Manny Calls It A Career

Sweeping its way across the baseball landscape, is the recent news of Manny Ramirez's sudden retirement. Hours after receiving notice that he had violated Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the 12-time All-Star decided it was time to call it quits. Ramirez who served a 50-game suspension in the early part of the 2009 season for violating the same rule while a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was issued a 100-game suspension this time around as a second offender. Rather than appealing the suspension that would sideline him for more than half the season, Ramirez informed the league that he would instead retire from the game of baseball. A move that adds to the existing question of whether or not he'll be inducted into Cooperstown.

Less than three months ago, Ramirez inked a one-year, $2 Million contract with the Tampa Bay Rays who were seeking a power hitter to help fill the void of the departed Carlos Pena. The signing would also reunite Ramirez with his old pal from the Boston Red Sox, Johnny Damon. The duo spent four years playing together in bean town (2002-2005) and helped put an end to Boston's dreadful 86-year championship drought, also known as the Curse of the Bambino, by winning the World Series in 2004. Both Damon and Ramirez were integral parts in the Red Sox offense which tormented Tampa Bay for so long, helping make Rays general manager Andrew Friedman's decision to sign the two relatively easy.

Ramirez who got off to a slow start this season with only one hit in 17 at-bats, was away from the team when receiving the news of his suspension and had missed his last game due to what Ramirez called a "family matter." According to sources, the banned substance which caused the failed drug test, was detected during Spring Training. Though the abrupt departure from Ramirez came as a surprise to Rays skipper Joe Maddon, the 2008 AL Manager of the Year still expects his team to win the division. "I haven't backed off on that at all," Maddon stated. Easier said than done, winning the AL East will be no easy task for Tampa Bay, who many expect to finish behind Boston and New York in the standings, and even Baltimore to some.

Better known for his eyebrow raising remarks and questionable antics which became better known as "Manny being Manny," I doubt we'll see another character like Ramirez for many years to come. Noted as one of the greatest right-handed power hitters the game has ever seen, Manny owns the Major League record for the most post-season home runs with 28, and his 21 career grand slams are second to only Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig who went on to hit 23. Throughout his 18-year career which started with the Cleveland Indians before stints with the Red Sox, Dodgers, White Sox and eventually the Rays, Ramirez hit 555 career homers which places him #14 on the all-time home runs list.