Manny Ramirez

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Slugger Manny Ramirez will exercise his $20 million option to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2010 season, the team announced on their website on Friday. Ramirez, who signed a deal last offseason that guaranteed him $25 million for 2009 and a player option for 2010, had until Tuesday to notify the club. The 37-year-old batted .290 with 19 home runs and 63 RBIs last season but was hit with a 50-game suspension by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a banned substance. Ramirez failed to regain top form after his return from the early season suspension. ... Read Full Story

Outfielder Manny Ramirez has agreed to exercise his contract option and will return to the Los Angeles Dodgers for another season at 20 million dollars. Ramirez, who was suspended for 50 Major League Baseball games last season after failing a drug test, has to donate one million dollars to charity as part of the deal. The 12-time all-star Ramirez hit .290 with 19 homers and 63 RBI in 104 games. The Dodgers were eliminated from the playoff in five games by the Philadelphia Phillies. This is the second year of a two-year contract Ramirez signed with the Dogders. The first year of the no-trade ... Read Full Story

Editor's Note: This is a revised version (incorporating the Red Sox angle to this story) of a column I originally published on my Facebook page, where I update friends with my press releases, articles, baseball columns, personal essays and sports smack talk. If you would like to follow me on Facebook, feel free to send me a friend request. No, I am not getting married. That is the rumor that has been percolating since I wrote on Facebook that I will soon make a big announcement via Facebook. I do have an exciting tale of romance that has recently brightened my life, and I ... Read Full Story

Outfielder Manny Ramirez was out of the Dodgers' lineup because of a sore left hamstring. It's the same problem that forced third baseman Casey Blake to return early to Los Angeles to be treated by a team doctor. The Dodgers, with their magic number for clinching the NL West stalled at one, also were without infielder Ronnie Belliard on Monday because of a sore groin. Ramirez is available to pinch hit for Monday's night game against the Pirates. But Belliard is expected to be out a couple of days — probably for a two-game series against San Diego that begins in Los Angeles on ... Read Full Story

The Los Angeles Dodgers' CEO says slugger Manny Ramirez has "paid the penalty" for violating baseball's drug policy and it's not for her to judge his actions. Jamie McCourt, in Israel for the 18th Maccabiah Games, said Monday she was as surprised as anyone when Ramirez was suspended. He recently returned from a 50-game suspension. "Not everyone is perfect and I am not going to judge what anyone does in their lives," McCourt said. "But he has paid the penalty and it is now up to us to welcome him back to the team. It is up to the fans to decide how he ... Read Full Story