Kiss it Goodbye: Manny Has No Chance at the Hall

On Friday, the bizarre career of 12-time All-Star slugger Manny Ramirez came to an abrupt end when he announced his retirement from baseball.  A key member of the two Red Sox World Championship teams in 2004 and 2007, Ramirez leaves Major League Baseball as one of the game's greatest hitters ever.  During his 19 seasons in the Bigs, Ramirez had a career .312 batting average with 555 home runs (14th all-time) and 1,831 runs batted in (18th all-time).  Those numbers, coupled with his 2,574 career hits, would undoubtedly make almost any player a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

But this isn't just any player.  This is Manny Ramirez.

This is the same Manny Ramirez who often drove his teammates, manager, and fans crazy with his off-the-wall antics, carefree attitude, and, at times, lack of effort.  His behavior was so erratic (and so frequent), that, whenever anyone asked for a reason, everyone would say it was just "Manny being Manny".  What no one dared to say was that "Manny being Manny" was simply a euphemism for "Manny being allowed to do whatever the hell he wants because, if we said differently, he might react like the child that he is: poorly".

For the Red Sox, they finally reached the point of no return with Ramirez in the summer of 2008, when he quit on the team, refusing the run out ground balls and, at times, simply refusing to play.  After being traded to the Dodgers, he flipped a switch, a single-handedly carried an average Dodgers team to the playoffs, compiling what may be the greatest two-month stretch in the history of the sport.

However, this L.A. honeymoon was short-lived.  After not accepting the only formal offer on the table until March 4th, Ramirez violated MLB's Drug Policy by testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, leading to a mandatory 50-game suspension.  When he returned in early July, he was clearly a shell of his former self.  Later that year, it was learned that Ramirez was one of 104 players who had tested positive during a 2003 survey test done by Major League Baseball, further tarnishing his legacy.

After another subpar season split between the Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox, Ramirez signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, hoping to revive his career playing mostly as a designated hitter.  However, five games into his run with Tampa, and upon learning he had tested positive for a second time, he retired, opting not to face the mandatory 100-game suspension.

In my opinion, this seals his Cooperstown fate.  What little chance Ramirez had of getting inducted into the Hall of Fame is now gone.  His second positive test has put the nail in the coffin.

Compare Ramirez to two Hall of Fame-eligible players also linked to steroid use.  Rafael Palmeiro, who famously wagged his finger at a Congressional committee denying his steroid use, then tested positive mere months later, received only 11% of the votes in his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot, well short of the 75% needed to make it to Cooperstown.  Keep in mind that Palmeiro hit 569 homers (14 more than Ramirez), and is one of three players to record 500 home runs and 3,000 hits during his career.  Plus, he only tested positive once, one time fewer than Manny.

Now, look at Mark McGwire.  The posterchild for steroid use in baseball also put up better numbers than Ramirez, and he never tested positive for a banned substance, yet only received 19.8% of the vote in his most recent go-round, despite having 583 career homers and the lowest home run to at-bat ration in Major League history (one homer every 10.61 ABs).

Ramirez has two positive tests, and far more baggage than Palmeiro and McGwrie.  I don't think he'll ever get in, but what do you think?

What I'm Listening To:  Matt Wertz -- Don't Come Easy