BRAUN IS DONE

Braun is done. After a tough fight with the MLB, he has been suspended for the rest of the season. What’s worse is that he has lied to everyone about it, and he just accepted the suspension this time. It sickens me to find that one of the best players in baseball has been lying about his career and is just a fake. What’s worse is that this is just the beginning of the suspensions. 

Ryan Braun has been a Milwaukee Brewer his entire life, starting out in 2007 and batting .324/.370/.634 to win the Rookie of the Year Award. Of course, he has not stopped his great hitting. After 2011, he was voted in the top 5 for MVP three times, including winning the award in 2011. He has won 5 silver sluggers and has been a 5-time all-star. This year in 61 games he batted .298/.372/.498 with 9 homers and 38 RBI’s. Braun could also steal (130 SB in his career), and could hit for contact just as well.

In December 2011, Braun tested positive for an elevated level of testosterone caused by some performance-enhancing drug (PED), and faced a 50 game suspension. Braun appealed the drug test in January 2012, and actually won in a 2-to-1 vote, and was put back in the game. Braun actually “won on a technicality” because it wasn’t the substance that they tested differently, it was said that the handling of it was wrong. 

Two years later, Braun’s name appeared in records in a Biogenesis clinic in Coral Gables, Florida, which alleged to have distributed performance-enhancing drugs to a number of MLB players who tested positive for banned substances. Two other big names on this list was OF Melky Cabrera and 3B Alex Rodriguez. Cabrera dealt with a 50-game suspension last year, and decided to stay out for the season because he did not want to affect the Giants organization in any way. It was a just statement, and the Giants didn’t need him anyways! A-Rod (or should I say, A-Roid) is in the minor leagues for the Yankees now because of injury, but he’s next for any suspension. 

In early June, MLB began to prepare suspensions for players linked to using PED’s provided by Biogenesis of America, and its founder, Anthony Bosch. In fact, when commissioner Bud Selig was on The Late Show with David Letterman, Selig said that he cannot bring out the information to the public, but they have made a decision on the issue. Thus, just yesterday, MLB suspended Braun for the remainder of the season for his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic. Braun will lose $3.25 million as a result. What’s worse is the Braun did not appeal the suspension. Why? In a statement, he said “I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions.” 

Well what the hell Braun? Earlier in 2011, you said “I am innocent, and I will continue to fight until proven that I am innocent.” So yeah, Braun is just a dirty liar. He lied to everyone, and only cared about himself. I personally think that he should be suspended even more. I think they should suspend him for next season as well, or even better, kick him out! There’s no excuse for a cheater like him to even play the game of baseball. Milwaukee and the organization should be ashamed. Bud Selig should be ashamed too, not because of his dealing with the Biogenesis clinic scandal, but Selig used to be the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. He should have suspected something while he was there, or at least taken action. 

I’m not the only one pissed. Rick Sutcliffe might be the angriest in this situation. In yesterday’s game with the Yankees vs. Rangers, Sutcliffe made two statements that stunned me and the other two people in the booth. First, Sutcliffe told them that he talked the Braun personally before, saying something along the lines of “Hey, I’m not trying to get anything out of you, but did you really take steroids?” and Braun stated no and that he never would. Sutcliffe believed him, along with plenty of other people. 

But then he made a statement about steroids in general and how they have ruined this sport in the last 20-30 years. He brought up Wally Joyner, a first baseman for the California Angels and later the Royals and Padres. Joyner was voted in to the all-star game his rookie year, and was 2^nd on the ballot for Rookie of the Year. However, he never made an all-star appearance after that. Why? That’s simple: Rafael Palmeiro and Mark McGwire were just better. Look at those two players now. How many Wally Joyner’s have there been out there that have been cheated by something like this? There have probably been plenty.

You look at McGwire and Palmeiro, but also Bonds, Sosa, and Clemens. Now it’s Braun and A-Rod, and it’s ruining the performance of every other player in baseball. It drives me insane that the MLB does not have stricter policies, but with A-Rod next, things could really get crazy.

Braun is just another disappointing chapter in the PED saga. I hope they get A-Rod good.

Email me at statsbuddy42@gmail.com for any questions/comments/concerns.

-Evan Boyd