Braun Suspended For Rest Of 2013 Season

[TOXIC ASSETS]

1st comment --- kudo's to Outlaw who had it right all along.
2nd comment -- no surprise at all -- he failed a test a year ago and SHOULD have been suspended then, and got off only on a technicality.
3rd comment --- This is not the last big name we will see suspended.

[Glenneration X]

Ryan Braun


Outlaw in the movie version of this thread.


Nice job Mike. Thanks for keeping us up to date all season. I honestly came to this thread before anywhere else whenever looking for Biogenesis updates.

[Outlaw]

The Brewers need to get rid of him. He's the face of their franchise and their franchise will be tainted as long as he remains on the roster. I realize his value will be low but the Brewers need to shop him this winter and trade him. I don't want to see the Brewers become the Giants who clung to Barry Bonds despite all the scandal he carried with him. The Brewers are a bad team with Braun. It's time to remove the stench and build a new team without him.

Good luck and it's a good sentiment, but it'll be tough to find a team that wants to be tethered to Braun for the next eight years.
The only way the Brewers do not see him in uniform next year, is if they dfa him or he is caught again.
Both would be a stunning development considering the money on the table.

Sadly his problems may just be beginning. He's dealt with the baseball part at least.

[Outlaw]

Want to clean up the game? Allow teams to cancel guaranteed contracts if a player gets caught using...

As I posted last week that is coming in the off season, contract language in every player contract.

[Outlaw]

Gonna be an interesting Stats Fantasy Advantage show, Tom's vocal inflection should be at an all time high

Nah. It'll be out of my system by then. It is what it is. He's been proven to be a lying cheat. His reputation is tarnished. His hopes for the Hall of Fame gone. He's done this to himself. I said all along that if Braun was found guilty he deserved all the punishment and everything that went along with it that he gets. It's just unfortunate for the Brewers because I'm not sure how they come back from this as long as he's on the roster. It'll be an ugly stench that follows them around everywhere. That's why he needs to go. Get what you can get for him and move on and start over.

Out of my system too Tom! I'm glad this mess will be over soon... MLB is sending a message to all the clean players, the fans and the kids... If it had been one of my hometown greats I admired I would have defended that player too, maybe not so hard, but I would Have. Thats why everyones opinion and views should always be respected, something lacking these days. I did respect your opinion and there were not a lot of hard facts through the past 3 months on this, so thats all any of us had, opinions. This Biogen mess will be a voctory for all of baseball and sport moving forward. The next few days, week or two, will be all noise.

[Outlaw]

Outlaw, good info on the topic all along. I hope the wrist slap is not too disappointing for you. Thanks for all the updates.

I would not want to be Bruan or any player involved in this. weh you got 600 players who dont like you, thats tough to step on the field every day. Wrist slap, no way, Besides, I do believe fully in 2nd chances for things like this. IMO Bruan can rebuild his image because he has 10 years left of playing possibly. But that path will not be easy. It should start and stop with education by him to the kids in all sports and the minor league players.

[Outlaw]

Braun didn't even have to say he used PEDs. Just had to admit he was not perfect, which I think everybody already assumed.

Does it matter?
Really?
Braun is shamed. His statement tells me that he hasn't fully come to grips with what has happened. The questions directed at him now turn from 'Did you? to 'You did'.
You're trying to make this a lose for MLB. IT'S NOT.
Braun took a plea which means he was nailed. He can't deny anything in the future. Everything he said in the past or says now comes under 10 times the scrutiny. Whether he says he may not be perfect or 'I did it' means little.
His plea says everything.
I think the ruling was perfect. Why carry it into next year and be a huge topic of discussion for 2014?
Maybe it'll be different for ARod, I don't know.
For Braun, the penalty is not just in the 65 day suspension. He is now branded. The drug guy.
It'll never be the same for him.
Public sentiment will change against him just as it changed for fans wanting ARod to erase Bonds records to most fans having a hard time even stomaching ARod.
I know you'll disagree. It's in your nature.
But for MLB, and for the subject of PED's, it's as much as a win as they can get.

