Great.  Now I’ll have to avoid all baseball commentary websites for the next two weeks, minimum.

Yeah. I can’t imagine how the writers will work themselves into a fury about this. Will it be more crucifixion, a la A-Rod? Will they ask themselves how they missed it? will we retroactively give the 2004 and 2007 World Series titles to opposing teams (if A-Rod juiced on the 2004 Yanks and Manny on the 2004 Sox, what AL team wins the retroactive-pennant? Will Curt Schilling talk about the guys in his clubhouse? Will they finally start excusing the PEDs because a player that they like has been found using?

What, oh what, will we be reading for the next two weeks? I can’t wait ot find out…

When I first saw this story, I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn’t April 1. Sad for baseball.

Great.  This is exactly what we need.  More ranting by the moronic talking heads ala Jay Marriotti and Steven A. Smith; more “The Sky is Falling Articles” by douchebags like Bill Plaschke and Jon Heyman; and best of all, a tell-all book written about Manny by Dan Shaughnessy that’s chock full of anecdotes by anonymous sources.  I’ve been on this ride before, and it’s making me sick…

This is shamefully cynical of me, but at this point I am just waiting around to hear that Pujols has failed a test. I don’t have the mentality that everyone who is successful is automatically a suspect, but this makes the fourth jaw-droppingly awesome player to drop a positive. It has made me wary of having faith in jaw-dropping awesomeness.  I guess the answer to that is that I shouldn’t be emotionally invested in the first place, that its a sport, better-living-through-lower-expectations, etc.

Believing sure was fun, though.  *sigh*

just picked up juan pierre in my fantasy league.  finally, some stolen bases!

“Jason Bay is looking better and better every day.”

You know, he is looking better and better—sort of, more muscular, you know, with a hint of some kind of a gigantic-head thing—

OHHHHH NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

This just in: steroids steroids steroids.  He’s getting 50 games.  Next!

T.B., he already went through the appeals process. I’m assuming this “personal medical issue” was already brought forward (or should have been) and it’s too late to reduce or rescind.

When do we get Selena Roberts next book, “Manny Being Manny: The Many Faces of the Man-Child?”  I’m sure she has sources who state his lazy play on certain balls to the outfield was obviously in exchange for those hitters reciprocating in blowout games.

Seriously, though, this sucks for the game.

So, here’s what I’ve been able to put together from various sources on this…

Here’s the statement from the MLBPA:

“The Commissioner’s Office announced today that Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. That suspension was issued pursuant to Section 8.G.2 of the Program. Manny, after consultation with the Players Association and his personal representatives, waived his right to challenge that suspension.”

So I looked up the Drug Policy and found the text of 8.G.2 to see exactly what he was suspended for:

“A Player may be subjected to disciplinary action for just cause by the Commissioner for any Player violation of Section 2 above not referenced in Section 8.A through 8.F above.”

Section 2 lists all of the drugs that are banned. Three categories: Drugs of Abuse, PEDs, Stimulants. So a violation of Section 2 means Manny must have tested positive for something in one of those categories.

Sections 8.A through 8.F are (A) failure to comply with the program, (B) positive test for a PED, (C) positive test for a stimulant, (D) conviction for use of a prohibited substance, (E) sale of a prohibited substance, and (F) marijuana use.

So, according to the MLBPA his violation was NOT for any of those reasons. A PED suspension would be under 8.B, which this does not appear to be. This appears to lend credence to his story that a prescription contained something on the banned list.