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Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Manny Ramirez officially announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on April 8 after an outstanding 19-year career, for much of which he was considered to be the best right-handed hitter in the game.

The later years of the slugger’s career would ultimately cast a pale shadow of suspicion on many of his 555 career home runs, as he served a 50 game suspension for violating MLB’s policies on performance-enhancing drugs in 2009, coupled with allegations that his name was amongst the 104 on a list of players who tested positive for PED’s in 2003.

Ramirez’s retirement is the result of another violation of the league’s drug policy, according to a statement released by Major League Baseball.

“Rather than continue with the process under the program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player,” the statement says. “If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter.”

Manny was 1-for-17 with Tampa this year, after inking a free agent deal with the club during the offseason. His career ends with 1,831 RBI and a .312 batting average, in addition to the hefty home run numbers. A 12-time All Star, including 10 selections in a row between 1998 and 2008, Manny also won nine Silver Slugger Awards, two Hank Aaron Awards, two World Series rings with the Boston Red Sox and was named the series MVP in 2004, as Boston put an 86-year curse to bed. 

Beginning his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1993, Manny became an instant favorite when he signed an eight-year $160 million dollar contract with the Red Sox in December of 2000. The Boston fans took to him immediately, forgiving much of his quirky and enigmatic behavior with a shrug of the shoulders and the infamous refrain of: “It’s just Manny being Manny.”

By 2008, after a physical altercation with the club’s traveling secretary Jack McCormack, and Manny pulling himself from the lineup against the New York Yankees in July, Boston was getting weary of “Manny being Manny.” Not long after, the aging slugger was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers for outfielder Jason Bay and a minor league infielder, in a deal that also involved the Pittsburgh Pirates who received infielder Adam LaRoche and pitching prospect Bryan Morris from LA, while the Red Sox sent along Brandon Moss and Craig Hanson to Pittsburgh.

After starting off well in LA, hitting at a torrid pace to close 2008, he inked a two-year $45 million deal to remain with the Dodgers.

Whoops.

On May 7, 2009, Ramirez was hit with the massive 50-game ban. 

He returned in 2010, but was riddled with injury. The Dodgers placed him on waivers and the slugger was claimed by the Chicago White Sox. Appearing in just 24 games for the Pale Hose, he signed a one-year $2 million contract with Tampa on Jan. 21 of this year.

His abrupt retirement ends his Rays career after just six games.

Destined to be one of the players whose Hall of Fame candidacy is a hotly contested issue because of the stain of PEDs, Manny still stands a decent chance of getting in based upon his stellar career numbers. However, he will most likely have to wait a few years past his initial eligibility unless there is a drastic shift in the attitude of the BBWA’s voters.

While his retirement may come as a bit of a shock, the fresh drug allegations should not. Over the course of his career, history has shown this is just “Manny being Manny.” 

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In the wake of the news of the sudden and sad departure from Major League Baseball by Manny Ramirez, there will no doubt be many articles, op-ed pieces and columns regarding Ramirez and his place in baseball history.

In the past decade, baseball has without question gone through a very dark history. The Mitchell Report, detailing the use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) in Major League Baseball, was commissioned by Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig in March 2005. After a 21-month investigation, Mitchell, a former senator and federal prosecutor, submitted a 409-page report, detailing 89 MLB players who are alleged to have used steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs.

While Ramirez was not specifically named in the Mitchell Report, he was one of the names leaked from a list of players who allegedly tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003. It’s important to note that this list was never officially confirmed, and the list was in fact seized and then leaked illegally to certain media publications.

However, in 2009, Ramirez was suspended by Major League Baseball for violating their drug policy. Ramirez was found to have high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG); a women’s fertility drug typically used by steroid users to restart their body’s natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle.

There is absolutely no doubt that Manny Ramirez was one of the most feared right-handed hitters in the game during the mid-1990s and 2000s. His 555 home runs rank 14th all-time, his 21 career grand-slam home runs rank second only to the great Lou Gehrig, and no one in baseball history has hit more postseason home runs than Ramirez (28).

A 12-time All-Star and nine-time Silver Slugger award winner, Ramirez was adept at hitting mistake pitches. Although known to be quirky and aloof, it was also widely known that Manny had a voracious appetite for studying the science of hitting, often arriving at the ballpark many hours before his teammates to work on his signature.

However, there is one glaring fact that can never be ignored. Manny CHEATED.

He didn’t just cheat once, as was indicated with his suspension by MLB in 2009. He got caught twice, with the current allegations being investigated by Major League Baseball which led to Manny’s sudden retirement announcement.

We have had to learn a tremendous amount of knowledge concerning performance-enhancing drugs, anabolic steroids, Human Growth Hormone, the Cream, the Clear, masking agents and many other terms because of the drug scandal that has consumed baseball over the past ten seasons.

