MLB

In honor of the darkest period in baseball history, I bring to you the All-Steroid team. These guys are the cream of the BALCO crop.

These fine gentlemen have broken records.....and laws thanks to their timely hitting and needle sticking.

So sit back and enjoy the men who helped ruin baseball.

*Honorable mentions to Rafael Palmeiro, Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte

When the news broke that everyone's favorite dreadlocked slugger, Manny Ramirez, had been suspended for 50 games after testing positive for a banned substance, we were immediately greeted with the usual hand-wringing dispatches about preserving "the sanctity of the game" and calls for "zero tolerance" for steroid users.

I came home from work today and my roommate, Mike, informed me of the news: Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez had been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for failing a drug test.

Ramirez joins the list of players that cheated the game, jointly headlined by super slugger Alex Rodriguez. At the height of the whirlwind of steroid accusations, there were some names (which, at that time, included Ramirez and Rodriguez) that nobody suspected as cheaters.

Sixteen years ago, I was living through a remarkable time in my life. I didn't have any gray hair yet, and my 30-foot jump shot still traveled 30 feet. Heck, back then, I could actually stoop to pick something up and then stand back up without help.

Ah, the good old days.

I had a camera store and photo studio, which I thoroughly enjoyed running, and had a string of some of the best part-time jobs you could find.

The Phillies lost another legend today.  Danny Ozark, the hound-faced manager of the ‘73- ‘79 Fightins died this morning, at his home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 85.

When Ozark arrived in Philadelphia, the team was in last place and in dire need of a turnaround.  Ozark met the Philadelphia media for a press conference upon his arrival.  When asked how excited he was to get his first big-league managerial position, Ozark replied, “I wasn’t overly excited.  I didn’t jump up and shout ‘Whoopee!’”

Manny Ramirez has never been known for his hard work or respect for baseball.

Manny is a great player, but it seemed he just played baseball because he was good at it, instead of a love for the game.

Playing was not enough to keep Manny interested. He had to high-five fans after making a catch. He trotted around the diamond admiring his home run, only to realize he was actually admiring a ball that would hit off the fence.

The Toronto Blue Jays may be at the top of their division, but their bullpen still has yet to peak.

Tested by teams like the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians, the Jays have had a great start to the season and continue to roll along.

With the recent breaking news that shed light on yet another MLB star taking a banned substance, I felt the need to try and stay positive and remind people what they are seeing in Albert Pujols.

Albert Pujols is shattering records left and right, and if he remains healthy will undoubtedly set the home run record currently tainted by Barry Bonds.

Well unless Manny Ramirez can come up with another excuse that would show why he took a woman's drug, usually taken by players to end the steroid cycle, I think Ramirez has now been added to the elite class of legends that felt they needed more.

Let's look at the most recognizable steroid cases. Rafael Palmero, Roger Clemons, Barry Bonds, Andy Pettite, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, and now Alex Rodriguez. Those are just some noticeable names that have ruined their legacies with usage of performance enhancing drugs and it is a shame.