Dodger Yasiel Puig meets with wounded West Covina police officer

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LOS ANGELES >> When Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig learned that a West Covina police officer who returned to duty last month after being wounded in a gunfight in May received was among dozens of law enforcement officers honored during the Dodgers home game Wednesday during Law Enforcement Appreciation Night, he decided he needed to seek out the officer.
Officer Kenny Benitez, a Dodger fan who lists Puig among his favorite players, was part of a group of officers honored on the field for heroism.
“Puig had heard about Officer Benitez and this incident,” West Covina police Lt. Dennis Patton said.
Upon hearing that the officer was taking part in the ceremony, “Puig took it upon himself to search out Benitez,” according to the lieutenant.
The officer and the player met and took photos before each returned to their respective duties. Puig would go on to hit a three-run homer and an impressive catch, run against the San Francisco Giants, helping his team achieve a 9-3 victory.
Patton said the police department appreciated Puig’s personal gesture to Officer Benitez.
Benitez was allegedly wounded during a gunfight with Jose Chavez, 47, on May 20. Chavez was also wounded in the gun battle, but managed to escape.
He was apprehended by a SWAT team following a six-day manhunt and is now awaiting trial.
Benitez was fortunate in that the bullet that penetrated his abdomen did not strike any vital organs, West Covina Police Chief David Faulkner said at the time.
Benitez recovered from his injuries and returned to duty Aug. 18.

PHOTO: courtesy

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What did Manny Ramirez take? Source says Viagra*

A source close to Dodger slugger Manny Ramirez said the banned substance Manny Ramirez tested positive for was Viagra.

I don’t believe the MLB bans the little blue pill, but I’m linking to Wikipedia’s list of MLB banned substances and a pdf of MLB substance abuse policy.
Finally a poll question:


*UPDATE: Yahoo reports it wasn’t Viagra, but another “sexual enhancement” drug:

LOS ANGELES – A source close to Manny Ramirez(notes) said Thursday that the illegal substance for which the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger tested positive was not “an agent customarily used for performance enhancing.”

At least not on the baseball diamond. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the substance is supposed to boost sex drive. It is not Viagra, but a substance that treats the cause rather providing a temporary boost in sexual performance, the source said.

Ramirez tested positive for the substance during spring training, then was administered a second test more recently, and it also was positive. Major League Baseball notified Ramirez of the second positive test after Wednesday night’s Dodgers victory over the Washington Nationals. Ramirez admitted to having taken the substance and declined to appeal. His 50-game suspension begins today.

“The substance is not a steroid and it is not human-growth hormone,” the source said.

Ramirez, the source said, acquired the substance through a prescription from a doctor in Miami for his medical condition. The source intimated that Ramirez might bring legal action against the physician.

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