Braun Suspended for Balance of the 2013 Season

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

ESPN completely lacks in journalistic integrity, yet people were treating their word as the Bible. Never mind that the appeals process in place for baseball players was supposed to be confidential. ESPN didn't care if they ruined his reputation sans facts. They cared more about their web hits, their television ratings, and their magazine sales.

Being a Bay Area native (BALCO) and Giants fan, I've engaged in enough steroid talk to last a life time, and feel little need to weigh in on Braun.. except in saying that I had little/no suspicion of his PED use prior to the 2011 test. His swing looked pure, his power seemed body & hip generated, but oh well.

Anyway, I totally agree about ESPN. I grew up watching ESPN, but have grown tired of what they've become. They have little to no integrity, and seem far more interested in getting a story out first, rather than being right.. hey, they can just correct themselves later (sadly this seems the case with most news outlets now). I was also very put off having been told first hand a few years back that a major sports network (ESPN strongly hinted) was offering six figures to someone that had priveledged access to the Mitchell Report. Apparently they eventually got to someone or several people as those names trickled out one by one for weeks... just as grand jury testimony had leaked prior. I'm not saying that ESPN or its reporters had a hand in this dirtiness, but I had season tickets at AT&T park during this period and got so sick of seeing Pedro Gomez and his camara guy wandering around my section like vultures for 2 straight years.

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Being a Bay Area native (BALCO) and Giants fan, I've engaged in enough steroid talk to last a life time, and feel little need to weigh in on Braun.. except in saying that I had little/no suspicion of his PED use prior to the 2011 test. His swing looked pure, his power seemed body & hip generated, but oh well.

I agree, and I've been watching Braun closely since he first stepped on the field at Miller Park (in addition to the footage I've seen of him in the minors, and back at Miami). I see a guy that's a career .312 hitter...strong, but lean. He generates incredible bat speed with very fluid mechanics. He's got a really fast twitch, strong legs, and powerful wrists. That allows him to hit with power to all fields.

After the story was leaked, all I seemed to read was "well, Braun is only a great hitter because he has Prince Fielder behind him. Pitchers have to throw to him, so he gets more good pitches to hit". Then he has the best year of his career in 2012 while Prince is in Detroit backing up Miguel Cabrera.

This is why I still don't believe that he took performance enhancers. I know he took something, but I just don't see a guy that's benefiting from juicing up. This isn't a guy hitting 60-70 home runs a season. He's consistent in all aspects of the game. He's pretty much famous in Milwaukee for his work ethic.

There's often more to stories like this, and I think when the other shoe drops, some opinions will change.

[Iron Horse]

The only way you are going to clean up the sport is to put a clause in their contracts that will allow teams to void their contracts & are suspended for one year the first time you are caught. Your team then will have the right to sign you for 50% of your original contract or release you and you can't sign for any more then 50% of your original contract with any other team as well for 2 years.

[chaddurbin]

mlbpa is too strong, it's not realistic that they're just gonna drop the guaranteed contract clause just to clean up the game. would be a great step forward if that could get done.

if arod's team is smart they'd try to negotiate the same punishment as braun for this year, but i think mlb is pulling out the big hammer for arod. he admitted ped use in '03 (strike 1), link to biogenesis (strike 2), then lying about the association (strike 3!).

[Kenny Cole]

Originally Posted by Iron Horse

The only way you are going to clean up the sport is to put a clause in their contracts that will allow teams to void their contracts & are suspended for one year the first time you are caught. Your team then will have the right to sign you for 50% of your original contract or release you and you can't sign for any more then 50% of your original contract with any other team as well for 2 years.

Poor idea. Do you really think teams care if their stars are using if they are bringing people to the park and not getting caught? I don't. So why should they get the benefit of making money off the cheaters while they haven't tested dirty and then wash their hands of the contract when they do? They are complicit and should have to eat it too IMO.

[ScottFandango]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Being a Bay Area native (BALCO) and Giants fan, I've engaged in enough steroid talk to last a life time, and feel little need to weigh in on Braun.. except in saying that I had little/no suspicion of his PED use prior to the 2011 test. His swing looked pure, his power seemed body & hip generated, but oh well.

Anyway, I totally agree about ESPN. I grew up watching ESPN, but have grown tired of what they've become. They have little to no integrity, and seem far more interested in getting a story out first, rather than being right.. hey, they can just correct themselves later (sadly this seems the case with most news outlets now). I was also very put off having been told first hand a few years back that a major sports network (ESPN strongly hinted) was offering six figures to someone that had priveledged access to the Mitchell Report. Apparently they eventually got to someone or several people as those names trickled out one by one for weeks... just as grand jury testimony had leaked prior. I'm not saying that ESPN or its reporters had a hand in this dirtiness, but I had season tickets at AT&T park during this period and got so sick of seeing Pedro Gomez and his camara guy wandering around my section like vultures for 2 straight years.

I posted this years ago, I thought he was surely on something by the LOOK OF HIS EYES....he has that drug induced "pinned open eyes " where his entire iris was visible...looked like he had a "shocked" look on his face all the time...this is not a normal look and I thought he was on speed/uppers but it was way more than that

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by ScottFandango

I posted this years ago, I thought he was surely on something by the LOOK OF HIS EYES....he has that drug induced "pinned open eyes " where his entire iris was visible...looked like he had a "shocked" look on his face all the time...this is not a normal look and I thought he was on speed/uppers but it was way more than that

Sorry, but that seems like a real stretch. Not saying you didn't believe he was using well before all this, but that reasoning is pretty "loose" to say the least. My guess is when this is all over, his eyes will look much the same as before.

I guess Reche Caldwell, and any other big/wide eyed athletes are on the juice too?

theeyes9zx_display_image.jpg

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Sorry, but that seems like a real stretch. Not saying you didn't believe he was using well before all this, but that reasoning is pretty "loose" to say the least. My guess is when this is all over, his eyes will look much the same as before.

I guess Reche Caldwell, and any other big/wide eyed athletes are on the juice too?

Attachment 107619

It is a stretch. I have very slightly recessed sockets because of my osteogenesis imperfecta. I also have blue-tinted sclera, and I certainly have never used any performance enhancing drugs.

[ALR-bishop]

Glad you pointed all that out Bill, or no telling what any of us may have thought if we ever meet you in person

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Glad you pointed all that out Bill, or no telling what any of us may have thought if we ever meet you in person

No problem, Al. It's not very noticeable, as it's not pronounced. If I look worried, be assured it's because I'm nervous about something, and not because I'm shooting up testosterone, lol. It's usually noticeable in people with the more severe forms of OI. But the blue sclera always draws a crowd when I'm in a hospital or doctor's office. Usually a bunch of people will come in, and look in my eyes. I'm cool with it, as my condition is pretty rare, and it helps them learn. I like to tell them I'm a mutant, as neither of my parents carried the genetic marker. I should be in the next X-Men movie. Maybe they could hook me up with Jennifer Lawrence