Manny Ramírez and the Cruelty of Baseball

2020 was supposed to be a special year for Manny Ramírez. After taking a couple of years off, he announced he would be returning to professional baseball. He signed a deal with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League. Manny was a major part of the team and league's promotional materials for this season.

Stories slowly trickled out of various baseball centered websites about his return. In every promotional photo, appearance, or news story one truth remained; Manny looked positively exuberant.

As Opening Night approached, I was considering putting down the money for the Blue Sox's streaming service simply because I wanted to see Manny have fun on the baseball field again. Then, the Blue Sox scratched Manny from their Opening Night lineup.

Official Statement from Blue Sox Owner/CEO Adam Dobb. READ MORE: https://t.co/3EiljxmXsEpic.twitter.com/0kP3JXCed2-- Sydney Blue Sox (@SydneyBlueSox)December 17, 2020

Official Statement from Blue Sox Owner/CEO Adam Dobb. READ MORE: https://t.co/3EiljxmXsEpic.twitter.com/0kP3JXCed2

Possibly not a big deal at first, at least that's what I told myself as I tried to deny the possible implications of a 48-year-old being taken out of an Opening Night lineup that was very much built around his participation. Minutes later the gut punch came when the Sox sent out a press release that heavily implied Manny would not be playing at all this year thanks to an undisclosed medical condition.

The medical condition can stay undisclosed, I have no desire or need to invade Manny's personal medical life in such a manner. This article is not about what is wrong with Manny, it's about the sun setting on a great ball player's career.

Manny wasn't using his ABL stint to try to get back to the big leagues, at least I'm pretty sure he wasn't. Rather, to him playing in the ABL was about once again going out on the field and playing the game he loved so much. To have that opportunity taken from him, thanks to his body betraying him, is the ultimate slap in the face for the proud Dominican Republic star.

Manny being Manny is a term that was coined thanks to, well, Manny being Manny on the baseball diamond. What made Manny such a special player wasn't just how supremely talented he was, it was that he was both great at the game of baseball and someone who had fun every single second he was playing.

Sometimes that meant leaving in the middle of an inning to chat with the scoreboard operator, other times it meant doing weird things with his helmet or making sure to trot the bases as slow as possible after one of his mammoth home runs. For me, and I think most of the baseball world, Manny being Manny always meant getting to watch a great player have the sort of fun that makes baseball an infectious sport.

To be clear, Manny is no saint. There are things he did that were not good and things he needs to answer serious questions about or he will forever be tarnished. Yes, there is the steroid use, but I don't really care about that or want any sort of answer on that matter.

Manny came up in an era where far too many players were using steroids and the Dominican baseball academies made performance-enhancing drugs a regular part of a young player's routine. People looking for some sort of answer or mea culpa from Manny on the steroid issue are spending far too much time caring about something that I believe matters very little in the grand scheme of things.

On the other hand, Manny has never truly addressed his 2012 domestic violence accusations. That is something for which he owes people an explanation and answer. Whether that is him owning up to the accusations and showing that he has changed or denying the accusations in an honest manner, he does owe people something about an alleged act that truly tarnishes his image and reputation, rightfully so I might add.

Manny's body has decided that there will likely be no more Manny being Manny in the coming months. Instead of one last great hurrah, Manny finds himself silently exiting stage left. It's likely not the end that Manny wanted for his career, and it's definitely not the end that anyone who enjoyed watching him play was hoping for or expecting. We all wanted to have one last bit of fun with Manny. Instead, we're not even allowed to watch him swing his way into the coming sunset. Baseball can be the cruelest of mistresses at times.