Come To Think of It: Manny Ramirez Has Tarnished His Legacy Forever

Well, you can add Manny Ramirez's name to the growing list of Major League Baseball players who likely will be judged harshly at Hall of Fame ballot time by the writers. The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder tested positive for a banned substance and has been suspended 50 games.

Of course, he says he did not take steroids and that it was simply a medication given to him by a doctor to treat a "personal health issue."

Right, and I'm the Easter Bunny.

Look, when will these guys ever come clean and just admit the truth? Sure, A-Rod eventually admitted he took steroids, but only after lying to Katie Couric and everyone else for years.

And even then, he still didn't tell the whole truth.

So "Manny being Manny" now includes taking a banned substance. It seems all of our heroes are going down, one by one. How long before Albert Pujols is implicated?

Here's what a source told ESPN.com about human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), the substance Ramirez's doctor prescribed him:

"...a male athlete usually uses HCG after a cycle of steroids because steroids often shut down the testosterone-making ability of the testicles. HCG restores their capacity to make testosterone. The source said that some males may use HCG in lieu of steroids also. HCG by itself can provide a substantial boost in the body's own testosterone, and this may provide some performance-enhancement benefits."

I'm telling you, a millionaire athlete knows what he's ingesting, shooting, or rubbing on his body. Don't believe the lies for one minute.

Ramirez now joins Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Canseco, and a long list of stars guilty of defrauding baseball. Like these and other ballplayers, he is a cheat and a liar. He doesn't deserve our respect, admiration or sympathy.

In fact, it was pretty stupid of him to take chances in this age of testing.

Before this news came to light, Manny was a sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer.

Now that this has happened, do you think he will still have any chance of gaining entry to the most hallowed of baseball grounds?

Ramirez may have just ruined his legacy forever, come to think of it.