Manny Ramirez Calls it a Career

Lets take a look at the series of events:

-Manny Ramirez hitting .059 on the season with 1 RBI.
-MLB notifies Manny he is about to fail another drug test, facing a 100 Game Suspension.
-Manny notifies MLB and Tampa Bay Rays that he is retiring from baseball.

Yeah... It was the perfect storm of playing badly and coming under scrutiny for taking performance enhancing drugs AGAIN. But Manny Ramirez, long-time Boston Red Sox, has retired from Major League Baseball. I doubt, though, that this will be the last we hear from Manny. I imagine the only reason he has come back (along with his crummy Captain Jack Sparrow impersonation) was to pay for bills he can't afford anymore. Granted, this is all speculation, but doesn't Manny seem like the kind of player who has already blown through all his cash on stupid things?

I'm sure in a few weeks/months we will hear that Manny has signed with a Japanese team, or some Independent League team. I'm sure that in five years, when his name comes up for Hall-of-Fame consideration, he will surely be another polarizing figure. Along with guys like McGwire, Canseco, Bonds, Palmeiro, Clemens and Sosa, guys who have certainly put up HOF-like numbers, but will probably be excluded for connections to steroids and the dirty era of baseball.

Through all the steroids, the "Manny being Manny" and any other shenanigans he put the baseball world through in his 19 (!) year career, I've always loved Manny. Even when he was a Red Sox, I loved Manny. Even when he was a DODGER! (Yes, that's worse), I loved Manny. He was fun to watch play. You never knew what he was going to do (or say) next. Easily one of the most interesting players over the last two decades, Manny Ramirez will be missed, especially by me.