Manny's unhappy returns

In a shocking development, Manny Ramirez apparently has run afoul of Major League Baseball's drug prevention program for the second time and has notifed MLB that he will retire rather than go through the process again.

So, now the big question is obvious:

Is Manny Ramirez a Hall of Famer?

I'll leave that to your discretion, because I'm more interested in the impact this is going to have on the Tampa Bay Rays, who had hoped Ramirez would fill the void left by Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena, not to mention injured Evan Longoria.

This is a major blow at a time when the team is in freefall. The Rays also sent top-flight pitcher Matt Garza to the Cubs and lost most of their bullpen over the winter.

I'm feeling particularly bad for manager Joe Maddon, who has helped transform that organization from an expansion doormat into an AL East power. Can't see them getting up after this, but Maddon has worked miracles before, so I wouldn't rule them out of the race just yet.

AP photo