Torii On Manny: “We’re Human”

Hip to current events as ever, Torii Hunter was among the first athletes to blog Manny Ramirez's positive test for banned substances and subsequent suspension.  While most people seem fairly willing to write this off as Manny just, well, being Manny, Torii, for one, is more surprised than anything.  He writes,

He's one of those guys I've always respected, because I know how much work he's put into the game. He's one of the hardest workers in baseball, which is why this is so hard for me to understand. He's never been a guy to take the easy way.

People look at how he is on the field, carefree, having fun, a character, and they think, Manny, no way he works hard. What they don't realize is he's always been one of the hardest workers, hitting the weights before and after games, working out like crazy in the off-season.

Sure, Torii may be willing to defend Manny's character.  He even goes so far as to expresses sympathy for him, saying,

I hate that this happened to him. I can only imagine how much it's hurting him right now. He cares about the game, cares about his legacy.

However, while Torii may feel for Manny, it doesn't mean he's willing to absolve him of personal responsibility. He writes,

Every player in the game, whoever you are, you've got to be careful about what you're putting in your body. That's a good thing. Awareness is always a good thing.

He concludes his entry by imploring baseball fans not to let a few bad eggs tarnish the reputations of players throughout the sport:

This is the real world here. Baseball is the real world, with real people. You're going to always have somebody trying to beat the system. People forget we're human. We're bound to make mistakes. But I want people, all of you, to understand that by far there are more guys doing it right than cheating. That's the truth.