What do you think about Manny [Ramirez] going to the All-Star Game? Do you think we should stop chastising the players and let them play in these situations, even though under suspension? Or should he rightfully so be suspended from this too, even though the fans are still voting for him.
One of my readers, Jason Thomas e-mailed me that question last week. Immediately, I thought, "what a great question and perfect blog post topic". It is absolutely ridiculous that someone who is going to be suspended for 50 of the first 81 games of the season might be on the All-Star ballot. If Manny Ramirez had no off days prior to his suspension (highly unlikely), then he would play in a maximum of 31 games. Is that enough games for the fans to decide whether or not he is having an All-Star season?
Cheating Should Not Pay
There are other outfielders that will play anywhere between 75 to all 81 games for their team before the All-Star break. It is extremely unfair that Manny Ramirez could possibly get voted to the NL All-Star team by playing in less that 40% of the games.
This was my response to Jason Thomas:
Manny [Ramirez] should not be allowed to play in this years All-Star game. If he's missing 50 games before the All-Star break, how can he have been playing well enough to deserve a trip. Also, with the positive test for PED's, he should be suspended from the All-Star game only if it falls during his 50 game suspension.
Fans shouldn't be allowed to vote for a player who is suspended for practically the first half of the season for which a player is judged for the all star game. I think Manny making the All-Star game would be ridiculous since he didn't play in as many games as other outfielders due to his positive test for cheating!
Manny Ramirez should not have the opportunity to play in the 2009 All-Star game. Manny's suspension ends on July 5th and the game is on July 14th. Manny has still been working out with the Los Angeles Dodgers during his suspension, but his workouts are limited in times that he can actually be on the field. America is voting for Manny and he isn't even playing!
His suspension ends on July 5th, meaning he shouldn't be suspended for the All-Star game because it falls after his 50 game suspension. But playing in less that 40% of the first half of the season should make him ineligible for the ballot.
WWOLD?: What Would Other Leagues Do?
Jason was nice enough to respond to my shot at the MLB's reasoning to allow Manny to be on this years All-Star ballot:
and you know what, your right, he should be excluded from the ballot. This makes the MLB look like a total hypocrisy, money before principle and integrity. [The NBA and NFL] would not be considering this.
Jason made a great point about the NBA and NFL not allowing things like this. Major League Baseball would rather allow a player who plays less than half of the required games before the All-Star break and tests positive for performance enhancing drugs, play in the All-Star game for the profits in tickets and jerseys, rather than give someone less appealing to the fans a chance.
A player should have to earn the right to be named an All-Star, not be voted in by fans who think it would be funny to vote them in to prove to Bud Selig that the system is flawed. With the amount of steroid use in baseball over the past decade, we've accepted the fact that the system is flawed, let's not make it even worse by allowing Manny Ramirez to be on the 2009 NL All-Star team.
What do you think? Should Manny Ramirez be allowed to play in the 2009 MLB All-Star game? Vote in our poll below. Voting ends June 31st, right before midnight [EST]. Let us know your thoughts on the issue in the comments below.
Should Manny Ramirez be allowed to play in the 2009 All-Star game?
- No (71%, 65 Votes)
- Yes (29%, 27 Votes)
Total Voters: 92
Thanks to bryce_edwards for the picture of Manny Ramirez.
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Here is the thing about MLB and other leagues’ all-star games, they are set up differently. In the MLB after what seems like 2 weeks teams put out the 8 position players that they want on the ballot. In other leagues any player is eligible for the most part.
Since Manny was not suspended when this list of players was released from the Dodgers then he is still allowed to be voted for. Now as a fan do you not vote for your guys? Let run this back, if he was still on the Sox and got suspended would Red Sox Nation not vote for him? I think the fan base is right in voting for their guy. I do however think his name should be removed from consideration since he hasn’t produced numbers over the same length of time as everyone else on the ballot.
I know what you’re saying Matt, I’m not sure whether I would vote for him or not if he was still on the Red Sox.
