The Associated Press is reporting this
Ramirez apologizes to teammates for suspension
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
MIAMI – Manny Ramirez apologized to his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates Friday after being suspended for 50 games for using a banned drug.
The "five- to 10-minute" meeting took place at the team's waterfront hotel in South Florida before the Dodgers arrived at the Florida Marlins' stadium to start a three-game weekend series, Los Angeles third baseman Casey Blake said.
The Los Angeles Times first reported that Ramirez had apologized. Ramirez lives near the Marlins' stadium but is not expected at the ballpark this weekend.
"He knows he made a mistake. I forgive him," Blake said. "It's his business."
Ramirez was suspended on May 7. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt met with him twice last weekend in Los Angeles and encouraged Ramirez to apologize to teammates "eyeball to eyeball."
Jeff Darcy, Cleveland Plain-Dealer
Over the past few years, Ramirez has joined a growing list of professional baseball players who are either suspected of using or deliberately injecting themselves with banned performance-enhancing drugs. The list includes otherwise first-ballot Hall of Famers -- Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmiero, Mark McGwire, Gary Sheffield, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, and Miguel Tejada.
Here's the complete list of players named in the Mitchell Report and/or suspended while on active team rosters.
Fan reaction to the steroids crisis in major league baseball has covered the entire range of human emotions.
- Severe Disappointment
Steve Breen, San Diego Union-Tribune
- Derision
John Sherffius, Boulder Daily Camera
- Cynicism
Drew Litton, Rocky Mountain News
- Acceptance of Reality
Drew Litton, Rocky Mountain News
and, finally...
- Utter Contempt
Mike Keefe, Denver Post
Thought, comments, suggestions?