I Believe the goal of MLB is to have this entire mess behind them fully by Sept in respect to baseball. All players except a few possible, good to go for next year. I am hearing AROD is trying to avoid a lifetime ban, and that 1-2 more others might be facing the same thing. MLB Wants to know everything from every player as to the thier involvment. As I said way back when, the players who cooperated, which there appear to be quite a few, some names may not even come out, or thier may be suspensions of 0-25 games also for some. Most are going to be looking at 50 games. I'm looking forward to the playoff races this year, the playoffs and next year. This will be yesterdays news as far as I'm concerned. Finally we will have a Season as clean as can be, escpecially for Fantasy!!!!

[Outlaw]

Last post for the night.....

Phoenix - "I did not do this."

Ryan Braun could not have been more vehement in proclaiming his innocence as a victim of a flawed process as he gave an impassioned and stunningly detailed account Friday of what had transpired since being informed of a positive drug test in October.

One day after being told that he had won his appeal and avoided a 50-game suspension at the start of the regular season, Braun reported to the Milwaukee Brewers' spring training camp. After addressing teammates in a closed-door clubhouse meeting, Braun participated in a 30-minute news conference on the playing field at Maryvale Baseball Park.

Behind a large contingent of Milwaukee and national media seated on the field, many teammates, as well as members of the front office, sat in the stands to listen to an obviously angry Braun.

Much to the surprise of many who thought Braun would be sparse with details, he came out swinging with both fists, fighting to save his reputation and integrity. He criticized what he called a "fatally flawed" process in regard to his test and openly questioned what the collector might have been doing with his urine sample while failing to ship it for two days.

It was that chain-of-custody issue that ultimately led to Braun winning his appeal from a three-man arbitration panel. Independent arbitrator Shyam Das ruled in his favor because of questions that arose when collector Dino Laurenzi - who was not named during Braun's news conference - stored the drug sample at home for 44 hours before shipping it via FedEx to the major-league testing lab in Montreal.

"With what's at stake - this is my livelihood, this is my integrity, this is my character, this is everything that I've worked for in my entire life being called into question - we need to make sure we get it right," said an emotional Braun. "Today's about making sure this never happens again to anybody else who plays this game.

"The system in the way it was applied to me in this case was fatally flawed."

Beyond the chain-of-custody dispute, Braun stated several times that he was innocent in any event of taking any banned substance. He wanted to make it clear that aside from collection and shipment abnormalities, he was not a cheater.

"If I had done this intentionally or unintentionally, I'd be the first one to step up and say, 'I did it,' " said Braun, wearing a casual jacket as he stood at a podium under a bright Arizona sun.

"By no means am I perfect, but if I've ever made any mistakes in my life I've taken responsibility for my actions. I truly believe in my heart and I would bet my life that this substance never entered my body at any point.

"I've always had tremendous respect for the game of baseball, and part of the reason I've kept quiet throughout the course of this ordeal, and part of the reason why I won't be able to get into all of the details today, is to put the best interests of the game ahead of the best interests of myself. And that hasn't been easy.

"There were a lot of times when I wanted to come out and tell the entire story, to attack everybody as I've been attacked, as my name has been dragged through the mud as everything I've worked for my entire life was called into question.

"There were a lot of times I wanted to come out and tell the entire story, but at the end of the day I realized what's actually best for the game of baseball, and I put that ahead of what was actually best for myself.

"I've always stood up for what is right. Today is about everybody who's been wrongly accused, and everybody who has had to stand up for what is actually right. Today isn't about me; it isn't about one player. It's about all players. It's about all current players, all future players and everybody who plays the game of baseball."

Braun provided remarkable detail of the day the drug test was conducted. He said it was on Saturday, Oct. 1, the day the Brewers opened the National League Division Series against Arizona at Miller Park. The game was played at 1 p.m., and Braun said he provided a urine sample afterward at 4:30 p.m. He noted that Laurenzi's son was also there as a "chaperon."

