Why Manny Ramirez Should Sit Out of the All-Star Game

Major League Baseball posted an update for the top National League vote receivers on its Web site on May 26. Everything seemed right, except for who occupied the fourth spot for NL outfielders.

It was suspended Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez.

Man-Ram was suspended 50 games for violating MLB's drug policy, but for some reason he is just 34,000 votes away from starting in the All-Star game.

Ramirez is eligible to come back on July 3 against the Padres. This would mean Ramirez could play a maximum of 36 games before the All-Star game.

Unless he hits 20 home runs in the nine games before the midsummer classic, Ramirez shouldn't even be in the same sentence as the All-Star game.

Dodgers manager Joe Torre commented on the status of Ramirez, saying he should skip the game altogether if he's voted in.

I can see where fans are coming from in voting for him. In the 27 games Ramirez played this season, he hit .348 with six home runs and 20 RBI.

But I'm sure the closer we get to July, the more he'll slip off the radar of receiving All-Star game votes.

Instead of Ramirez, it should be Raul Ibanez starting in left for the National League. Ibanez is leading the NL in RBI, runs scored, slugging percentage, and is second in home runs.

But he is just sixth in the voting.

If Ramirez were to sit out of the game, he would gain a little more respect from me, since it would show a little bit of integrity to miss a game he doesn't deserve to be in in the first place.