Manny Ramirez Seeks Reinstatement, Ban Cut to 50 Games... Sort Of

Just admit it already. You miss Manny Ramirez and his shenanigans.

The silly former outfielder begged to be reinstated once again this weekend while his suspension for a second failed drug test was cut from 100 games to 50 since he sat out nearly all of last season. Having already suffered through a 50-game ban for violating baseball’s drug agreement back in 2009, he was supposed to serve a 100-game suspension last spring for being a complete idiot and committing a second offense. Rather than endure the penalty, he told the commissioner’s office he was quitting baseball last April.

Anyway, Manny asked to be reinstated back in September when he realized he was banned from Winter Ball in the Dominican Republic, but that apparently that didn't get him anywhere. However, Commissioner Bud Selig is all about it this time, announcing in a statement that "as a condition of his reinstatement, Ramirez will be required to resolve his outstanding violation."

Ramirez will turn 40 in May, so I'm not sure what business he even has being reinstated. Maybe he just wanted to clear his name after that whole arrest thing in September on a domestic battery charge involving his wife. Dick.

The suspension would begin with the first game he is eligible to play, making it more of a 206-game suspension if you count the final 156 games of 2011 plus the first 50 of 2012. All he needs to do is get signed. Miami, anyone?

[SB Nation]

Houston Astros to American League, MLB Screws Things Up Adds Two Wild Card Teams

People are terrified of change. It's part of human nature. Look at NFL fans - scared, confused, and alone until like Week 4 before they get the hang of the two or three rule changes that happen every single season.

But we're not pessimists by nature. We're glass-half-full type of gals. So we're just gonna roll with Bud Selig's recent announcement and hope for the best.

Baseball's owners unanimously approved Jim Crane as the new Houston Astros' owner Thursday morning, which means the team will say goodbye to National League rules and move from the six-team NL Central to the four-team American League West as part of his agreement to buy the club. Now everything is even-steven with six five-team divisions all through baseball.

Bud Selig Would Like to See Replay Expanded Before he Falls Asleep/Retires

Bud Selig is open to new technology implemented in Major League Baseball, including the expansion of instant replay.

Maybe he can figure out a way to modernize the bullpen telephone as to not embarrass the management anymore. Just an idea.

Of course, reviewing every single close call would prolong the ballgames. People who aren't fans of baseball and are pissed off about not being able to watch The X Factor or whatever reality show they're into when games last the 3-3 1/2 hours they already do, are likely proponents of keeping the game the way it is.

Other folks, who'd rather not see their teams totally screwed by an umpire's bad decision, are probably all for the expansion of instant replay.

The Commissioner, who plans to retire when his contract runs out after the 2012 season, told ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM that baseball plans to "enlarge replay a little bit." He went on to say this:

"If you’re going to start replaying every controversial decision or every close call, I think that hurts the sport."

Jim Joyce Banned from Armando Galarraga Games

Exactly a year after Armando Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game by a Jim Joyce screwup, Major League Baseball has declared a new rule in which the umpire will not be allowed to officiate any of the pitcher's games ever again.

On June 2, 2010, the Detroit Tigers righty was just one out away from making history. However, instead of correctly calling Cleveland Indians' Jason Donald out at first base, Galarraga was forced to get the next out and settle for a complete game shutout. Definitely not as awesome as a perfect game.

After the game, Joyce apologized for getting it wrong and literally almost started bawling over the whole ordeal, tearing up as he handed the lineup card to the pitcher before the following day's contest. It's cool. We'd cry too if we fucked up that big in front of millions of people then had our mistake aired on MLB Network, Sportscenter, newspapers, and every sports blog on the entire internet for like a week straight.

Andre Ethier is a Naughty Boy

Major League Baseball is "looking into" the obscene gestures made by Andre Ethier during batting practice on Monday. Lame.

Seriously, I've seen a lot more obscene things than a ballplayer flipping the bird. If he gets fined for this hot photograph, I'm going to write a long post about how fucking stupid and old Bud Selig is.

Read Ethier's scripted apology here.

Hat Tip for the pic goes straight to The Big Lead.

[Hardball Talk]

Hank Aaron: "Bud Selig is My Hero"

We just wanted to relay that glorious quote in all of its ridiculousness.

