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When things look too good to be true, they usually are.
Manny Ramirez arrived late last season to give the Los Angeles Dodgers an unprecedented push into the post-season. He was simply unstoppable. He had one of the most dominant stretches in baseball history and propelled the Dodgers into the NLCS.
He picked up this season right where he left off, being the focal point of the lineup. He was tops in the league in walks and everyone from the likes of Andre Ethier and Orlando Hudson were reaping the benefits of Manny’s presence.
And then Mannywood woke up to some bad news. Ramirez tests positive. Suspended 50 games.
In the aftermath, everyone is scratching their heads. How did this happen? Manny was so likable, genuine, and just plain good. He didn’t need performance enhancers. He was a natural. He’s our beloved.
Looking at the facts, it reeks of cover-up. Testing positive for hCG? A women’s fertility drug? Sure it has its uses for men, but unless Manny’s “personal health issue” was something wrong with his baseballs, we’ll believe the worst. Also consider the gag order on Manny to prevent him from saying more, as well as the fact that it was instantly a fairly hefty 50 game sentence, and you just know it’s some pretty serious stuff he was doing.
We all trusted in Manny, and he let us down. Sounds just like another figure in the limelight lately: Bernie Madoff.
Madoff, like Ramirez, was equally trusted and revered. Anyone and everyone with money forked it over to him to be managed. His track record was impeccable, and people knew he was a sure bet for big returns.
Amidst the financial crisis, Madoff was exposed for the fraud that he was. Excessive losses unmasked his Ponzi scheme, as he was no longer able to pay off investors withdrawing money with new money coming in.
Both Bernie and Manny took their victims for all they were worth. No one (save Jose Canseco) suspected a thing, and that just made it hurt that much worse.
