So Manny will begin the Minor League assignment portion of his 50-gamer tonight with Triple-A Albuquerque, but at least one guy in the national media, Tracy Ringolsby of FoxSports.com, formerly with the now defunct Rocky Mountain News, doesn't think Manny should be allowed any special treatment. Ringolsby argues that Manny shouldn't be allowed to play in any Minor League games because, as he suggests, when a Minor League player gets suspended for the same 50-game infraction, they don't have the same priviledge of getting to play in any games prior to the end of their suspension to get himself ready for his return and back into game shape.
Well, Tracy, I hate to break it to you, but who cares? First of all, the Minor Leagues are governed by a completely separate entity from MLB, with its own set of rules and guidelines. So one thing has nothing to do with the other. Secondly, and this is the kicker, Manny isn't getting any special treatment from the the league, or anyone else, for that matter. It's clearly stated in the Joint Drug Agreement (JDA) posted on the MLB Players Association official website, in Section 8.H.2 on page 20:
"During the term of his suspension, a Player may consent to an assignment to a Minor League affiliate of his Club under the terms of Article XIX(C)(1) and (3), except as modified above with respect to salary and except that such assignment shall not exceed five (5) days (eight (8) days for pitchers) for a Player suspended for a period of 25 games or less, and shall not exceed ten (10) days (16 days for pitchers) for a Player suspended for a period of between 26 and 50 games."
So then why is this even a friggin' debate? J.C. Romero pitched in five Minor League "rehab" games before he returned from his 50-gamer earlier in the season, and there was not one debate, discussion, argument anywhere, or even a blurb on the Big Four-Letter Network about whether or not he should have been allowed to play in those five games. Give me a break! This is not special treatment.
Ringolsby also notes that Manny shouldn't be allowed to workout on his own at Dodger Stadium even though he has to be off the premises when the media arrives prior to a game on game days. You're kidding me, Tracy, right? You seriously added that to your already ridiculous argument? Nowhere in the JDA does it say a player can not workout in a Major League ballpark prior to his return from a suspension. Manny, and every other Major Leaguer, are entitled to workout wherever they chose, and if they so desire to workout in a Major League park, then they may do so under the rules and guidelines set forth and provided by the Commissioner's Office that the player must be off the premises by the time the media arrives on game day roughly three hours prior to the start of the game. This is not special treatment.
So the question I ask is, why is everyone making such a big deal over this "rehab" thing? This was all agreed upon by both the players and the league, which is why it's in the JDA. What makes this whole debacle even more comical is that fact that because the length and terms of the suspension are completely arbitrary, the entire "rehab" argument and debate is a completely moot point. The main gist of the suspension is not that Manny, or any other player, can't play in any Minor League "rehab" games during the suspension, but that they can't play in any Major League games, and they aren't getting paid. As another Dodger blogger so delicately put it, if it makes people feel any better about this, look at it as a 40-game suspension from Major League games with the option of a 10-game Minor League "rehab" assignment, because one way or the other, the player isn't getting his paycheck, and he isn't in a Major League game.
What's Manny, or any other suspended player supposed to do, play in those "rehab" games after the 50-games are up? Well, then it might as well be 60-games. Might as well rewrite the entire JDA just because a few knuckleheads and meatballs who get paid to debate on network television or radio decide to turn it into a useless and stupid argument. Quit trying to change the punishment after the fact. Manny isn't, so neither should you. This is not special treatment.
All that said, I guarantee you, if, for example, this were a Colorado Rockies player, such as, say, Todd Helton, Ringolsby would have absolutely no problem with this. And I promise you all, this is only making big headlines and has become a big media debate because it's Manny. But this isn't Manny being Manny. And this is not special treatment.
Get over it people!
Well, Tracy, I hate to break it to you, but who cares? First of all, the Minor Leagues are governed by a completely separate entity from MLB, with its own set of rules and guidelines. So one thing has nothing to do with the other. Secondly, and this is the kicker, Manny isn't getting any special treatment from the the league, or anyone else, for that matter. It's clearly stated in the Joint Drug Agreement (JDA) posted on the MLB Players Association official website, in Section 8.H.2 on page 20:
"During the term of his suspension, a Player may consent to an assignment to a Minor League affiliate of his Club under the terms of Article XIX(C)(1) and (3), except as modified above with respect to salary and except that such assignment shall not exceed five (5) days (eight (8) days for pitchers) for a Player suspended for a period of 25 games or less, and shall not exceed ten (10) days (16 days for pitchers) for a Player suspended for a period of between 26 and 50 games."
So then why is this even a friggin' debate? J.C. Romero pitched in five Minor League "rehab" games before he returned from his 50-gamer earlier in the season, and there was not one debate, discussion, argument anywhere, or even a blurb on the Big Four-Letter Network about whether or not he should have been allowed to play in those five games. Give me a break! This is not special treatment.
Ringolsby also notes that Manny shouldn't be allowed to workout on his own at Dodger Stadium even though he has to be off the premises when the media arrives prior to a game on game days. You're kidding me, Tracy, right? You seriously added that to your already ridiculous argument? Nowhere in the JDA does it say a player can not workout in a Major League ballpark prior to his return from a suspension. Manny, and every other Major Leaguer, are entitled to workout wherever they chose, and if they so desire to workout in a Major League park, then they may do so under the rules and guidelines set forth and provided by the Commissioner's Office that the player must be off the premises by the time the media arrives on game day roughly three hours prior to the start of the game. This is not special treatment.
So the question I ask is, why is everyone making such a big deal over this "rehab" thing? This was all agreed upon by both the players and the league, which is why it's in the JDA. What makes this whole debacle even more comical is that fact that because the length and terms of the suspension are completely arbitrary, the entire "rehab" argument and debate is a completely moot point. The main gist of the suspension is not that Manny, or any other player, can't play in any Minor League "rehab" games during the suspension, but that they can't play in any Major League games, and they aren't getting paid. As another Dodger blogger so delicately put it, if it makes people feel any better about this, look at it as a 40-game suspension from Major League games with the option of a 10-game Minor League "rehab" assignment, because one way or the other, the player isn't getting his paycheck, and he isn't in a Major League game.
What's Manny, or any other suspended player supposed to do, play in those "rehab" games after the 50-games are up? Well, then it might as well be 60-games. Might as well rewrite the entire JDA just because a few knuckleheads and meatballs who get paid to debate on network television or radio decide to turn it into a useless and stupid argument. Quit trying to change the punishment after the fact. Manny isn't, so neither should you. This is not special treatment.
All that said, I guarantee you, if, for example, this were a Colorado Rockies player, such as, say, Todd Helton, Ringolsby would have absolutely no problem with this. And I promise you all, this is only making big headlines and has become a big media debate because it's Manny. But this isn't Manny being Manny. And this is not special treatment.
Get over it people!
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