[USA Today]

Enjoy Tonight's 2010 MLB All-Star Game

The MLB All-Star game is still an exhibition, but it means more than any other All-Star game in any other sport. The winning league of tonight's 8pm ET game on FOX will gain home field advantage in the World Series. Kind of a big deal, as it has been since the game ended horribly in a 7-7 tie in 2002 at Miller Park.

Some changes to this year's contest include the adoption of the designated hitter, regardless of what league's ballpark is holding the event. This means pitchers won't have to worry about injuring themselves on a whiff and one more National League slugger gets a shot at making the roster.

MLB: Leave Your Guns At Home

A few professional athletes have ruined all the fun for everyone. Thanks to Gilbert Arenas playing gangster and Plaxico Burress not knowing how to handle a weapon, Major League Baseball has banned guns in all of their clubhouses.

The rule includes firearms, as well as long knives and explosives. That’s right, no more bringing bombs to the ballpark. We can still bring our samurai swords though, right? I sure hope so.

Continue reading and comment on this story at SportsUntapped.

MLB Gives To Haiti

Major League Baseball has shown its heart, donating $1 million to aid victims of the recent massive earthquake in Haiti.

Commissioner Bud Selig said Thursday that the contribution is being made on behalf of all 30 teams in the league. Additionally, he is encouraging fans to help in relief efforts with MLB Network airing public service announcements that will ask baseball fans to make donations aiding Haitian relief efforts.

I'd love to see other major sports organizations make efforts in relief, as well. The NFL, for example, will have some major revenue rolling in with the Super Bowl just around the corner, and could probably stand to throw in a couple million. And what about all the sportsbooks out there, who will no doubt be making some big bucks on Super Bowl betting this season?

Just a thought. Our prayers go out to all who've lost loved ones in the Haitian disaster.

[NY Times]

Even The Wave Will Be There!

As most old folks do when they're three-quarters of a century old, Hammerin' Hank Aaron will enjoy a giant birthday bash, thrown by friends and family of the legend in downtown Atlanta this evening.

Anyone who's anyone at all will be there, including Dave Winfield and former President Bill Clinton. Oh yeah, and someone invited Bud Selig, who's always the life of the party.

Happy Birthday, Hank. Your 755 longballs will always be the best according to most.

[MLB] | [Hardball Times] | [My Pinstripes]

Instant Replay: Today's the Day

It's Thursday, and it's not just fair or foul anymore. There's a third option for confused umpires to wager now: replay.

Old Blue will be allowed to check video on home run calls starting today, beginning with three series: Philadelphia @ Chicago, Minnesota @ Oakland and Texas @ Los Angeles. For whatever reason, replays will be used for all other games starting Friday.

Too bad they won't officially catch any mishaps which could arise when the Boston Red Sox visit Yankee Stadium for the last time ever. Looking for the sweep, no less.

/giant boner in Bristol.

[USA Today]

Fastest Skipper Gets Fined for Being Slow

Ron Gardenhire, manager of the Minnesota Twins -- the fastest team in baseball -- was fined an unknown amount Tuesday, along with Houston Astros skipper Cecil Cooper: both a bit edgy when it comes to umpires and bad calls.

But the two were not fined for ump-bumping. They were disciplined for "failing to comply with pace of game regulations last weekend."

Bud Selig is a crotchety old bastard has shown recent concern with the speed of games these days. *cough* so old *cough* So, he asked teams and officials to enforce the game-pace rules, including the 12-second pitching rule.

Here's where things start to get ridiculous. An average nine-inning game played this season lasts 2:51:42. That's a 29-second increase from last season and a 5.5-minute spike from five years ago. According to Elias, the length of a ballgame in 1981 was typically 2:33. If you're like me and you're awesome at math, you'll know that we get 18 more minutes of baseball now!

If there's such a concern, why don't they stop driving Dodge trucks out onto the field every three innings to waste time during Cialis commercials? Just a thought.

I can't really imagine ever thinking a baseball game is too long. Except this one time a few years ago when the Twins went 18 innings (and lost) against the Red Sox. They stopped serving beer in the 7th... pretty sure I was drunk, hung-over and sober without ever leaving the Metrodome.

Speaking of the Dome, check out We've Got Heart's latest article on women and baseball: an interview with Andrea Larson, Corporate Communicatons Manager with the Twins.

[MLB]

Bud Selig is Old

Just two days after select congressmen criticized his leadership skills, baseball owners gave MLB commissioner Bud Selig a three-year contract extension, keeping the stuffy old bastard in office through 2012.

