Braun Suspended for Balance of the 2013 Season

[BlueDevil89]

Will they never learn...

[HRBAKER]

No they won't until they start voiding contracts.
He made some "mistakes," yeah, getting caught.

[kmac32]

They need to take his MVP award away. Too bad he got off on a technicality before. Cheater and a liar.

[BlueDevil89]

Originally Posted by kmac32

They need to take his MVP award away. Too bad he got off on a technicality before. Cheater and a liar.

Pulling the MVP award would be morally justified (if not technically supported by "the rules"). Unfortunately, the 2011 NL MVP Award is really a joke. At the very least, it should be assigned an asterisk (*). If Maris had one next to his 61 home run season all those years, Braun's MVP deserves a permanent one in the record books.

[HRBAKER]

My people have seen the goods you have on me and I have been advised that this is my best option.

Meanwhile he will be back next year to enjoy the fruits of his contract that may well be based on results that were in part artificially produced.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Teams should try to include clauses in player contracts allowing the contract to be voided if there is a positive test.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

Originally Posted by HRBAKER

My people have seen the goods you have on me and I have been advised that this is my best option.

Meanwhile he will be back next year to enjoy the fruits of his contract that may well be based on results that were in part artificially produced.

I thought that is an interesting point. Isnt he playing at a higher salary next year? Thus he is better off financially by not contesting the test.

[alanu]

Originally Posted by I Only Smoke 4 the Cards

I thought that is an interesting point. Isnt he playing at a higher salary next year? Thus he is better off financially by not contesting the test.

The Brewers might be in contention next year too so why not take off the rest of this year when they are already out of it.

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by kmac32

They need to take his MVP award away. Too bad he got off on a technicality before. Cheater and a liar.

+1

[Peter_Spaeth]

Is anyone except Derek Jeter clean?

[AndyG09]

Did the guy who worked for MLB lose his job after the technicality? It will be interesting to see what comes of his career from this point on.

Best,

Andy

[quinnsryche]

I hope they catch and expel every last one of these cheatin' bastards. They guys on MLB made a good point today. They said that from now on anyone caught cheating should be exempt from any award (MVP, Cy Young etc.), all star team or any accolade they may be given in the future. Teams should also be allowed to void any contract if a player is found guilty. I agree 100%. I vote for lifetime banishment after any offense. 1 and done. Get out and stay out. The days of McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, Rodriguez, Braun and all the others are OVER stating right now.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Is anyone except Derek Jeter clean?

How would you have any idea that Jeter has played clean during his entire career? I wouldn't assume anyone has played clean unless you were with them 100% of the time. Nothing against you Peter, it just bothers me when people say without doubt that certain people were clean and are willing to just believe rumors on other players(Jeff Bagwell for example)

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by kmac32

They need to take his MVP award away. Too bad he got off on a technicality before. Cheater and a liar.

I'm very disappointed that Ryan used something he should not have, and whatever the suspension is (65 games, the remainder of the season, iirc), it is completely justified. What Ryan has done is an embarrassment to the game I love, the franchise I have followed since childhood, and it bothers me on a personal level. I hate that he did something against the rules, and that he has lied about it. But, I also hope at some point the truth comes out, because right now, speculation is running rampant. Media outlets are still running stories still filled with a lot of half-truths and conjecture. Things like "Braun has admitted to using PED". Nowhere has he done this. He did not admit to using PED in the statement he issued today. In fact, it was reported several times after the story first broke that he was going to be suspended not for PED, but for a banned substance, which could be one of a hundred different things.

The "his MVP should be taken away" talk is ridiculous. The MVP is a regular season award, and there is no proof whatsoever that Braun used anything before the postseason of 2011. He passed every single drug test while in the minor leagues, and every test administered from 2007 through the 2011 regular season. As for his "getting off on a technicality", no, he didn't. There are carefully established protocols for handling biological specimens used in the drug testing program, and if they are not followed, it is proper to throw that sample out, and not employ any of the testing results in furthering punitive action. Ryan Braun's urine sample was taken home by the collector, and placed in a Tupperware container in his basement for two days when it was clear there were several Fed Ex locations open between the collector's home and Miller Park (including at least one that took shipments 24 hours a day). Dino Laurenzi did not follow procedure. There is no debating this. Once it was determined that proper handling requirements had not been followed, the sample should have been destroyed. Period. Any test results from the sample are in essence fruit from the poisonous tree.

I have felt from the beginning that there was a strong possibility Ryan did not use a performance enhancer, but something that would help heal the calf muscle injury he'd been suffering with for much of the 2011 season's second half. By the letter of the drug policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLBPA, it wouldn't matter, as it's still breaking the rules, but I could at least understand that, if not condone it.

