Baseball player Manny Ramirez retires after testing positive for performance-enhancing drug

April 10, 2011 Champion baseball player, 38, notified the MLB on Friday that he would retire   after being notified that he had  tested positive for a. It was his second offense and he was facing a 100-game suspension. In 2009 as a, he served a 50-game suspension for violating the MLB's.

Ending a 19-year career, the twelve-time who is considered one of the baseball's greatest hitters, won two  championships with the.

He of .312, and for 13 seasons he produced more than 200. He hit a career total of 555 s and 1,831 RBIs, exceeding the number of home runs and RBIs of. He ranks on the all time list. Now there may be an asterisk after his record numbers.

"His numbers, he was unreal," said Red Sox infielder, who was Ramirez's teammate with the. "He was one of the most feared guys with runners in scoring position. ... If there is a guy you really want at the plate in a tough situation, it would have been Manny."

Ramirez's retirement coincides with the trial of another of baseball's great hitters, Barry Bonds, charged with falsely denying to a grand jury that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

"Until the past couple of years, I thought [Ramirez] was on his way to the ," said manager. "I don't think many guys got as many big hits in their careers as he has. There weren't many guys who had as big an effect on a game as he had. You hate to see greatness all of a sudden just fade."