Because Laurenzi thought it was too late to ship via FedEx that day, he took the sample and two others home and kept them refrigerated. He shipped the samples on Monday afternoon, and that time lapse left the opening that led to Braun's successful appeal defense.

"There were at least five FedEx locations within 5 miles of the stadium that were open until 9 p.m. and an additional FedEx location that was open for 24 hours," said Braun. "There were upwards of 18 or 19 FedEx locations that were open between the ballpark and his house that he could have dropped the samples off at. . . .

"Why he didn't bring it in, I don't know. On the day that he did finally bring it in, FedEx opened at 7:30 a.m. Why didn't he bring it in until 1:30 p.m.? I can't answer that question. Why was there zero documentation? What could have possibly happened to it during that 44-hour period?

"There were a lot of things that we learned about the collector, about the collection process, about the way that the entire thing worked that made us very concerned and very suspicious about what could have actually happened.

"We spoke to biochemists and scientists, and asked them how difficult would it be to tamper with somebody's sample. Their response was that if they were motivated, it would be extremely easy. Again, that's why it's so important to get it out of the hands of the only person in the world who knows whose sample it is."

During a question-and-answer period after his opening comments, Braun was asked specifically if he was accusing the collector of deliberately tampering with the player's urine sample.

"I honestly don't know what happened to it for that 44-hour period," replied Braun. "There are a lot of different things that could have possibly happened. There are a lot of things that we've heard about the collection process, the collector and some other people involved in the process that have certainly been concerning to us.

"But beyond that, as I've dealt with the situation, I know what it's like to be wrongly accused of something. For me to wrongly accuse somebody else of something wouldn't help anybody."

The office of Commissioner Bud Selig quickly responded to Braun's suggestion that Laurenzi might have done something inappropriate.

"The extremely experienced collector in Mr. Braun's case acted in a professional and appropriate manner," said Rob Manfred, executive vice president for labor relations. "He handled Mr. Braun's sample consistent with instructions issued by our jointly retained collection agency.

"The arbitrator found that those instructions were not consistent with certain language in our program, even though the instructions were identical to those used by many other drug programs - including the other professional sports and the World Anti-Doping Agency."

Manfred also took exception to the terminology "fatally flawed" by Braun but said changes would be forthcoming in how collectors deliver samples.

"Our program is not 'fatally flawed,' " said Manfred. "Changes will be made promptly to clarify the instructions provided to collectors regarding when samples should be delivered to FedEx based on the arbitrator's decision. Neither Mr. Braun nor the MLBPA contended in the grievance that his sample had been tampered with or produced any evidence of tampering."

Braun said his drug test result detected a testosterone level three times higher than had been recorded in any previous player. He said he tried to appeal to the panel that result made no sense whatsoever, and that its validity should be questioned.

Asked what might have triggered such a high testosterone level, which a source confirmed was synthetic, Braun said, "The most honest answer I can give you is that I'm 100% certain it's never entered my system. I can only speak for what happened until the time that the sample went missing. I have no idea what happened to it for that 44-hour period. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.

"I've lived this nightmare every day for the last four months. There's been a million possibilities that ran through my head. Ultimately, the scariest thing is that it was missing for a prolonged period of time and we have no idea what happened to it, what could have happened to it. It's a scary thought, without a doubt."

Braun revealed some of the reasoning for his innocence that he presented to the arbitration panel, what he called a "humanistic approach."

"I explained to them I'm 27 years old, I'm just entering my prime, I have a contract guaranteed for nine more years, I've been tested at least 25 times over the course of my career, at least three times this season prior to this test and an additional time when I signed my contract, including an extensive physical, blood test, everything you could imagine," said Braun.

"I've never had any issue; there's no evidence to suggest otherwise. And they said, 'That's great, we believe you, in fact, the other side believes you, none of this makes any sense to anybody.'

"I told them that I promise you on anything that's ever meant anything in my life - the morals, the values, the virtues by which I've lived in my 28 years on this planet - I did not do this. I told them that I would be an open book. I opened up my life to them. I told them I would be more than happy and willing to take any and every test to prove I didn't do this."

