The purpose of this movement is to get Manny Ramirez elected as a STARTER to the 2009 All Star Game in St. Louis?
WHY?
To highlight the silliness that are the MLB rules towards PED users as well as their “head in the sand” approach to this situation. Rather than confront it head-on, MLB is choosing to do nothing and simply hope there are three higher vote getters in the NL OF.
The issues surrounding Manny, the All Star Game, PEDs represents the “perfect storm” for MLB. Now, I am not a Bud Selig basher, but there are things he’s done that I am critical of, just as I am complimentary of other things he’s credited with. Having Manny, by far the highest profile player to test positive under the current testing rules, coming off his 50 game suspension a week prior to the ASG is unquestionably brutal timing for MLB. Add in the incredibly stupid All Star Game selection process that is designed for an exhibition but for some reason, the game counts. It’s an incredible conflict of ideas.
I started the “Vote For Manny” site to illustrate the joke that the voting, the “this time it counts”/World Series home field advantage rule, the mandatory representation, the still-soft PED rules…has become. I want to see the best players selected, not the most popular.
Jason Rosenberg began his blogging career in late 2007 at his own baseball-focused blog, ItsAboutTheMoney, Stupid. 