Manny Ramirez Rights One Wrong, but Neglects to Do so with MLB and Marriage

Do you remember Manny Ramirez? The slugger that was a 12-time MLB All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger Award winner, two-time World Series champion and a World Series MVP has fallen off the map quicker than anybody could ever have imagined.

It’s hard to believe that Ramirez posted a .059 average over five games for the Tampa Bay Rays early this season. That seems like it was several years ago.

In under a year, Ramirez retired from baseball rather than wait out a 100-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, was arrested for domestic battery (pleaded not guilty) and now has changed his middle name on his marriage certificate.  

He changed name from Manuel Fernando Ramirez to Manuel A. Ramirez. The “A” means Aristides.

Why wouldn’t he just take his cheating in baseball like a man and pay the consequences? He should have just sat out more than half of a season and maybe he could have helped the Rays win in the playoffs. Instead of rectifying his marriage or attempting to return to Major League Baseball, Ramirez makes one change to his life—changing his middle name. What a dope.

We have seen more and more professional sports athletes change their names. Chad Johnson started the trend, changing his name to Chad Ochocinco. Then, Ron Artest followed suit, changing his name to Metta World Peace.

These players don’t have reasons to change their names other than to create attention for themselves. If your name was Joel Rifkin, same as that of a murderer of nine women in the late '80s and early '90s, then you can change your name to avoid confusion just like on the classic Seinfeld episode.

But these three guys? Really? There is no need for a name change.

Manuel Aristides Ramirez continues his unbelievably porous year of living. I’m not sure if VH1 does a “Worst Year Ever” episode, but if they do, Ramirez has to be on that list. He has had a crazy year of life, and we still have a few months remaining in 2011. Who knows what’ll happen next.