Braun said he had to withhold some details of his case because "it's supposed to be confidential and because of potential ongoing litigations and the fact I am considering all my legal options."

Braun even addressed rampant Internet rumors and reports that he tested positive for a very high level of testosterone because he was being treated for a sexually transmitted disease.

"There's never been a personal medical issue; I've never had an STD," said Braun. "Many of the stories that were erroneously reported by the initial network (ESPN) continue to live on, and it's sad and disappointing that this has become a PR battle and that people continue to leak information that's inaccurate."

Braun was asked about the initial MLB response to Das' verdict. A statement was released saying MLB officials "vehemently disagreed" with the finding, in essence saying Braun was cleared on a technicality.

"I respect their opinion," he said. "I have tried to respect the confidentiality of the process. I certainly respect the process and their position.

"What's sad and disappointing to me is that the players have agreed to this system. Major League Baseball has agreed to this system. Everybody else that is a part of this process has agreed to this system. Ultimately, the system decided that I was innocent and I've been exonerated. Beyond that, I certainly respect where they're coming from but respectfully disagree."

Braun said his side had some idea how news of his positive test leaked to the media, but "we don't know with any type of certainty." He said the real tragedy of the case going public was that he was unable to revel in the Brewers' playoff run as well as his National League most valuable player award.

"One of my biggest regrets having gone through this situation is that I can't ever get that time of my life back," he said. "It should have been an amazing time in my life. My team had an incredible season last year, finished two wins short of the World Series. I had a great year individually. I should have been able to enjoy the off-season and I didn't.

"It's been an extremely difficult, challenging time in my life. But at the end of the day, I know the truth. My friends, family, teammates, the Milwaukee Brewers organization and everybody who knows me, knows the truth.

"Ultimately, as I sit here today, the system worked because I am innocent and I was able to prove my innocence. After today, I look forward to returning my focus to the game of baseball, being able to get back with my teammates, allowing my life to return to some sense of normalcy and focusing on helping our team get back to the postseason."

Well written and documented cugjp1!!!

[Outlaw]

1st comment --- kudo's to Outlaw who had it right all along.
2nd comment -- no surprise at all -- he failed a test a year ago and SHOULD have been suspended then, and got off only on a technicality.
3rd comment --- This is not the last big name we will see suspended.

I take no pleasure on being right on this. We all have all had opinions and they are all to be repsected. I followed it because it interested me more than just baseball and fantasy. I've dealt with kids who used this stuff, inlculding a number 3 overall pick out of HS a few years ago, who now knows his Rotator blew because of the stuff and he was only 16-18 when using and muscles were not done growing. He's out of the game after 3 surgeries, he did get his multi million dollar bonus though. As for fantasy, I could have written every player who I believed is going down for this 3 months ago, but I didnt, other than the players who came from media sources. It would not have been fair to any unamed player to be named by anyone, less it was over the water cooler.

[Outlaw]

Ryan Braun


Outlaw in the movie version of this thread.


Nice job Mike. Thanks for keeping us up to date all season. I honestly came to this thread before anywhere else whenever looking for Biogenesis updates.

Thanks Glen. No joy in this for me, the joy will come in the future knowing this mess of over 20 years is fianally being dealt with the best it can, by MLB, the Union and the players. They are catching these cheaters in HS now, college now and for sure the minors, so they will never see the Show or the Money if any young player goes down this road. Will there be the scattered 1 or 2 MLB players who get nailed, probably, but not the 40%-75 some say were using at various times over the past 20 yrs. I tried to keep it as factual as could be. I sprinkled my opinions in here and there, stayed away from flat out accusing anyone, but I did come across some info over these past few months that told me it was just a matter of when and I tired to articualte that.

[knuckleheads]

Braun didn't even have to say he used PEDs. Just had to admit he was not perfect, which I think everybody already assumed.

