Manny being a moron; latest MLB superstar embroiled in the steroids controversy

Only a few months after becoming the very first recipient of my Swag Award, Manny Ramirez is back on BDumasonline.com but for much different reasons this time. Ramirez has permanently damaged his legacy as one of baseball's best hitters as his name has been thrown in the pot along with the likes of Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez as prominent MLB players who have been implicated in the steroids controversy. 

Yesterday, Commissioner Bud Selig slapped a 50 game suspension on Ramirez for violating the league's drug policy after it became known that Manny had high levels of artificial testosterone in his body and tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin or HGC. According to experts, HGC is a women's fertility drug and is often used by steroid users to restart natural testosterone production in the body after a cycle of steroids has been completed...How else can a man justify taking a women's fertility drug?? 

Damn Manny, people said you were a moron but I gave you the benefit of the doubt and like Barry Bonds, A-Roid and the like, you let me down. It remains to be seen how the sport will recover from this period but as I fan I feel cheated, and these revelations make it more and more difficult to justify paying ridiculous prices for tickets to see a bunch of cheaters. Yet another dark day for MLB.

Below is an ESPN piece on the prevalence of performing enhancers in MLB and its top athletes.

Performance-enhancers found on paraphernalia linked to Roger Clemens

Uh oh Roger. New information reported by the New York Times says that performance-enhancing substances were found on syringes that Clemens' ex-trainer Brian McNamee said he used to inject the pitcher.

Last month, The Times reported that Clemens' DNA was found on some of the syringes and other material that McNamee turned over to federal investigators.

First there was the DNA, and now the drugs, found on the same evidence...

If you'll remember, Clemens appeared on '60 Minutes' in January, 2008, and then in front of a congressional committee in February, 2008 to set the record straight and deny any allegations of his usage of performance-enhancers.

We all remember the interview A-Rod did with Katie Couric in 2007 for '60 Minutes' that we all know now was a bold faced lie. I can't help but wonder if Clemens' '60 Minutes' interview will eventually be viewed in the same light if it isn't already. 

The difference between A-Rod and Clemens is that A-Rod never took an oath and swore to be truthful in a formal setting. Lying to Mike Wallace and lying under oath are two entirely different things. This is why Barry Bonds is on trial for perjury..Once you take that oath, if evidence becomes available that can contradict your testimony, you could find yourself in some hot water. 

A federal grand jury has already convened to determine if Clemens perjured himself when he told Congress that he never used performance-enhancers. If indicted and taken to trial, Clemens' lawyers will try to argue that McNamee somehow doctored the evidence in the seven years between the time he injected Clemens (2001) and the time he turned the evidence over to the feds (2008).

This saga just took an interesting new twist, and I am curious to see how it all plays out. Clemens, who has achieved every imaginable benchmark and been awarded every imaginable accolade as a pitcher placed all of that in jeopardy when he testified in front of Congress. If it is found that Clemens did indeed perjur himself, an asterisk in the record books would be the least of his concerns...

More preseason trouble for A-Roid

As if Alex Rodriguez hasn't had enough press already this preseason.

We all remember that sham of an interview he did with Peter Gammons last month, followed by a sham of a press conference he gave at the Yankees Spring training complex a few weeks ago.

Matters have seemingly gotten worse over the last day or so, as it has become public that A-Rod has a cyst in his hip. Rodriguez, who is playing for the Dominican Republic in this years World Baseball Classic complained of stiffness in his right hip, and became aware of the cyst after an MRI over the weekend. 

Rodriquez is visiting a doctor today in Colorado to learn more about the severity of the injury.

Joe Girardi, the manager of the Yanks acknowledged that A-Roid mentioned stiffness in his hip last season, but it does not appear as if any tests were run or measures taken to alleviate the ailment.

Now, I'm usually not one to speculate, but since A-Roid has repeatedly proven himself to be a lying, cheating, insincere douche I will proceed with my speculations....that this hip injury has something to do with him and his ignorant cousin shooting roids in his ass for his whole career. 

Wouldn't it be something if A-Rod's career was somehow hampered going forward because of this injury which happened to be related to his steroid use??

Cal Ripken Jr. played 2,632 CONSECUTIVE games at shortstop and third base (A-Rod has played third and shortstop his entire career as well). I think we can all agree that baseballs ironman was not involved in performance enhancers, and as a result was able to maintain a long, productive career in major league baseball. 

I don't know what the real deal is with A-Rods hip, and I am speculating, but I'm just saying....it doesn't look good.

Swag Award of the Week Feb 23-Feb 28

Every week I will be awarding what I call the "Swag Award of the Week." This award be awarded every weekend and will go to the individual who displays the most "swag" throughout the week. Swag is a loosely used term, and everyone has their own interpretation. Old Spice says swagger is 'the scent that makes the difference.' I think we can all agree that overall not giving a f!@k; disregard for what people think about what you're doing, gusto, cajones, balls, and confidence are all prerequisites of "swag."

With that said, I am proud to announce that the "Swag Award of the Week" goes to none other than MANNY RAMIREZ.

It was announced yesterday, that Manny rejected yet another offer by the LA Dodgers to keep him on the team for at least one more season if not two. The latest offer would have put $25 million in Manny's pocket this season and an option for $20 million next season. Manny and his agent Scott Boras (also the agent for A-Roid, Carlos Beltran, Daisuke Matsuzaka, & Mark Texeira) kindly said no thank you for the fourth time since November.

For the baseball fans out there, you'll remember that the Dodgers acquired Manny from Boston at the July 31st trade deadline. Manny went to LA and DID WORK, hitting .396 with 17 long balls, 53 RBI in 53 games. PS..The Dodgers won the NL West title largely due to Manny's bat.

Considering that the Dow Jones average has gone down 21% since November and average Americans are sinking like the Titanic, for this man to still be turning his back on nearly $50 mil in this economy in my mind is the epitome of "swag." The Dodgers have made 4 offers (no other team has made one offer) to this man in the last 4 months, and he still isn't happy.

I guess he knows something we don't. Good luck Manny. Enjoy your award.