Manny’s Performance Enhancement for the Bedroom
As it turns out, the drug that Manny Ramirez tested positive for was a SEXUAL enhancer, not unlike Viagra.
According to Yahoo’s Tim Brown and Steve Henson:
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the substance is supposed to boost sex drive. It is not Viagra, but a substance that treats the cause rather providing a temporary boost in sexual performance, the source said.
According to Manny’s official statement:
“Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I’ve taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.”
So there you have it — Manny was indeed trying to hit more homeruns, but in the bedroom rather than the ballfield.
And now Omar is justified for not signing Manny this offseason. Joe, I know you were a strong advocate for bringing in Manny this winter and, even after hearing about the 50-game suspension, would still try to acquire him. And I was in your corner. But this would have been a public relations nightmare for the Mets and I think it’s time to eat some crow. It would have at least cost the Mets $25-mil (the price it cost the Dodgers) to have Manny as a Met in 2009, perhaps more to get him off the player-friendly west coast, and definitely more if he got a multi-year deal. With that money tied up with Manny, who else would the Mets had to have shed (Church, Maine, Schneider, Castro?) or who would they have been unable to sign/trade for (Krod, Putz, a #3 SP) to accomodate him? And with that type of roster is it a given the Mets would be in a better place (.500) then which they are in now? Furthermore, without Manny for 50 games, how would they have performed in the interim? And are we so sure Manny will return after the 50 games the same old Manny, or will it be a deflated Manny no longer with the assistance of PEDs? Then suddenly all the money and hype that went in to Manny will make the acquisitions of Carlos Baerga, Victor Zambrano, Mo Vaughn, and Oliver Perez look like bargains. Ok, maybe that’s an exageration, but you get my point. Manny would have been brought in as the savior – the guy who should carry this team over the hump and into the playoffs once and for all. And it only would have take a month for us to have our dreams crushed realize that Manny is just a mere mortal and another disappointment. The Mets don’t need that headache now, and I have to give credit to Omar for potentially forseeing this development and avoiding it.
Yet, he signed Scott Schoeneweis. And Fernando Tatis. And Lino Urdaneta. And Yusaku Iriki. And Guillermo Mota. And acquired Paul LoDuca.
Explain to me how Minaya would sign KNOWN steroid abusers who SUCK, but won’t sign the greatest righthanded hitter of our generation because he thinks he might be using steroids?
You’re right, though, the Mets don’t need a headache. God forbid the Mets ever have a headache, about anything. Don’t let anyone come in and cause a ruckus, or disrupt that precious and wonderful clubhouse chemistry they worked so hard to assemble. I’m still amazed they let a legit “gangsta” like Sheffield in … even more amazed that Sheff hasn’t convinced David Wright to smoke crack.
Go ahead and kill me for sticking to my guns. I refuse to be a Monday morning QB.
BTW our dreams will be crushed anyway once September rolls around because this team will be just good enough to choke again in the final weeks — which is why I’d still take Manny. Even if he’s “deflated”, he’ll still hit in the clutch. Pick your poison.
And speaking of, when is Sir Albert going to get caught? There’s no way he’s au naturale, and his constant insistence that he is reeks of Rafael Palmeiroism.
Look at the players, including Manny, who mysteriously couldn’t find much interest in their services over past two off-seasons:
Frank Thomas
Mike Piazza
Paul LoDuca
Manny Ramirez
Barry Bonds
How is it that none of these players found a place to play?
How is it that Manny tests positive, while dozens of the 103 players on “the list” who are still playing?
Also, consider that the MLBPA alleged that the owners conspired to keep the amount of ARod’s free agent contract down in 2007.
Coincidences? Or are the owners using PED testing as a tool?
Furthermore, with the exception of Tatis, all of those signings you mentioned were done before the Mitchell Report. And I honestly believe that once that report surfaced, the Mets, from that point onward, made a vow not to pursue any players that they have evidence or insider information of juicing on. I’m not blind, I see Tatis and Shef are still on the Mets and they have connections to PEDs, but those connections are in the past and they have proven to be clean now. But in the offseason before 2008 we wanted Lo Duca back, but for some odd reason the Mets gave him the cold shoulder. Well, now we know why. Urdaneta and Iriki are nobodies who were cast away as soon as their positive tests came back, and Schoeneweis and Mota were traded as soon as an offer came on the table. Plus, I know you’re trying to make a point, but do you think Lo Duca sucked in 2006, or when you were lobbying for the Mets to resign him prior to 2008? Do you believe Tatis has sucked since being called up last year? You need practice a little objectivity on this subject. I think your infatuation over Manny is clouding your better judgment.
