I never would have guessed that David Ortiz and Manny Ramírez, tested positive for doping in 2003. Never in my wildest dreams. I mean, if we look at Statistics David Ortiz in the period 2000-2003 (the first three seasons, where he started at least 100 games), the numbers just scream Power Hitter. So it is only a natural progression. Just look: 2000, hit 10 homers and drove in 63 runs in 130 games. In 2001, 18 homers and 48 RBIs in the middle of a season and in 2002, 20 homers and 75 RBIs in 125 games. Then in 2003, suddenly it's 30 Top batter. Thirty-one home runs and 101 runs batted in in 2004 season Mean Championship, Ortiz homered 41 times and drove in 139 runs. Now you can argue that this statistical jump may be due to the fact that Ortiz was hitting behind Ramirez. In his six seasons in Minnesota, Ortiz hit a batter never behind as Ramirez (apparently never done steroids until the Great White North). But, however, the jump statistics are impossible to ignore. You tell me, with a straight face, which is hitting 10, 18 and 20 homers to hit 41, 47 and 54 homers (his total from 2004-2006) is a normal progression? Basically what I'm trying to say is that no one should be the least bit surprised by this revelation. The guy won around 30 pounds and started hitting balls at Lansdowne Street, and we're supposed to look the other way and accept as normal.
Now that Manny now on, is old news. Yes, just tested positive and ended up serving a 50-game suspension. He still has skeptics on his back and now has to deal with the evidence from 2003. But we are not surprised by this well. So if you are not surprised by this, if this makes sense to us why we continue to act as our world is being shattered every time another name leak? The late Ken Caminiti (God rest his soul) had already told Sports Illustrated years ago, that at least half the league used doping substances. José Canseco made similar accusations. Of course everyone has their claims with a grain of salt (or worth a whole ocean of salt), because seems that Canseco could be one of the few blades of a lawnmower, but regardless, there have been enough big names already linked to steroids How can they possibly, as fans, sit here, and are not suspected of almost all major stars have followed in the past 10-15 years. Barry Bonds, David Ortiz, Manny Ramírez, José Canseco, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Jason Giambi, and the list continues.
It is time we accept, as baseball fans, this is the way the game was played in the last decade. We can almost conclude that nobody has a clear advantage due to the large number of players were juicing. Like the dead ball era, this was simply another phase of professional baseball has passed, and we hope to recover from. There is no doubt that the charm of baseball's home run brought back from the brink of despair after the strike 1994. I have no doubt that there is hope for baseball to redeem this test. Asterisks are something you will not remember with affection or dislike, but with an understanding that the sport has gone and where it's headed in the future.
With hundreds of names still to light, all that remains for the baseball to do is look to the future of work and play in protecting the integrity of the game progresses, there is simply no use in dwelling on past mistakes already. The arguing about who is most stats are contaminated and that contaminated equipment championships, the more we get stuck and trapped in a confusing past full of mistakes and regrets. It's time to move on, baseball (and the hope that Pujols' name never appears in a list – that is our only hope now).
05-07-09_Manny Ramirez Suspended 50 Games For Steroids (Part 1)
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