Right now, I am angry, and disappointed. He could, of course, be guilty of everything he's been accused of. But absent the facts (facts like the written opinion of independent arbiter Shyam Sad), we really don't know everything that happened. He might have been cheating all along, or he might have taken something to heal, not expecting to get tested before the post season. Who knows. But this talk of Ryan Braun being a "scum bag" is a little over the top. I am sure every single one of us have done something we wish we could go back and do differently. I know I have. But Braun is not some low life. He did something stupid, for which he should absolutely serve his suspension. But human beings make mistakes, and if he asks for forgiveness, and truly regrets what he did, I for one will forgive him, and cheer for him again. I hope he's learned from his mistake. More than anything, I am glad that this is now over.

[Fred]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

.....Ryan Braun's urine sample was taken home by the collector...

Was the collector anybody on this board? Hell, people collect everything these days....

Sadly, Kemp probably should have been the MVP when Braun was given the honor... in any case, I don't think the award should be taken from him becuase then you might as well go back to Barry's MVP awards and trash those also. I'm sure there are others that can have their awards (MVP, Cy Young, etc) taken but the fact is the stats are in the books. However, going forward it would be nice to see a "cleaned up" version of baseball, even without all of the HRs. A little small ball is fun to watch.

It would just be nice to see ALL of the clean players step up to the plate and call "bull $hit" on the players that cheat. Have the players in the union agree to heavy suspensions or expulsion if the player is caught cheating. A nice level playing field would be nice. - just my 2 cents...

[Exhibitman]

If the union and league were serious about cleaning up the game the remedy for a positive would include granting the team the option of voiding the balance of the player's contract and lifetime random WADA-style testing for the balance of the player's time in MLB. A suspension doesn't mean squat to a guy like Braun who can strategize to lessen the impact of the suspension and remain on a massive long-term contract. Heck, he can use the rest of the season to rest up, train and cycle steroid regimens [I kid the Braunmeister] in preparation for next year.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

So now Ryan Braun and Barry Bonds have failed the same number of drug tests. By your logic Bonds is even more innocent than Braun because he never admitted to anything.

[QUOTE=the 'stache;1161727]I'm very disappointed that Ryan used something he should not have, and whatever the suspension is (65 games, the remainder of the season, iirc), it is completely justified. What Ryan has done is an embarrassment to the game I love, the franchise I have followed since childhood, and it bothers me on a personal level. I hate that he did something against the rules, and that he has lied about it. But, I also hope at some point the truth comes out, because right now, speculation is running rampant. Media outlets are still running stories still filled with a lot of half-truths and conjecture. Things like "Braun has admitted to using PED". Nowhere has he done this. He did not admit to using PED in the statement he issued today. In fact, it was reported several times after the story first broke that he was going to be suspended not for PED, but for a banned substance, which could be one of a hundred different things.

The "his MVP should be taken away" talk is ridiculous. The MVP is a regular season award, and there is no proof whatsoever that Braun used anything before the postseason of 2011. He passed every single drug test while in the minor leagues, and every test administered from 2007 through the 2011 regular season. As for his "getting off on a technicality", no, he didn't. There are carefully established protocols for handling biological specimens used in the drug testing program, and if they are not followed, it is proper to throw that sample out, and not employ any of the testing results in furthering punitive action. Ryan Braun's urine sample was taken home by the collector, and placed in a Tupperware container in his basement for two days when it was clear there were several Fed Ex locations open between the collector's home and Miller Park (including at least one that took shipments 24 hours a day). Dino Laurenzi did not follow procedure. There is no debating this. Once it was determined that proper handling requirements had not been followed, the sample should have been destroyed. Period. Any test results from the sample are in essence fruit from the poisonous tree.

I have felt from the beginning that there was a strong possibility Ryan did not use a performance enhancer, but something that would help heal the calf muscle injury he'd been suffering with for much of the 2011 season's second half. By the letter of the drug policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLBPA, it wouldn't matter, as it's still breaking the rules, but I could at least understand that, if not condone it.

Right now, I am angry, and disappointed. He could, of course, be guilty of everything he's been accused of. But absent the facts (facts like the written opinion of independent arbiter Shyam Sad), we really don't know everything that happened. He might have been cheating all along, or he might have taken something to heal, not expecting to get tested before the post season. Who knows. But this talk of Ryan Braun being a "scum bag" is a little over the top. I am sure every single one of us have done something we wish we could go back and do differently. I know I have. But Braun is not some low life. He did something stupid, for which he should absolutely serve his suspension. But human beings make mistakes, and if he asks for forgiveness, and truly regrets what he did, I for one will forgive him, and cheer for him again. I hope he's learned from his mistake. More than anything, I am glad that this is now over.[/QUOTE]

[Jcfowler6]

PED should be awarded the 2011 MVP.