Manny is Manny, except when he's not. So what is he now that he has been suspended from playing in MLB for 50 games? From Alex Rodriguez to now Manny Ramirez, baseball has been jolted further by the performance enhancing drugs scandal. In prior seasons, the revelations have been largely taken by stars who have retired or no longer playing, like Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens. Or they were players unknown to even the average baseball fan. With A-Rod and Manny, we've now hit the players around their peak.

While A-Rod is arguably the best player in baseball, his positive result was during the so called "safe time" when steroid testing was merely a phase to see if regular testing was needed. The revelation was an act either intentional or not, of leaked information, that Bud Selig has no grounds to act on.

Manny, however, is to have taken a drug that is on the published ban list. If his doctor really prescribed something in error, then it's a sad mistake. Yet it was one that could still have been avoided. Time and time again, those that blame the prescribers, like Barry Bonds and Manny, all have the option to take the drug to MLB to have it tested.

It is disappointing to see this occur for Manny. A-Rod is hated by much of baseball fandom including some Yankees fans. Manny on the other hand, while irritating, is only hated by the Boston area, and probably New York. It was also interesting timing as A-Rod makes his return to the field tonight and Manny starts his suspension only a day earlier. We'll have to see if these next two months can win back the fans.