Going to hit the ball..

Being busted once was bad enough. But twice?
Testing positive for a banned substance under major league baseball's drug policy, one-time Dodgers darling Manny Ramirez retired Friday rather than face the prospect of a 100-game suspension.

manny ramirez

Ramirez, who was batting .059 for the Tampa Bay Rays was suspended for 50 games as a member of the Dodgers in 2009 for a similar violation.

Ramirez's latest Manny-Being-Manny episode had some in baseball scratching their heads.

"I used to defend it," Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said. "I can not defend. Boy, I do not know what to say. I love all my players, but how can you defend that? It 'embarrassing to him. It's a shame. For all the things he did in the game to end like this? it's kind of crazy. Three years ago, he was a lock for the Hall of Fame. now? do not know ... I'm not judge ... maybe someone will forgive him. "

yankees

Opening days are full of promise, and soon we'll see what the Yankees have in Serbia in 2011.

The Yankees will meet the Detroit Tigers at

Yankee

Stadium at 13:05 Thursday, the first time I have opened a season at home since 2008 when they beat Toronto, 3-2, on April 1.

As Bruce Weber noted in the Times on Thursday, the team will have a lot of home games, beginning: "12 of the first 15 Yankees' games in the Bronx, the only interruption of a weekend series in a climate potentially cooler: . Boston "