Ramirez suspended 50 games for drug violation

NEW YORK (AP) - Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games by
Major League Baseball on Thursday, becoming the latest high-profile
player ensnared in the sport's drug scandals.
     The Los Angeles Dodgers star said he did not take steroids and
was given medication by a doctor that contained a banned substance.
     A person familiar with the details of the suspension said
Ramirez used HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin. The person spoke on
condition of anonymity because the banned substance wasn't
announced.
     HCG is prescribed to stimulate female fertility and testosterone
production in men and to treat delayed puberty in boys.
     The 36-year-old outfielder apologized to the Dodgers and fans
for "this whole situation."
     "Recently, I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He
gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to
give me," Ramirez said in a statement issued by the players'
union.
     "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."
     Baseball added HCG to its list of banned substances last year.
     "It's not infrequently part of the mix of the poly-drug
approach to doping," said Dr. Gary Wadler, chairman of the
committee that determines the banned-substances list for the World
Anti-Doping Agency. "It typically is used most when people are
coming off a cycle to restore to normal biophysiological feedback
mechanisms."
     Ramirez's suspension began Thursday. Barring any postponements
he will be able to return to the Dodgers - whose 21-8 record is the
best in the major leagues - for the July 3 game at San Diego.
Ramirez will lose $7,650,273 of his $25 million salary.
     "Our game has been run through the mud with a number of
difficult accusations and actual situations, such that when you
have somebody like Manny find himself in a situation like this it's
just disheartening," Tony Clark of the Arizona Diamondbacks said.
     Baseball commissioner Bud Selig couldn't comment on the
suspension because of provisions of the management-union drug
agreement, spokesman Rich Levin said.
     While Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Canseco
and a long list of stars have been implicated in the use of
performance-enhancing drugs, Ramirez is the most prominent
suspended under the drug policy players and owners agreed to in
August 2002.
     Canseco, David Bell and Jay Gibbons have been linked in media
reports to HCG use, according to the December 2007 Mitchell Report
on drugs in baseball.
     Ramirez's agent, Scott Boras, and the players' association had
gathered materials for a possible appeal to an arbitrator, but
Ramirez decided not to file one because he didn't want to risk
missing significant time in the second half of the season, the
person familiar with details of the suspension said. The union said
merely that he waived his right to contest the suspension.
     Ramirez is batting .348 with six home runs and 20 RBIs through
the first 27 games of the season.
     His suspension comes a day after the Dodgers broke the modern
major league record for a home winning streak to open a season with
their 13th consecutive victory. They play Washington again Thursday
night.
     Losing Ramirez to suspension could be a huge blow financially
for the Dodgers. The slugger has been single-handedly responsible
for increasing attendance, merchandise sales and interest in the
team, in addition to helping them win the NL West after his late
season arrival in 2008.
     Los Angeles even renamed a section of seats in left field at
Dodger Stadium "Mannywood" in his honor.
     Ramirez's suspension came a day before Rodriguez was likely to
rejoin the New York Yankees. Rodriguez has been on the disabled
list since having hip surgery.
     In February, Rodriguez admitted taking steroids while playing
for Texas from 2001-03 and acknowledged testing positive under a
2003 survey. But testing with penalties didn't begin until 2004,
and the New York Yankees third baseman doesn't appear likely to be
suspended.
     The players' association said Ramirez was suspended by the
commissioner under the "just cause" provision of section 8.G.2 of
the joint drug agreement. That allows players to be penalized for
use, sale or distribution of banned substances, even where the
agreement doesn't specify a particular penalty, such as for a
positive test.
     In his statement, Ramirez addressed Dodgers owners Frank and
Jamie McCourt, and manager Joe Torre.
     "I want to apologize to Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre,
my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans,"
Ramirez said. "LA is a special place to me, and I know everybody
is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."
     His suspension was first reported by the Los Angeles Times on
its Web site.
     Ramirez became the third player suspended this year under the
major league program, following Philadelphia reliever J.C. Romero
and Yankees pitcher Sergio Mitre.
     Just two relatively low-profile players were suspended under the
major league program last year, San Francisco catcher Elizier
Alfonzo and Colorado catcher Humberto Coto.
     In the past, the best-known player penalized was Baltimore's
Rafael Palmeiro, who received a 10-day suspension in 2005, the
first year of penalties for first infractions.
     Ramirez was acquired by Los Angeles from Boston last July 31 and
became a fan favorite. His contract negotiations became a
long-running drama during the offseason, and he agreed in early
March - well after the start of spring training - to a $45 million,
two-year contract that gives him the right to void the second
season and become a free agent again.
     In St. Louis, a clubhouse attendant stuck his head into manager
Tony La Russa's office and said "Manny Ramirez, 50 games,
steroids."
     La Russa's reaction: "You're kidding me."