"Look, when this is over, I'm going to be 78 years old," he said.

Whoa.

This may come as a surprise to some, since Selig -- running the show since 1992 -- had his mind made up on retiring after the 2009 season as recently as December. The news of his extension comes much to the dismay of Republican Representative Cliff Stearns (Fl.,) who had called for Selig's resignation immediately after the Mitchell Report was released.

"By the time I leave, you won't recognize the sport," Selig promised.

Most notable outside removing "the dark cloud that hovers over the game of baseball" was his enthusiasm toward universalization. He said that, without a specific goal in mind, he intends to make "some very dramatic things" happen internationally. Considering the regular season will be opening in Japan for the third time when the Boston Red Sox play the Oakland Athletics in Tokyo this March, you could say he's already got that rock rolling.

Selig added that he expects revenues to spring as baseball researches global markets and cultivates its own network. You hear that Rays? There's hope yet!

[Associated Press]

As Mitchell Report Looms, So Does Paranoia

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.

With the George Mitchell Underbelly Report on its way to the media's notepads sometime this week (maybe as early as Thursday) the findings of the former Senate Majority Leader's 20-month investigation into steroid use in America's Pastime is sure to bring some interesting and disappointing story lines into the New Year.

Hired by Bud Selig two years ago this March in light of the release of "Game of Shadows," Mitchell and his staff spent millions collecting evidence and interviewing folks in hopes to shed some light on the shadiness of the Steroid Era -- a time when longballs were suddenly crushing long-standing homer records -- something that most feel can't be contributed to evolution alone.

Some of the names hidden in the report may be big, and some may be unheard of. One may be our favorite player, while another our favorite rival. Outfielders Jose Guillen and Jay Gibbons, linked to receiving human growth hormone in the past, were handed 15-day suspensions on Thursday, which are to begin immediately next season. These penalties are somewhat of an indication on how the Commissioner's office might treat any players named by Mitchell.

This all comes on the tails of Barry Bonds' recent arraignment in U.S. District Court on four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice on charges he lied to federal investigators about using performance-enhancing drugs during the very scandal that stemmed Mitchell's investigation. If convicted, the Home Run King could spend more than two years in prison.

[New York Times]

The Anniversary of Breaking the Color Barrier

Every player on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster will be wearing #42 on Sunday, April 15th.

The club will honor the late Jackie Robinson by having all of its players wear his number when the Dodgers face the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Robinson becoming the first African-American player to appear in a big league game.

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. called Commissioner Bud Selig and received permission to wear Robinson's number that day, as well.

Bud Selig is One Rich Bastard

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig earned as much last year as some of the league's best players, receiving $14.5 million in the fiscal year ending October 31st, according to Major League Baseball's tax return - obtained by the Sports Business Journal.

Bob DuPuy, the league's chief operating officer, received $4.875 million and pay for executive vice presidents included $1.92 million for Rob Manfred in labor relations, $1.3 million for John McHale Jr. in administration and $1,245,000 for Jonathan Mariner in finance.

The guy who takes care of the finances actually made the least?

The publication, citing unidentified sources, claims Selig received a $6 million base salary, an equal amount in a bonus and the remainder in expenses and personal fees.

Interestingly enough, baseball's central office paid $77.3 million in salaries and benefits to 231 employees while the NFL paid $41.5 million to 839 employees. Hmmmm...

[MSNBC]

MLB Bans Craig Biggio from Wearing Pin

Second baseman Craig Biggio was pretty angry with the Commissioner's Office Thursday night after he was told to stop wearing a pin on his cap that bears the logo of a the Sunshine Kids, a foundation that helps children with cancer.

Biggio, the national spokesman for the foundation, said he has worn the bright yellow, sun-shaped pin on his hat every spring for the past 20 years without a problem.

"I'm not a disrespectful person and I don't disrespect the game," Biggio said. "But I've been wearing this pin for 20 years because it puts smiles on 20,000-something cancer patients' faces."

Houston general manager Tim Purpura was sent a fax from the Commissioner's office with a picture of Biggio from Wednesday night's game, instructing the player to keep it off his cap permanently. He was told to take it off during warmups and the umpires even approached him to make sure it was gone.

Biggio says he wears the pin during spring training because many of the pictures for baseball cards are taken during those games and the children like seeing the pin on those cards. Is that so terrible?

[Houston Chronicle] | [Sunshine Kids]