Manny Ramirez 50-match suspension

Los Angeles Dodgers batter Manny Ramírez was handed a 50-match suspension after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing drugs. Ramirez, who will be 37 next month, is one of the highest profile players caught in baseball since testing began in 1993. The suspension will cost Ramirez $ 7.7m (£ 5m) - approximately 31% of his $ 25m salary.

"A physician gave me medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me but, unfortunately, it was banned," said Ramirez in a statement.
"Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now.
"I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.
"I want to apologize to (Dodgers owner) Mr McCourt, Mrs McCourt, (manager) Mr Torre, my team mates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."

Ramirez, a 12-time All-Star player who has helped the Dodgers to 13 home wins so far this season, are not eligible to return until July 3. This is the second major revelation drug to hit baseball in the last few months after Alex Rodriguez admitted in February taking steroids while playing for Texas from 2001-2003. That was before the start of testing with penalties under a settlement agreed by the players and the management and the New York Yankees did not seem to be suspended. Ramirez is the third player suspended this year under the Major League program, after Philadelphia reliever JC Romero and Yankees pitcher Sergio Miter. In the past, the most famous player was punished Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro, a suspension of 10 days in 2005, the first year of the first fines for violations.