Manny Ramirez and the All Star Game: A Purely Pragmatic View

Ever since it was reported that currently suspended slugger Manny Ramirez was fourth among NL outfielders in All Star voting, it has sparked quite a debate as to what, if anything, should be done to reconcile the obvious dilemma at hand. While it appears that, according to the Major League Baseball collective bargaining agreement, unless Ramirez’ suspension had covered the calendar date of the game there is nothing the MLB heads can do to prevent him playing (if they even want to), the prospect of sending Manny to the Busch Stadium outfield on July 14 is an awkward proposition.

In the sense that the All Star Game is one of MLB’s biggest yearly shots at self promotion, allowing a drug cheat to prominently participate creates a glaring problem. However, Joe Torre, Ramirez’ manager on the Dodgers and one of the game’s great ambassadors, has taken the simple view that, with his suspension, Ramirez’ numbers won’t justify placing him among the year’s best players, and therefore the fans ought not to vote for him. Conversely, Frank McCourt, the Dodgers’ owner, espoused a more belligerent stance, ignoring the issues at hand and even having the gall to contend it would be an “honor” to have Ramirez in the game.

While I don’t expect him to throw his own player under the bus, I still think McCourt’s view is despicable and shows a complete lack of integrity. But moral or image issues are not the reason I am going to argue that Manny Ramirez should not go to the All Star Game. Despite the NFL precedent of the Merriman Rule, I don’t necessarily believe that Ramirez should be automatically disqualified from the team just because he has been suspended. Why ban him from an exhibition match if you’re going to let him play in games that actually matter for the rest of the season?

Well, the All Star Game isn’t exactly an exhibition game anymore, one of the few ideas Commissioner Bud Selig has come up with (along with the wild card) that I’ve actually come to enjoy, as it has made the game legitimately more competitive and enjoyable to watch. While this ensures that there won’t be any more John Kruk / Randy Johnson moments, such instances (though hilarious) only added to the idea that the game was just a novelty act. The tie game debacle particularly underscored this fact, and television ratings actually seem to reflect a renewed interest in the game since the institution of the home field rule. Think back over the contests since the institution of the new rule which, except for in 2004, have all been exciting, close affairs.

The reason National League fans should not vote for Manny Ramirez, therefore, are purely pragmatic and because of this renewed importance of the outcome of the game. He is eligible to return to the Dodgers on July 3, giving him 9 potential games to play in before the All Star break. When he does come back, having missed 50 games he will effectively be in spring training form in terms of timing, facing pitchers hitting a midseason peak. While Ramirez is a great hitter steroids or no, on July 14 he will still be at a distinct disadvantage in the batter’s box. In short, I believe that the National League can find players more capable of helping them win home field in the World Series.

To clarify, this is not an argument to forcibly remove Manny from the game -- if Ramirez is voted into the game by the fans then, lamentably, their vote should stand -- but rather a plea to those fans to do what is in the best interests of their team (if their team resides in the NL), the quality of the game itself, and (as a side benefit) the overall health of the sport. All the players on the NL squad whose home teams have any fair shot at a pennant deserve a legitimate chance to lift the recent AL jinx and win that all-important home field.

Would it be something of a worldwide joke if Ramirez trots out into left field on July 14? Probably. Would it be a disgrace to the sport to continue to throw accolades at him? Probably. But quite frankly, I don’t care. What baseball needs, more than anything, is to ignore everything else going on off the field and focus on all the daily greatness happening on it. Let the testing scientists do their job to expose the cheats, and let history and time sort out what the historical context of the ‘steroids era’ is.

For now, I’m focusing on baseball. And, for this All Star Game, there ought to be more prepared baseball players on the field than Manny Ramirez.