Many of the players who broke recent records (Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens) have all been accused of taking performance-enhancing drugs. While I won’t detail the allegations or say whether they’re true or false, they have tarnished their images and have caused irreparable damage—to the point that it could very well keep them from getting into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Considering McGwire’s poor percentage of votes on the last couple of Hall of Fame ballots, does anyone seriously think that the voters will be any less forgiving for Bonds, Clemens and Ramirez, when he is eligible?

There is absolutely no question that PEDs, or even the threat of PEDs, have forever tarnished the career of Manny Ramirez as it has for other ballplayers already.

I mean seriously, did you really want to know anything about Bonds and his shrinking testicles?

Ramirez has been an explosive ballplayer throughout his 19-year career. However, he will now be looped in with the likes of others who have been accused of enhancing their bodies in order to achieve greater heights, and cheating will NEVER be forgiven in the eyes of Hall of Fame voters.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Manny Ramirez, who helped lead the team to World Series victories in 2004 and 2007, has abruptly retired from Major League Baseball after what appears to be another failed drug test.

MLB released the following statement:

“Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter.”

Ramirez is only a few games into his first season with the Tampa Bay Rays, where he has only one hit in 17 at-bats. He is a 12-time All-Star and nine-time Silver Slugger. His 555 career home runs ranks 14th in MLB History.

So is Manny just being Manny? Or is he done for good?

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Manny Ramirez has announced his retirement from major league baseball, rather than continue with the league’s drug use program.

The slugger is just the most recent in a litany of elite hitters who have seen their reputations tarnished by the use of performance-enhancing drugs. How great could they have been without?

Manny will go down as one of the greatest pure hitters of his generation, and will never sniff the Hall of Fame because “great” wasn’t enough.

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After being notified of a drug violation by MLB, Manny Ramirez sent notice of his retirement to the league office on Friday, as reported The New York Times.

The Rays announced earlier this week that Ramirez had left the team to attend to a personal matter.

An announcement from the league office reads as follows: 

“Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter.”

Ramirez, 38, was previously served a 50-game drug suspension in 2009, when he was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

If Ramirez were to serve a suspension for this current violation, he would miss 100 games, the penalty for a second drug offense.

A lifetime ban from baseball is the penalty for a third drug-related offense.

Ramirez, a 12-time All-Star, retires as a career .312 hitter with 555 home runs and 1,831 RBI. This was the start of his 19th Major League season.

Ramirez split the bulk of career between the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox, playing eight seasons for each team.

Ramirez signed a one-year, $2 million contract with Tampa in January. He was batting .059 with one hit in five games.

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In a surprise announcement Friday afternoon, Manny Ramirez shocked the baseball world by announcing his decision to retire from MLB, effective immediately.

The retirement was announced by MLB via the following statement (courtesy of ESPN.com news services)::

“Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the statement said. “Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter.”

Although the message is open to interpretation, it seems that Manny has once again tested positive for a banned substance and, rather than face the embarrassment of another suspension, has decided to walk away from the game. 

The real tragedy behind this story is what could have been, for Manny was one of the most colorful characters and best right-handed hitters of his generation. Yet, like many of his generation, his legacy will be forever tarnished by the stain of cheating.

There is no doubt that he would have been a first ballot Hall of Famer if he hadn’t been indicted by performance enhancing drugs. PED’s have ruined his legacy and, in an ironic way, have suddenly ended his career.

He has a .312 career batting average with 1,831 RBIs and 555 homers. Those are historic numbers, yet like Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Rafael Palmeiro, he has a better chance of winning the lottery than getting a bust in baseball’s immortal shrine.

This is a subject that Bud Selig and MLB wishes would just go away, yet reminders rear their ugly heads once again. While the Bonds trial nauseatingly keeps the issue in the mainstream, along comes Manny to once again prove why they need a steroid wing in Cooperstown.

It raises the question of how do we know who did it and who did not? Just because a player wasn’t caught doesn’t necessarily mean that he was clean. 

Yet there will be players who do get into the HOF despite having used PED’s. For every Roger Clemens, there is that player that somehow escaped detection and enters the hallowed halls anyway.

One interesting question is whether or not the stain of PED’s will ever fade enough to someday allow the forgiveness necessary to allow these players into the Hall.

It may happen, but it may take a long time. Meanwhile, it’s a stain on an otherwise stellar resume.

For Manny, that stain may be indelible.

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According to USA Today, Manny Ramirez has made the shocking decision to file retirement papers. A statement was released earlier today by Major League Baseball.

Ramirez struggled last season and had just one hit in 17 at-bats this year, but it still seems as if he has the ability to be a professional baseball player.

