Manny Ramirez: Controversial Slugger Needs to Stay Away from MLB

Manny Ramirez, one of the most controversial hitters in recent baseball history, is seeking a comeback in 2012 after retiring last season when it was announced that he was being suspended for 100 games due to a wellness test failure. 

According to the report from Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, Ramirez will be eligible to play when he serves the full suspension.

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Manny Ramirez, who retired in April following a second violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, plans to resume his playing career, a major-league source told FOXSports.com.

Ramirez has hired Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro as his agents and has applied for reinstatement from MLB’s voluntary retired list, the source said.

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But as Buster Olney of ESPN.com pointed out on Twitter, the news is good for Ramirez because his suspension will be cut in half. 

While I don't begrudge Ramirez for wanting to play baseball, especially since it is the only thing that he has known for most of his life, I can't help but wonder why exactly he wants to come back now. 

Ramirez, despite his antics on the field, is a smart person. He knows that he is not the player that he used to be, and at 39 years old and having not played in a game since April, the odds of him being able to come back and contribute as anything more than a bench player are slim. 

On top of that, it is hard to imagine any team willing to take a chance on Ramirez right now. It was easy to tolerate his shenanigans when he was one of the best hitters in baseball, because for all the stupidity you were going to get, you would also get a .300 average and 30 home runs. 

Now, all that teams would get is the attitude with none of the production. Ramirez knows that teams know this, and the odds of him getting a contract with a team are very small.

Ramirez should just swallow his pride and accept that his time as a Major League Baseball player is over. He can rest easy knowing that he is one of the best hitters of the last 20 years. 

Save me the anti-steroid messages because there is no proof of any kind that it helps you become a better hitter, so what Ramirez did stands on its own. 

However, there is no interest in seeing Ramirez on a baseball field now. He is old, his bat speed has slowed considerably and his once-great hitting prowess has evaporated completely. Stay retired and leave things as they are.