Does it matter?
Really?
Braun is shamed. His statement tells me that he hasn't fully come to grips with what has happened. The questions directed at him now turn from 'Did you? to 'You did'.
You're trying to make this a lose for MLB. IT'S NOT.
Braun took a plea which means he was nailed. He can't deny anything in the future. Everything he said in the past or says now comes under 10 times the scrutiny. Whether he says he may not be perfect or 'I did it' means little.
His plea says everything.
I think the ruling was perfect. Why carry it into next year and be a huge topic of discussion for 2014?
Maybe it'll be different for ARod, I don't know.
For Braun, the penalty is not just in the 65 day suspension. He is now branded. The drug guy.
It'll never be the same for him.
Public sentiment will change against him just as it changed for fans wanting ARod to erase Bonds records to most fans having a hard time even stomaching ARod.
I know you'll disagree. It's in your nature.
But for MLB, and for the subject of PED's, it's as much as a win as they can get.

Well, Dan, as you wrote the above post to contrast my statement, it's not exactly prescient to predict I would disagree with your take.

What exactly did baseball win with this decision besides retribution for Braun's audacious gloating after the first Braun affair? A precedent for a 65 game suspension instead of 50?

[Outlaw]

A few points on this PEDs problem, and the how, when, why.....

For the players who did not cooperate, they basically sat with thier attorneys, MLB and the Union in meetings that lasted from 1-5 hrs. They responded to every question as preferring not to answer at this time. But the way the questions were delivered has given every player pause for thought. The Questions were worded in the way of facts, such as is this your address, is this your phone number, are these your money transactions, do you know of any pictures or recordings that have your voice on them, were you in such and such place on certain dates in certain years? So MLB gave them facts through the use of questions. Each player then could continue saying no comment or eventually come clean once they knew MLB had mountains of evidence.

Through the BioGen lawsuit in Florida, MLB interviewed over 50 people, 30 or so with subpoena. One of the last 2 still remaining named defendants (other than Tony B), turned last week and did a videotape Deposition after being ordered by the court to do so, under threat of perjury also. Over 250 additional subpoenas were issued to various shipping, phone, financial companies, etc..... This was not a small time problem MLB knew about it. They knew for some time it was big and far reaching, well before Miami New times broke the story. My guess is Porter Fisher went to New Times because he got wind MLB was all over this. It also appears MLB kept this real quite right until it broke and they were aware of players using last year, but couldn't catch them on failed tests, because the stuff was out of a players system in 24-48 hrs. Whether New times broke it or not, MLB was going to get to the bottom of this. They also received a lot of information from the DEA, FEDS and State of Florida and other States, who were all over this and still are....well before New Times released the info. Tony B and the players had no clue MLB was onto them, no more evidenced, by Tony B going to Detroit last playoff season to help the slumping Arod, who count hit a 70 mph FB with a snow shovel.

A little about these new Gen PEDS. They do help and they help rather dramatically and quickly in terms of energy, reflexes and strength. They are not greeneis, they are Greenies on Steroids. Just look at what Bonds was doing at 40. After 2 days or so you cant test for them for the most part with known testing, that is why MLB, WADA and other sports are now using advanced Testosterone baseline tests to establish what is normal for any athlete. However the treatments don't have be that often to have a fairly long lasting performance boost. That's why so many players turned to them in 08, 09, 10, 11.

[Outlaw]

Braun didn't even have to say he used PEDs. Just had to admit he was not perfect, which I think everybody already assumed.

Does it matter?
Really?
Braun is shamed. His statement tells me that he hasn't fully come to grips with what has happened. The questions directed at him now turn from 'Did you? to 'You did'.
You're trying to make this a lose for MLB. IT'S NOT.
Braun took a plea which means he was nailed. He can't deny anything in the future. Everything he said in the past or says now comes under 10 times the scrutiny. Whether he says he may not be perfect or 'I did it' means little.
His plea says everything.
I think the ruling was perfect. Why carry it into next year and be a huge topic of discussion for 2014?
Maybe it'll be different for ARod, I don't know.
For Braun, the penalty is not just in the 65 day suspension. He is now branded. The drug guy.
It'll never be the same for him.
Public sentiment will change against him just as it changed for fans wanting ARod to erase Bonds records to most fans having a hard time even stomaching ARod.
I know you'll disagree. It's in your nature.
But for MLB, and for the subject of PED's, it's as much as a win as they can get.

