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Ramirez retires amid drug policy 'issue'
Updated Apr 8, 2011 9:06 PM ET
Manny Ramirez walked away from baseball on Friday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, abruptly ending the mercurial career of one of the most talented — and tainted — hitters to ever play the game.
The slumping Tampa Bay slugger informed Major League Baseball that he would retire rather than face a 100-game suspension. Ramirez served a 50-game ban for violating the drug policy in 2009, and second-time offenders get double that penalty.
''We were obviously surprised when we found out about it today, and hurt by what transpired,'' said Rays vice president Andrew Friedman, who signed Ramirez to a $2 million, one-year contract in the offseason. ''We were cautiously optimistic that he would be able to be a force for us.''
A person familiar with the situation confirmed to The Associated Press that the 12-time All-Star tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the nature of Ramirez's issue with MLB's drug policy was not publicly disclosed.
Read more: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/...amid-mlb-drug-policy-issues-040811/?GT1=39002
Updated Apr 8, 2011 9:06 PM ET
Manny Ramirez walked away from baseball on Friday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, abruptly ending the mercurial career of one of the most talented — and tainted — hitters to ever play the game.
The slumping Tampa Bay slugger informed Major League Baseball that he would retire rather than face a 100-game suspension. Ramirez served a 50-game ban for violating the drug policy in 2009, and second-time offenders get double that penalty.
''We were obviously surprised when we found out about it today, and hurt by what transpired,'' said Rays vice president Andrew Friedman, who signed Ramirez to a $2 million, one-year contract in the offseason. ''We were cautiously optimistic that he would be able to be a force for us.''
A person familiar with the situation confirmed to The Associated Press that the 12-time All-Star tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the nature of Ramirez's issue with MLB's drug policy was not publicly disclosed.
Read more: http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/...amid-mlb-drug-policy-issues-040811/?GT1=39002