with "only" 18 million. Some punishment. Very sad. - Reply to this comment
- If you're a big "sports fan" (meaning: a chronic couch potato that watches grown adults play children's games for obscene amounts of money) then you're totally used to this sort of news already.
I think we really need some new kind of "sport" -- lets see which "athlete" can take the MOST performance-enhancing drugs and still survive and play the longest before their livers turn into huge cancerous masses!
Oh, wait...we're already doing that...nevermind... - Reply to this comment
- Leaving work early gave you an edge on traffic, so, this is the same thing. He got an "edge" on other players, so what, hypocrites.
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- Everyone is such a hypocrite.
Haven't you (we) all missed a stop sign, or took off work early, even to beat the traffic ? We need not blame others, when we are all responsible for similar or worse acts. I don't see anything here by jealousy, for a great team and player. Sure he made a mistake , haven't you ? If so you are a hypocrite. - Reply to this comment
- "Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me," Ramirez said in a statement issued by the players' union.
Just a minute - a physician? - does that mean any physician? - This is not a hard one to figure out. Probably working for the Commissioner's Office to take house calls an prescribe a medication that any patient would trust and then call the Commissioner's Office with a hot tip. That was a pretty fast rush to judgment. Getting pretty common now for the Physicians, & Pharmacists to make these same mistakes.
Also occurred to me that this could also be construed as a left wing conspiracy plot aimed at the Hispanics in the LA area. That would be a big feather in their caps to get Manny out for a couple of months so the other teams can get back into it. So Sad!
Seems like - Reply to this comment
- He Still LAUGHS ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK!!!!!!!
Posted by Ordflyer
Albeit $7 mill less... - Reply to this comment
- He Still LAUGHS ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK!!!!!!!
- Reply to this comment
- I don't care if it should be allowed, rules are rules. F3 someone if they cannot play by the rules! Should be suspending them for a season, actually screw it, kick the rule breaker out for good. After that happens a few times, people will straighten up.
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- let 'em all do drugs, who cares. it would add excitement to the game. give 'em all speeders and maybe we wouldn't have to sit there for hours watching them spit and play with there nuts. maybe if they did enough they would rip an arm off or screw themselves into the ground or something to add fun to the bordom.
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- He tested positive for a fertility drug that is prescibed for women.
Did you Doc. REALLY prescribe this for you Manny Roidmirez?
This is a drug used by steroid users to recover from the use of steroids.
He's a cheater, and you Boston fans ****, if he's cheating NOW, he's been cheating for years. - Reply to this comment
- "The other day they asked me about mandatory drug testing. I said I believed in drug testing a long time ago. All through the sixties I tested everything."
Bill Lee - Reply to this comment
- It's ONLY a game!
Has nothing do do with real life.
We should be drug testing Politicians and Government employees on a regular basis.
America must be pretty stupid, test sports players.
But, on the other hand, we do not have such expectations for our elected leaders and Government Employees.
Why wonder why we are in such said shape.
Our Goverment spends our tax dollars like drucken sailors and we set higher standards for things that does no matter. - Reply to this comment
