So a few readers have mentioned to me how hypicritical it is to let Manny Ramirez do a rehab assignment prior to his return to the major leagues after a suspension for a banned substance.  For my part, I think its more ridiculous that he could be voted into the All-Star game after such a suspension, but that outrage went no where.

But with Manny taking his first at-bats in Albuquerque yesterday, and the team actually promoting the event, we should take a moment to talk about the issue as Bill Plaschke does in this LA Times article.  From Plaschke’s piece:

When negotiating the drug policy three years ago, baseball officials felt they had to allow for minor league rehab assignments in order to get union agreement on a 50-game suspension total. The union was claiming that, otherwise, with the player needing to get back in shape, the suspensions actually would amount to more than 60 games.

Officials were also receiving pressure from their clubs to allow the players to do rehab assignments during the suspensions, instead of later, so the teams did not have to pay the players while they were in the minor leagues.

But the same hypocrisy that allowed steroids to exist, that allowed steroids to produce record smashing summer and “save baseball” is showing up in Albuquerque.  Manny is making money for the Isotopes, and is getting ready to save the Dodgers.  Its too bad it wasn’t a 60-game suspension, as that would have solved the All-Star game issue as well.  But baseball is a business, with little to no morality applicable.

How can anyone expect fans be outraged by the idea of Manny playing in an All-Star game, when we see Major league teams letting him around the youth of the sport?  Don’t we, as a society, try to separate those convicted of crimes from the our youth?  Not in baseball.  Apparently, thats the only place its safe to send them.  I would be less outraged by the entire thing if he was allowed to work out during BP with the parent club and just not play in games.

But the hypocrisy doesn’t end there.  Why is Plaschke outraged by Manny doing a “rehab stint”, while all the other suspended players also did minor league “rehab stints” and no one said a word.  Why was it OK for JC Romero?  Plaschke gets a little bit of a pass, because he covers the Dodgers so this is the first one to fall onto his beat.  But look around and see if anyone else questioned why any of the other suspended major leaguers - mostly minor names- should be getting the same opportunity.  Perhaps the outrage didn’t exist because the names weren’t big enough for the minor league teams to promote.  Or perhaps their names weren’t big enough to sell any newspapers.

So, you see, everyone is making money off of Manny- no matter where he plays or how outraged they seem.

Its time to let go of the innocence we associate with baseball.  It may be the same game that we played as kids, but its stewards no longer want it to carry the banner of virture… what a shame.