Manny Ramirez to be suspended over drugs

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez will be suspended for fifty games by Major League Baseball (MLB) due to a positive test for banned drugs.

Ramirez’ anticipated suspension comes after the Los Angeles Times broke the news this morning of his failed test. The outfielder- whose superb play has helped the Dodgers to a major-league leading 21-8 record- took responsibility while also claiming that he did not purposefully take illegal drugs:

"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."

According to baseball columnist Tom Verducci, Ramirez did not test positive for steroids but for a so far publicly unknown substance that “was clearly defined as a banned performance enhancer according to the drug agreement between baseball and its players association.”

Ramirez will thus becomes the second high-profile MLB star this year to be linked to performance-enhancing drugs after New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez confessed in February to having used steroids.

Image- SI.com
Online Sources- ABC News, USA TODAY, SI.com, New York Daily News, Los Angeles Times

Daily Headlines: March 6, 2009

* U.S.: Alex Rodriguez’ recent woes continue; a hip injury to the star third baseman may leave him out of play until May.

* Cuba: Journalist and poet Normando Hernandez Gonzalez has been transferred from the hospital ward where he was being treated for multiple ailments back to the prison where he has been held since 2003.

* Mexico: Genetically modified material “contaminated” native corn in southern Mexico according to a scientific study.

* Panama: After meeting with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, Panamanian President Martin Torrijos said that his country will join the Petrocaribe oil alliance.

Image- New York Daily News
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, AHN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, LAHT

Today's Video: To be "young and stupid"

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What do you think of Alex Rodriguez' apology? Was he really "stupid", a shameless liar, or (as I believe) both?

Reporter denies Alex Rodriguez “stalking” accusations

As primo sports blog Deadspin observed, an overlooked feature of the whole Alex-Rodriguez-took-performance-enhancing-drugs brouhaha was his accusation against Illustrated Selena Roberts.

In his televised interview to ESPN on Monday, the star shortstop accused her of being “thrown out of his New York apartment building, kicked off the University of Miami campus by police, and (amazingly) that she tried to break into his house—where his children sleep!” (Roberts was the co-author of the SI story that broke on Saturday regarding his failed drug test).

Since then Roberts has emphatically denied his allegations. Rodriguez’ accusations were “absurd” she said in a Tuesday interview on Dan Patrick's radio show. On another radio interview she admitted that she and another reporter once drove past the ballplayer’s exclusive Miami-area residence but only after getting permission from security personnel. A police report was filed but only “as a matter of procedure” according to the Roberts.

Regarding perhaps the most damning accusation- that Roberts broke into Rodriguez’ house- Roberts reportedly found that charge “laughable”. "I'd have to be pretty good to scale a wall, climb up a balcony and go into his child's room," she said in an article on newsday.com. Furthermore, police officials in cities where Rodriguez has homes have denied that he ever reported Roberts’ supposed misdoings:

"I haven't been able to find anything to corroborate that she has tried to break into his home," Detective Juan Sanchez of the Miami Beach police said. "I haven't been able to find anything that corroborates the statement Alex Rodriguez made to ESPN"…

Other Florida law-enforcement agencies said they haven't received any reports from Rodriguez, either. "The Coral Gables Police Department has no incident reports associated with the name Selena Roberts," department records manager Eileen Holloway said in a statement.

Lt. William Gerlach of the University of Miami police said "I have nothing on that" when asked if Roberts had trespassed while Rodriguez was working out at the campus athletic center.

Rodriguez has already fibbed about not having used any performance enhancing drugs; is he lying again?

Image- AP (“In this video frame grab, Alex Rodriguez is interviewed by ESPN's Peter Gammons on Monday, Feb. 9, 2009.”)
Online Sources- Deadspin, Sporting News, newsday.com, New York Daily News, MLB.com, SI.com

Daily Headlines: February 11, 2009

* U.S.: While Alex Rodriguez may be losing in the court of public opinion, Miguel Tejada may plead guilty over lying to Congress about steroid usage.

* Mexico: Billionaire Carlos Slim and Mexican Labor Secretary Javier Lozano are butting heads over predicting the future of Mexico’s economy.

* Panama: Panama Canal officials estimate that the global economic slowdown has caused a decrease in ships using the waterway.

* Brazil: Police have accused three Amerindians suspected of killing and eating a 21-year-old disabled man.

Image- CNN (“Miguel Tejada, a shortstop for the Houston Astros, has been charged with lying to Congress.”)
Online Sources- Monsters & Critics, Reuters, IHT, National Post, Bloomberg, MSNBC

Daily Headlines: February 9, 2009

* U.S.: Did New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez test positive for anabolic steroids in 2003? A Sports Illustrated article claims that he did.

* Latin America: Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa expelled who he called an "insolent and foolish" senior U.S. diplomat, while the White house considers who could be the next ambassador to Mexico.

* El Salvador: Roughly six weeks since promising to leave Iraq the last set of 200 Salvadoran troops returned from combat.

* Panama: The country’s government has agreed to pay about $250,000 in damages to the family of a political activist disappeared during the military regime of General Omar Torrijos.

Image- New York Daily News (2003 photo of Alex Rodriguez during his playing days with the Texas Rangers.)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, BBC News, Dallas Morning News, LAHT, Radio Netherlands Worldwide, Sports Illustrated