Well, Dan, as you wrote the above post to contrast my statement, it's not exactly prescient to predict I would disagree with your take.

What exactly did baseball win with this decision besides retribution for Braun's audacious gloating after the first Braun affair? A precedent for a 65 game suspension instead of 50?

MLB will have accomplished stronger testing, stronger discipline, new ways to test, a stronger relationship with the Union and the Clean players and most importantly a road map to make the game clean, the records mean something again and for the MAJORITY of Fans who wanted this dealt with once and for small. Braun and all the other dozens of players about to get thier due, in the long run, mean nothing. They will all be forgotten in short order for the most part and only rememebred as part of the Dark days of 2013 when many players got caught cheating. How many games they miss or money they lose, was not the objective.

[Outlaw]

Worth noting evidence against Braun showed ongoing pattern of significant PED use, as well as many others. They got it all, the Texts, pictures, emails, checks, shipping, phone calls, where the drugs came from and it goes back with most for years with Biogen, BioChem and other clinics.

[Outlaw]

Jeff Passan ‏@JeffPassan
Word out of the Brewers clubhouse almost universal: They were glad Ryan Braun got suspended. He straight-up lied to teammates. They're mad.

Can't see him playing for the Brewers next year if this is true. In fact he may have bigger legal problems coming his way soon anyhow and nothign to do with who and when he plays baseball again. Sad, Sad story....

[DOUGHBOYS]

Braun didn't even have to say he used PEDs. Just had to admit he was not perfect, which I think everybody already assumed.

Does it matter?
Really?
Braun is shamed. His statement tells me that he hasn't fully come to grips with what has happened. The questions directed at him now turn from 'Did you? to 'You did'.
You're trying to make this a lose for MLB. IT'S NOT.
Braun took a plea which means he was nailed. He can't deny anything in the future. Everything he said in the past or says now comes under 10 times the scrutiny. Whether he says he may not be perfect or 'I did it' means little.
His plea says everything.
I think the ruling was perfect. Why carry it into next year and be a huge topic of discussion for 2014?
Maybe it'll be different for ARod, I don't know.
For Braun, the penalty is not just in the 65 day suspension. He is now branded. The drug guy.
It'll never be the same for him.
Public sentiment will change against him just as it changed for fans wanting ARod to erase Bonds records to most fans having a hard time even stomaching ARod.
I know you'll disagree. It's in your nature.
But for MLB, and for the subject of PED's, it's as much as a win as they can get.

Well, Dan, as you wrote the above post to contrast my statement, it's not exactly prescient to predict I would disagree with your take.

What exactly did baseball win with this decision besides retribution for Braun's audacious gloating after the first Braun affair? A precedent for a 65 game suspension instead of 50?

You're not looking at the big picture. It matters little what Braun said in the past or what he says in the future.
He's a liar and liar's are never to be believed.
Palmeiro pointing his finger,Braun ridiculing MLB.
It all doesn't matter because their words have been deemed hollow.
Palmeiro knows. He's not in the public eye much.
I have a feeling you would have not liked any length of penalty just so it could be said that MLB did wrong or lost.
They got this one right.
Braun can do something he may never have done in an MLB uniform next year, play without the help of performance enhancing drugs. I think his injuries will take longer to heal and I don't think that he'll look nearly as gifted of an athlete.
It almost hurts to watch Melky Cabrera play baseball this year. If Braun reacts to no PED's like Cabrera, his drafters are going to be very, very sorry.
65 games with no appeal?
That's a win in no uncertain terms. Braun is dead, even to some life long fans.
He may not yet have grasped the ramifications and think that it can be blown off to most by saying he's not perfect.
It won't.
Fans will not hold him in high regard.
Teammates will think less of him.
The 'MB' on his hat may as well read 'PED'.
Baseball will never be the same for Ryan Braun.

