sportsjabber.net

Yeah, that’s right, I said it. Vote for Manny Ramirez to play in the All Star Game. Logic to follow.

First off, if you didn’t know yet, Manny recently fell to fifth in the All Star ballot totals today. When I read this I thought to myself – gee, ESPN and co. are not talking about the great seasons that Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, Philly’s Raul Ibanez, or Chicago’s Alfonso Soriano are having (all of whom are ahead of Manny in the vote totals) but instead decide to focus on Ramirez losing some ground on the ballot.

Excuse me, but, last time I checked this is America’s pastime right? I feel embarrassed as an American. If I found out that LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, or, ehem, Kobe – were using performing enhancing drugs I would be ashamed of the athletes I admired for their athleticism and ability a thousand times ahead of my own, and the LAST thing that I would do is vote them into the All Star Game.

Baseball can no longer be America’s past time. Not when its heroes, the great home run hitters – the Bonds’, Giambis, A-Rods, McGuires and Mannys of the world – those who go from hero to zero in the blink of an eye, ruin the game. The All Star Game is a day where we honor the best of the best, where everyone, no matter what team they support, can come together in appreciation of the game and its champions. Allowing a proven steroid user to participate in our All Star Game is just about the same as vomiting on a Van Gogh painting. The prestige is gone, and so is the integrity.

So vote for Manny, and vote for A-Rod too. Vote for Manny more though, because he’s not even playing right now. Vote til’ Bud Selig wakes up one morning and realizes that the cheaters are in the game that honors the best of the sport he commissions, and then maybe something in his thick head will tick that you don’t let these guys play.