The 50-game suspension of LA Dodgers star Manny Ramirez may have ramifications beyond the baseball field. First of all, I’m a Dodgers fan, so… (expletive.) Secondly, businesses like JetBlue will take a hit. AND the stock market’s now tanking. It’s all Manny’s fault.
Major League Baseball said Ramirez failed a drug test, not for taking steroids, but because he took something for a “personal health issue,” which Yahoo is reporting as a substance designed to boost sex drive (not Viagra).
Ramirez will lose about a third of his $25 million salary for this year.
I’m sure the Dodgers front office people are beside themselves. The Dodgers haven’t been to the World Series in two decades but have started this season 13-0 at home and have the best record in baseball. Manny was batting about .350 with 20 RBI and 6 homers.
The day Ramirez signed with the team, the Dodgers instantly sold out of his jerseys, $125,000 worth overnight.
Clusterstock points out other repercussions here:
JetBlue, for example, recently launched special “Manny” fares for fans in Boston and New York to fly out to Long Beach. He’s got a sponsorship deal with EA sports, which is now on the rocks. It’s also bad news for CBS-affiliate KCAL, the network in LA that has exclusive over-the-air rights to broadcast Dodger games.
Even the White House weighed in and called the suspension a “great embarrassment for Major League Baseball.”
Plus, stocks have dropped off considerably today. Coincidence?? I THINK NOT.
Damn it, Manny.
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