I do agree with you; with the whole PED’s thing, I just don’t think he should still be on the ballot this year, and the same goes for A-Rod, he openly admitted to using steroids and absolutely nothing happened afterward.
I just think the whole MLB mantra changed to liars get in trouble and people who admit it move on with their career, but I’m getting off topic, thanks for stirring me up, great thoughts.
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first off, it’s in the collective bargaining agreement that if he’s voted in, he can play. It’s the fans that are stupid here for voting him in. Secondly, what he should do is issue a statement or have his publicist write and issue a coherent statement saying that it isn’t right to keep voting for him and vote in the players who have busted their asses for their respective teams and are having great first halves. Kind of like what Chris Singleton said for him to do yesterday on ESPN. It’s nothing to do with people trying to prove 2 Bud Selig that the system is flawed if you ask me..maybe somewhat— but the majority of people voting at the parks are kids who just love the funny guy with the dreadlocks and his whole Manny being Manny persona.
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Exactly Chuck, Manny should be the bigger person and take himself off the ballot or let the fans know they should not be voting for him because of his situation and making a joke of it.
Let’s see what actually happens.
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So the question goes, is it a fans game? Do non MLB fans vote?
I think there needs to be a minimum number of games to be allowed in. 75%
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ha… Gansie you’re still fired up from that A-Roid post on another blog site we know about! ha….you’re going off topic in your other reply! It’s like going to confession @ church.. those who wipe themselves clean and admit their wrongdoings are forgiven— like it or not!! ha..
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That’s what I find rediculous, basically any player who admits to using steroids before they are caught gets away with it with no consequences. No thoughts of asterisks tattooed to their statistics and no tainting of any records they set. If A-Roid breaks Bonds’ record no one will be saying 800* because he admitted to using PED’s as opposed to Bonds who gets scrutinized daily for the record because he got caught and tried to deny it.
Baseball is saying it’s ok to use steroids as long as you don’t lie about it. Rediculous! I need a breather.
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There’s no asterisks on A-Roid? Says who? I’ve got asterisks all over anything he does.
In either case, A-Roid has a drink with a syringe named after him, which is way better than an asterisk anyway.
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Gansie, A-Roid is the most hated guy in baseball! There will be mental *asterisks on everything he ever did in the game. The same as Bonds. And you know what? It’s a damn shame they had to use because those two guys are two of the best ballplayers ever and they didn’t need that crap. I think it was a “keepin with the Jones’” type of thing w/both of them. They figured, sh*t, “I’m better than all of these goons out there using so in order to keep the gap the same while they’re all using, I have to use”.. It all stinks, I agree.
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I say that Manny shouldn’t play. I agree with Jim that there should be a requirement that a certain amount of games need to be played in order to participate in the All Star Game. The fans voting for players makes an All Star game what it is, which is a showcase for the fans.
This sort of thing happens all the time. Big name players get injured and some dont even play a single game but get voted into the all star game because “fans” see the famous athlete and vote for him. One instance I remember off the top of my head, the first year after nomar garciaparra left the redsox and went to the cubs he got voted into the allstar game even though he was injured for the first half of the season. I bet half the people voting for Manny Ramirez dont even know that he is suspended. Manny should come out and say that he wont play in the all star game because its not fair to the other players blah blah blah. But who knows, its Manny Ramirez anything can happen.
I don’t think Manny will play even if he does get voted in, but I agree with you as well as the others who said Manny should make a statement to the voters to not vote for him.
Or people voting could pay attention and know not to vote for him since he isn’t playing.
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They should let manny play in 2009 all star game because his better than everybody.
Manny Ramirez Should Not Be a 2009 All-Star — Sports Fan Four http://u.mavrev.com/6t70
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Should Manny Ramirez be Allowed to Play in the 2009 All-Star Game? http://bit.ly/1P47T Come vote in the poll!
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7 votes for no, 0 for yes. No one wants Manny Ramirez in the all star game! http://bit.ly/1P47T
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