A-Rod and Manny

First, Selena Roberts writes that A-Rod tipped pitches to opposing players while on the Texas Rangers in exchange for getting tips about what pitch was coming next. Only in games where the outcome had little doubt, of course.

Next, today MLB suspended Dodgers' outfielder Manny Ramirez 50 games for using a performance-enhancing drug.

As these things usually come in threes, what will come next.

How about:

1) a star player announces that he's been undergoing treatments for a sex change operation;
2) a front office has been laundering money for Al Qaeda;
3) umpires are on the take.

Both stories are, of course, sad events for a great game. People are human, and they are flawed, and, well, what else is there to say other than A-Rod is very complicated and somewhat troubled to say the least, and Manny, well, was being Manny once again, except this time instead of just looking silly he ran into the authorities and got slammed.

Before mid-morning, the headlines were that the Dodgers were enjoying their best start at home for a Major League team in over 100 years. By nightfall, he'll be dissected on national TV, his team left with a big hole in the middle of its lineup, and all of the baseball pundits wondering what else will hurtle forth from those working behind the scenes in baseball to come up with stories about the central figures in the game.