AND, IT STARTS…

Why do bad things always happen to the good people?

Hanley Ramirez’s outburst today (May 18) is the latest example of the eventual downward slope an athlete’s attitude follows in the wake of superstardom.

Ramirez was benched by Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez in today’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks after the shortstop lightly jogged after a ball he accidentally kicked Monday night.

The pay resulted in two runs scored against the Marlins.

Now, Hanley is in the elitist class of baseball talent. He is a two-time NL All-Star who was only played two MLB seasons, and he was last year’s NL Batting Champion. I mean, this guy is scary good.

He’s on pace for no more than a routine season, so far, however, with 7 HR, 20 RBI, and a 0.293 AVG.

It’s his comments that are unnerving, though, and not his opposition to Gonzalez’s benching. The reasoning was “not hustling,” which is understandable… Hanley’s laziness cost his team two runs. Even more unnerving is that the 26-year-old Dominican seems to have felt his play has put him above ridicule, above criticism, and above discipline.

“That’s okay. He doesn’t understand that. He never played in the big leagues,” Hanley said of his manager.

“We got a lot of people dogging it after ground balls. They don’t apologize,” he then said, swerving his blame onto his teammates – perhaps the Golden Rule of Un-Golden Rules. You just don’t do that, man.

In response, veteran infielder and teammate Wes Helms sincerely hoped Ramirez would apologize.

“We got 24 more guys out there. Maybe they can do the same things I can do. They’re wearing the Marlins uniform,” Hanley also said, his arms tired from throwing everyone else under the Bus.

Are you not wearing a Marlins uniform, Hanley? Are you not getting paid $80 million over seven years? Does that NOT put even more onus on you to lead by example?

You wouldn’t hear most honourable captains speak this way – throwing teammates under the Bus is a definite No-No, but the best wouldn’t even think to complain.

Jonathan Toews is 23-years-old. Sidney Crosby, 22. Adrian Peterson, 25. Matt Ryan, 25. Evan Longoria, 24.

Wake up, Hanley. You’re not that young anymore, and all your Daddies are younger than you.

Meanwhile, those who sounds like you, look like you, and speak like you are a Dime-A-Dozen, and their future is doomed. If you’re the face of an entire franchise, you can’t act with the characteristic freedom of your high school’s lunch lady.

Even worse, your childish antics have thrown any credibility your truly, perhaps valid, rebuttals could have in the future.

Jay Cutler made that mistake. Had he simply said he felt betrayed by new coach Josh McDaniels last year, maybe we’d blame McDaniels. Instead, part of the fault fell and still falls on Cutler who, it became apparent, simply wanted out of Denver and would use any but of baby powder he had to do it.

It’s the same antics that ruined Michael Crabtree’s post-draft status. What’s that, young man? You don’t want to play for the 49ers? You mean, you haven’t played an NFL game yet, and you’re already holding out for a contract?
All legitimate reasons for Crabtree’s version of ‘Invictus’ aside, those being that he was no doubt pressured into the negotiations by his agent, the wideout faced a bigger uphill climb than former NHLPA head Ted Saskin.

Andre Johnson, you too. Seriously, who is giving you this advice? You have five years remaining on your $60 million contract that you signed in 2007 and you want to hold out now?

Why is it that every, I repeat every, hot shot athlete has to slip in the every-growing stereotype that is today’s modern athlete – a whiner with absolutely no recollection of what life was like when he first started out, swinging bats in Samana, DR.