Los Angeles Dodgers

Jason Giambi apologized when he returned to the Yankees after testifying before a grand jury to admit he had used steroids. Friday night, at a postgame conference, it was Manny Ramirez doing the exact same thing, just in a slight difference.

My, how things have changed in baseball with fan perception of players using performance-enhancing drugs. In a span of less than a decade, we have gone from running players out of the game completely to adapting to the situation.

Friday night’s return of Manny Ramirez from a 50-game suspension due to testing positive of banned substances was a sign of the times where a majority of baseball fans have collectively said, “I love the game and this is what it is, Play Ball!“

The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed Manny Ramirez back into the starting lineup, at a sold-out Petco Park in San Diego.

Dodger fans made the trip south en masse, at times out-vocalizing the home town Padre fans, to welcome back their slugging outfielder from his 50-game banishment for violating baseball's PED rules.

In his first at bat, Manny drew a walk in the middle of a Dodger five-run outburst, which pretty much ended the game as soon as it started.

The series trend of low-scoring games continued on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber match between the Los Angeles Dodgers (50-29) and Colorado Rockies (41-37).

The Dodgers were unable to give Clayton Kershaw any run support, but still became the first team in the Majors to reach 50 wins.

Rafael Furcal singled home the lone run of the game in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Dodgers a 1-0 win.

Kershaw hurled five innings of one-hit ball without allowing a run, but left the game in a scoreless tie.

A nice sunny day game and a victory—that’s all the Dodgers needed before the long road trip before the All-Star Break. It also made the Dodgers the first team to 50 wins this season, with the second place Giants trailing by 6.5 games in the National League west division.

Wednesday's victory started with Rafael Furcal's pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning, which led to the Dodgers beating the Colorado Rockies, 1-0, in the final game of Manny Ramirez's 50-game drug suspension.

On May 7, Manny was being Manny and was suspended for 50 games for violating the MLB Drug Policy.

For the past week or so, he has been with the Dodgers single-A affiliate, getting warmed up to join the big leagues.

During his suspension, he has been eligible on the ballot to play at the All-Star Game in St. Louis.

Should he be an All Star with his lack of play this year?

Honestly, I don't think he should.

He has played a few games and his stats are good for just playing a few games, but nothing to cry about. He's been an All-Star 12 times already.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers (48-28) lost their fourth game in the last five tries on Sunday afternoon as they dropped the rubber match of a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners (39-36).

The Dodgers offense was once again unable to produce enough runs for starter Hiroki Kuroda.

Halfway through the 2009 season one can fairly say it has not played out the way most fans expected.

Manny Ramirez received a 50-game suspension for use of a banned substance, with steroid use believed to be involved, and the Dodgers remain in first place not only in the NL West, not only in the National League, but in all of baseball (as of June 28).

In addition to this, one of the Dodgers' best starters, Hiroki Kurdoda has missed significant time and has only pitched 36.2 innings.

After taking the last two games in Anaheim, the Los Angeles Dodgers headed out to Chicago to face the White Sox. Hiroki Kuroda dominated the South Siders in the first game, to give LA their third straight win.

Then the Sox bounced back to take the last two, giving the Dodgers their first series loss since they hosted the Angels in late May.