[Outlaw]

Vuaghn Miller getting suspended for PEDS now. NFL is in for a big problem shortly. Speculation is BioKem with him and many others in the NFL. Do not fret, I'm not doing a NFL peds post, That game has PEDs use of up to 60% if not more. It will take them years to clean it, lest the FEDS decide to help them.

[Winston's Empire]

Being from Wisconsin, I can say most people completely believed Braun through all of this around this state. Heck, I believed him and so did Packers QB Aaron Rodgers who went to bat for him all over the place, including Twitter! #12 even bet a years salary on it

Ryan Braun will never be the same to any baseball fan or anybody in baseball who he tried smearing! Like Lance Armstrong, Braun was too good to be true and like Armstrong he was a bigger jerk than one would think possible when the truth started to circle!

[Winston's Empire]

"...But I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie, not a single time; never. These allegations are false. And I need to go back to work for the American people. Thank you!"

[Outlaw]

HAD TO LAUGH ON THIS TWEET FROM LOMO... At Least Yelitch and Marisank are on thier way for Fantasy teams needing OF help now... Shoot, Manny will be up soon when Cruz goes down...How Irinoc, 2 time cheater replacing another Cheat... Just writing that shows there is still work to be done...

Who's got FAAB money left?

Logan Morrison: "You know we're clean. We haven't scored a run in 37 innings." #marlins #braun

[Billyhaze]

Courtesy of Bill Plunkett Twitter-
@billplunkettocr

Most #Dodgers declined to discuss Ryan Braun suspension. Not Skip Schumaker. Strong words from him.
"I can't stand it. It (PED use) needs to be eliminated from the game. I have an autographed Ryan Braun jersey hanging in my baseball room at home that I'll be taking down now because I don't want my son connecting this with what I had to do to get to to where I am and to have what I have."
Braun's 65-game negotiated suspension is not enough for Schumaker.
"In my opinion, it should be an automatic lifetime ban," he said. "One strike -- you're out. ... It's ridiculous. They're still doing it?"
More:
"He lied. He lied to a lot of people. I was actually convinced after that MVP year that he didn't do anything. I think he should give that MVP trophy to Matt Kemp (runner-up in 2011)."
As for the rest of the names linked to the Biogenesis clinic in Florida:
"Suspend them all. It needs to get out of baseball."
A video of Braun came on the TVs in the locker room as Schumaker was talking.
"Watching him talk now -- it makes me sick," Schumaker said

[knuckleheads]

What exactly did baseball win with this decision besides retribution for Braun's audacious gloating after the first Braun affair? A precedent for a 65 game suspension instead of 50?

You're not looking at the big picture. It matters little what Braun said in the past or what he says in the future.
He's a liar and liar's are never to be believed.
Palmeiro pointing his finger,Braun ridiculing MLB.
It all doesn't matter because their words have been deemed hollow.
Palmeiro knows. He's not in the public eye much.
I have a feeling you would have not liked any length of penalty just so it could be said that MLB did wrong or lost.
They got this one right.
Braun can do something he may never have done in an MLB uniform next year, play without the help of performance enhancing drugs. I think his injuries will take longer to heal and I don't think that he'll look nearly as gifted of an athlete.
It almost hurts to watch Melky Cabrera play baseball this year. If Braun reacts to no PED's like Cabrera, his drafters are going to be very, very sorry.
65 games with no appeal?
That's a win in no uncertain terms. Braun is dead, even to some life long fans.
He may not yet have grasped the ramifications and think that it can be blown off to most by saying he's not perfect.
It won't.
Fans will not hold him in high regard.
Teammates will think less of him.
The 'MB' on his hat may as well read 'PED'.
Baseball will never be the same for Ryan Braun.

Yes, but all of that does nothing to help baseball. It all just hurts Ryan Braun.

I am not so upset with the result. It's actually a little stiffer than I thought MLB could get. I am upset with the way MLB conducted it's business. It was all out in the open, sloppy, and in the end, the bite did not nearly match the bark.