The decision seems to be based on the fact that Ramirez has violated the league’s drug policy for the second time in his career. Ramirez had previously been suspended for 50 games in 2009 after he tested positive for HCG, a woman’s fertility drug.

On their website, the Rays released the following statement: “Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment program. Rather than continue with the process under the program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the drug program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter.”

It appears as if Ramirez would rather be retired than face suspension and humiliation that comes with a second positive test. This also brings up the question of if Manny has been juicing his whole career.

One would imagine that one positive test would be enough to make someone stop taking performance enhancers. However, it appears that Ramirez decided to take them again. This would seem to indicate that he has taken them for a long time.

Hopefully, this will not tarnish Ramirez’s reputation. The problem is that if more information about this alleged failed drug test comes out, then his reputation will inevitably be ruined.

It’s sad to see one of the best sluggers of this generation retire like this. Manny will certainly be remembered as a great player, but there will be more questions about his performance now than there ever were in the past.

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In a shocking development for major league baseball today, 19-year veteran Manny Ramirez has announced his retirement from the game. The outfielder was in his first season with the Tampa Bay Rays, and it will be a big loss for Joe Maddon’s club in a tough AL East division.

Ramirez decided to retire instead of going through with a process under MLB‘s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. He was one of the games most feared hitters, as he compiled 555 home runs, 1,831 RBI and 12 All-Star selections. He was most known for his time with the Red Sox, and it’s ironic that the announcement came at a time when the Red Sox and Yankees were adding to their storied rivalry.

The way in which Ramirez goes out will remind us all of the saying that epitomizes his career. While Ramirez was one of the most talented hitters, his spotty play in the outfield and other blunders he was prone to gave birth to the phrase “Manny being Manny.”

Leaving the already winless Rays out in the cold like this with the shocking development of his retirement certainly fits into that category.

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In the 19-year career of Manny Ramirez, the slugger has hit 555 home runs, good for 14th on the all-time list. After today’s announcement, it appears that Ramirez will hit no more.

In a statement released by Major League Baseball, Ramirez, currently playing with the Tampa Bay Rays, has announced his immediate retirement rather than go though an investigation process tied to allegations that Ramirez may have once again violated MLB‘s drug policy.

Here is the official announcement from MLB:

“Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the statement said.

“Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter.”

Ramirez, who was suspended by Major League Baseball for 50 games during the 2009 season for violating Major League Baseball‘s Performance Enhancing Drug policy, was off to a rough start for the Rays, hitting just .059 in five games.

No further information has been disclosed regarding exactly what the allegations concerning Ramirez and the possible drug violation are.

Bleacher Report will continue to update this breaking news story as more details emerge.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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This time, it’s not Manny being Manny. The former Red Sox, Dodger and Indian is calling it quits after the Rays slow start.

Major League Baseball made the announcement today.

The move isn’t all that surprising, considering his age and his recent lack of productivity, but it’s still sad to see a character like Manny go.

He began his in 1993, playing for the Cleveland Indians, a team he stayed with until 2000, when he made the famous switch to the Boston Red Sox, where he made his name.

Manny had 546 career homers and 12 All-Star appearances.

The move for Manny to retire may be motivated by him being contacted by MLB about a possible drug conduct violation. If Ramirez violated the policy, it would be the second time he has done so.

Whether or not that had anything to do with Ramirez retiring will be determined in the coming days, but as we all know, Manny isn’t going to do something he doesn’t want to and serving out another suspension is on his list of things he’s not interested in doing.

Manny was showing signs of slowing last year when he was traded to the Chicago White Sox and it took nearly all the offseason for him to get picked up.

It wasn’t until 2000 when Manny became a household name when he signed a 8-year, $160 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. He immediately hit .408 in April for the Sox and was a contributor to their World Series Championship Run.

His biggest year as a Red Sox came in 2004 when Manny hit .308, 43 home runs and 130 RBI. It’s also when Manny started being Manny.

He is as famous for skipping out on spring training and All-Star games as he is for pounding the ball. Late in his career he was criticized for not giving 100 percent and only playing half the game mentally.

The Red Sox shipped Manny out to LA in a trade during the 2008 season. Manny attempted to revive his career, but a contract dispute over the 2009 offseason and a failed steroid drug test led to a suspension for Manny. The Dodgers dumped him off on the White Sox in the middle of the 2010 season.

Manny was ineffective as a member of the White Sox and was let go at the end of the 2010 season. It took him until nearly the start of spring training to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays, and played only a week of games in the 2011 season before Manny called it a career. 

He has had a very slow start with the hard luck Rays so far, being virtually invisible, as has his former Boston teammate Johnny Damon.

Regardless of the reasons why, Manny Ramirez retiring is the end of an era in baseball. 

And that era is the era of Manny.

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