Red Sox say titles not tarnished

BOSTON (AP) - Manny Ramirez hit cleanup on the Red Sox's two championship teams this decade. Some of his teammates on those clubs say his suspension for using a banned substance won't tarnish those titles.

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but I don't feel like our '07 season was tainted," Mike Lowell said Thursday night. "This is still a 25-man team."

Ramirez was MVP of Boston's World Series sweep of St. Louis that gave the Red Sox their first championship in 86 years in 2004. He also had one of his best seasons that year, hitting .308 with 43 homers and 130 RBIs.

"It's not like we wouldn't be the world champions if, whatever this is that's going on," 2008 AL MVP Dustin Pedroia said. "I don't think it tarnishes any of that stuff."

On Thursday, Ramirez was suspended for 50 games for violating baseball's performance-enhancing drug policy. Several Red Sox players said they didn't know if he used such substances when he played for Boston from 2001 until he was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trading deadline last July.

"I have no idea," said Lowell, the MVP of the 2007 World Series against Colorado. "He's a phenomenal hitter and I never saw anything, so I defer to asking Manny that question."