Manny Ramirez: Looking for redemption
If there is one thing that any fan of baseball cannot argue with, that is the tremendous talent that Manny Ramirez has on the field. Although he retired from baseball due to testing positive for using Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED) as he faced a 100 game
suspension, Manny is looking to make a comeback in Major League Baseball.
Manny has played with the likes of the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. He has a tremendous record in baseball, although most feel that he has tainted his reputation and stats with his PED use.
Manny has 2,574 career hits, 1,832 RBIs, 555 home-runs and maintained a healthy .312 batting average.
Many fans and critics feel that the record of Ramirez should not be considered as legitimate as his PED use adds an unfair advantage. The fact that players use these drugs to enhance their performance, most stats that are achieved can hardly be counted as
being natural talent. If a player hits a home-run, the first thought “Is that the drugs that helped him do it?” or “Is the player clean and just naturally talented?”. The list questions become endless.
The fact that Manny has been reinstated in to MLB clearly shows that he might be trying to prove something to the fans and critics alike. If he puts in a tremendous performance, he can silence everyone that doubts his talents as being natural and not just
“juiced up” on steroids. Unfortunately for Ramirez, baseball fans never seem to forget the past, especially when they get disappointed in a big way.
Numerous teams are looking to acquire Ramirez as MLB decided to reinstate the player on the condition that if he manages to get into a team for the 2012 MLB regular season, then he will have to serve a 50 game suspension. This stipulation leaves many teams
in a pickle, as signing Ramirez means that a prospective team will have to wait for him to serve his 50 game suspension before he finally takes to the field.
A 50 game suspension is basically almost one-third of the entire MLB regular season. Any team that does manage to sign him for what will be a very huge amount of money will only be able to avail his services towards the middle to end of the regular season.
Teams like the Oakland Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles are supposedly in talks with the dynamic player. It will be interesting to see Manny back on the field facing the crowds and some of the younger upstart pitchers in the League.
Ramirez will be hoping that he gets a good deal so that he can get back into shape. As Spring Training is right around the corner it will give him the perfect opportunity to show off his immense talent and tremendous competitive spirit to the field. Manny
will be hoping that the fans welcome him back and give him another chance to prove himself to the world.
Regardless of where Manny signs, the long road of redemption with the fans will be arduous. Disappointment is something that is not forgiven easily in MLB. How Ramirez manages to handle the pressure of coming out of retirement and also facing his critics
is something that will definitely add to the upcoming 2012 MLB regular season.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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