You and I were both hard on the Mets for bringing in Shef, for the reason being that, along with being washed up, he’s known for being a clubhouse cancer and a malcontent. So you were all for avoiding the headache then. Now, when it comes to Manny, the Mets should be seeking out headaches, as long as they might be able to hit in the clutch and provide great offense. So why not sign Barry Bonds? Alex Rodriguez? Rafael Palmeiro? Why not encourage the use of PEDs and teach the ways of not getting caught? If the bottom line is onfield production and nothing else, then why not, Joe? It sounds to me like you’re advocating, or at least tolerating, cheating. Is this your message? Manny got caught doping, and you still want him here. Even I’m not that desperate for the Mets to try and improve themselves.
I don’t mean to sound like a Monday morning QB, but I refuse to continue to state an opinion if I now think it’s wrong. And I’ll freely admit when I’ve been wrong, and I was wrong on Manny.
If I were to pick my poison, I’d rather crash and burn with a clean team than with one in which even just one guy on the roster was juicing. And we both now that’s the RIGHT thing to do.
Isuzu; twice you referenced Manny’s steroid use and the word “clear” in the same sentence. Don’t know if anyone else caught it but that’s great stuff !!
Let’s use our noggins here … if we are to believe your theory, then the Mets didn’t sign Orlando Hudson, Raul Ibanez, and Bobby Abreu because they are also closet steroid users. They didn’t go after CC, AJ, Ben Sheets, etc., etc., because they must also be suspected users. They didn’t go after Casey Blake because he’s a suspected user. They didn’t sign David Eckstein because he’s obviously using steroids — right?
Further, it would also indicate that the Mets only signed K-Rod, Alex Cora, and Tim Redding because those were the only clean guys on the market.
And you’re right — Scho, LoDuca, etc., used “before” the Mitchell Report came out. But if Omar has PEDs radar then why didn’t he know about their use?
Just as illogical is your assumption that because Tatis and Sheff were caught in the past means that they’re clean now. Why? Because MLB’s testing policy is so perfect? Sorry but I have little faith in a system that can test Manny “15 times” as he claims and not catch him until the 16th time. For all we know MLB is looking the other way when superstars like Manny test positive the first 8-9 times, then decide to lower the boom for whatever reason they deem appropriate. Conspiracy theory? Maybe. Flawed system? Just as possible.
I’m not advocating steroid use by any means — it’s part of the reason I never made MLB (I’m realizing now that most of the people I competed against, and made it, were users). Rather, I’ve accepted the fact that Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco were telling the truth when they suggested that 50-90% of MLB players are cheaters. If you want to define that as “tolerance”, so be it.
And I pointed out Sheff and Tatis for the same reason I don’t trust someone after they lie to me once. Once a liar, always a liar. If you cheat once, why should I trust you not to cheat again? If Tatis used once and hit 34 homers — double what he ever did before or since. He falls off the face of the earth for four years and then suddenly wants to raise money to build a church, and at the age of 33 hits like he’s 25 again. That doesn’t raise eyebrows? Really? I love the way Fernando Tatis plays and I want to believe he’s completely natural but there’s this hint of Guillermo Mota August 2006 doubt lurking. And don’t try to tell me you’d be shocked if you found out that wonderful Tatis story turned out to be a fraud.
So it’s OK to sign known cheaters such as Tatis, Sheffield, et al but not bring in Manny? Because Manny’s cheating happened more recently? If Tatis and Sheff can be trusted not to cheat again, why can’t Manny? That’s why I’m sticking to my guns — I’m not a hypocrite.
And for the record you have me confused with someone else. I was 100% behind the Gary Sheffield signing.
To be clear, I kinda like Sheffield. I was negative because Sheffield was just a cheaper version of Manny. Typical Wilpon move.
The Mets are at the epicenter of the steroid issue and they shouldn’t get out of it just because they were too cheap to sign Manny.
If anyone deserves credit for passing on Manny, it is Bernie Madoff.
Hey Joe – can we work up a list of all the good citizens Omar has brought in throughout his tenure? Don’t limit it to steroids (Burgos).