Manny Being Manny in Winter Ball?
Written by Bob Whalon, Tuesday September 20 2011
Manny Being Manny in the Dominican Winter League? Apparently so.
Former major leaguer Manny Ramirez, who retired in April after a failed drug test for a performance-enhancing drugs PEDs), is planning to play for a winter league team in the Dominican Republic. Rather than face a 100-game suspension for a second violation of Major League Baseball's drug policy, the 39-year old Ramirez decided to retire. Now he seems to have changed his mind.
While the 12-time All Star can't play in MLB without serving that suspension, there is nothing to prevent him from playing in his Caribbean homeland.
Winston Llenas, president of the Cibao Eagles, told the Associated Press that Ramirez will begin training with the team next week. "He wants to play before the Dominican fans and to perhaps motivate other Major League stars to also play in the country," Llenas said on Tuesday. Ramirez previously played for Cibao in 1993-94.
Ramirez failed two MLB drug tests during his playing days. In 2009 while he was playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ramirez tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, which is a banned female fertility drug often used to help mask the use of PEDs, such as steroids. He served a 50-day ban for that first failed test.
He failed a second test this season, when he tested positive for PEDs while playing for the Tamp Bay Rays.
The former MVP of the 2004 World Series, when he helped the Boston Red Sox end their 86-year title drought, is also facing criminal prosecution in Florida on charges of slapping his wife during an argument. Ramirez's story is that he only grabbed his wife by the shoulders and "shrugged" her. Whatever he meant by that, it apparently caused Mrs. Ramirez to hit her head on the headboard of their bed. She was not seriously hurt.
Neither of the failed drug tests nor the criminal charges in Florida will prevent Ramirez from playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic though. At least that's what he says now.
Only time will tell if Ramirez is serious about playing in his homeland or if this is just another case of Manny being Manny.
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