Your Good Name

-
Manny Ramirez may have been the greatest right-handed hitting outfielder I ever saw. When he was on the Indians they knocked the Yankees out of the playoffs in '97. I grew to hate him.

Then he went to the Sux. My hatred grew, but I respected the hell out of him as a hitter. With Ortiz, I thought they were the best one-two punch in the sport.

I was also suspicious.

I was told they were clean. They beat the Yanks in '04 and finally won the World Series. I wasn't happy, but I live in a town where titles are hard to come by and the stories about people from New England going to their father's grave sites to tell them about the win sort of struck a chord.

"It's 26 to 5," I would say. "Good for them."

Then they won another one and my hate for Manny and Ortiz grew, but hey, you had to respect them, right? They were at the top of their game.

Turns out they were frauds. Certainly not the only frauds in the game. There were drug cheats on every team. Even the Yankees.

But the Yankees lined up to tell their story. Ortiz claimed not to be able to speak English anymore, and Manny didn't say a dang thing.

He failed a drug test. Couldn't deny it anymore. He moved onto LA and laughed at those who dared ask him about it.

Suddenly he couldn't hit like he used to. It all ended really, really quick.

I wonder why.

This year was to be a rebirth. Manny was working hard. He signed with Tampa and promised that he would be as good as ever. I wasn't happy. Last thing I needed was a refreshed Manny back hitting homers in the same division.

Turns out he felt so good because he was back on the juice. News just came down that he failed another drug test. He promptly retired.

And texting back and forth with a buddy of mine who is a Red Suck fan, I felt sorry for Manny.

That's right. I felt sorry for him! He cheated and I felt bad!

You know why?

Because his name will forever be tarnished. He will be thought of as something like a clown, a cheat, a fraud, Manny being Manny turned out to be something of a joke.

And a lot of those players are in the same boat. Great players. Thought they should cheat to get a little more. That isn't the way to get ahead, is it?

Live your life on the straight and narrow, I say. Do it the fair and honest way. Work hard, pay your debts. Keep your good name.

Because at the end of the day what is the cost?

In my mind, Manny Ramirez is no longer one of the greatest right-handed hitters in the history of the greatest game ever invented.

Instead he's just another cheater.

Forever.

Big-ass, dumb fraud.

Comments

Gag said…
Good. Now i can pickup someone who can hit.
08 April, 2011
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more