Real work to fix problems generally happens behind the scenes. When rampant leaking is occurring, you are not fixing a problem, you are starting a debate.

I can understand the disappointment of those who believed Braun. But logically, if a man is going to break the rules, you have to expect him to lie about it if questioned. Braun lied better than most, and many of his fans believed him. So that hurt is real, but also unnecessary. Had MLB followed the JDA confidentiality agreement, Braun never would have been asked to lie. His first case would have been thrown out without the public ever hearing about it.

That would have changed nothing in this current affair. MLB could have still investigated and arrived at the same conclusion, and they should have. But the first real information we should have heard on the subject is what was released yesterday. Then Braun's fans could have been shocked, and disappointed, but not lied to. He'd have served his suspension, admitted his failings, and for the most part been forgiven.

[Outlaw]

quote="knuckleheads"]

What exactly did baseball win with this decision besides retribution for Braun's audacious gloating after the first Braun affair? A precedent for a 65 game suspension instead of 50?

You have no idea what you are talking about Knuckleheads, The leaks never came from MLB, including the initial Braun test failure. MLB kept thier investigation and what they knew quite for well over a year before Braun tested positive in 2011 and then for well over another year until New times broke thier story. No one heard Grandal, Colon, Ruiz, Melky and others were getting suspended until it happened. As Joe Giradi said last night, If you Lie and If you Cheat you will be caught and have no one to blame but yourself.

When Liars and Cheaters get caught up in this stuff, its because they get in bed with people of the same character.

MLB had the top of top professional people leading this investigation.... Guys like Selig, Manfred, they let the experts catch these Cheaters and it was done as fair as possible, in spite of the slimy people on the Supply side and a houndog press after the "Story"

As far as why it matters, the story below is why it matters. Parents with teenagers in sports, including the 1.5 million boys and girls under 18 who experts say are using performance-enhancing drugs, should be thankful their kids will see the news of Braun and the others disgraced by doping, and perhaps think twice about what they are doing as parents. BTW AROD learned this stuff pays from his boyhood idol, Keith Hernandez who got busted for drugs and lied for months before he finally came clean and implicated the rplayers in the Pittsburgh drug trials. AROD was 10 when that went down and he said he was heartbroken.

The CYCLE and PATTERNS need to be broken and this is the Break form this point on. I'm confident I'll get to live my remaining years knowing MLB and the Union are running the cleanest game possible. My eyes tell me now that over the past year, Players size has already shrunk, offense is way down over the past 2 years. If you look all over at various players you can see it in players. I said months ago, has anyone taken notice of just how small physically Braun has become?

Read the story at http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseb ... -1.1405314. you can see the disappointment in the kids pictures. All through this latest PEDS problem there have been similar stories all over the country about the influence these athletes have on kids and even their ill informed parents, thinking its an easy way to the show and money. Every other sport had better take notice too, the clock is ticking on them all to clean up their sports.... Once again, Baseball, the sport of America and the kids will lead the way...and Good for them.

Job Well done MLB, Selig, Manfred, Owners, Union, Mike Weiner, Clean players!!!!!!!!!!!

Inwood-Manhattan Little Leaguers tell A-Rod to take his time recovering from strained quad
Young sluggers of the Inwood-Manhattan Little League aren't impressed with the A-Rod's sweet deal as the Yankees' controversial third baseman heads to Florida to recover from a strained quadriceps.
By Andy Mai AND Stephen Rex Brown / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Monday, July 22, 2013, 8:46 AM

Alex Rodriguez won’t be playing baseball anytime soon — and that’s just fine by the little sluggers of the Inwood-Manhattan Little League.
The Yankees said Sunday that A-Rod would head to Florida to rest his strained quadriceps — but the majority of young baseball players who compete just north of the slugger’s native Washington Heights told the Daily News that Rodriguez could take his sweet time returning to the diamond.

“He’s the highest-paid player, and he doesn’t do anything!” said Luis Perez, 16, referring to the three-time MVP’s 10-year, $275 million contract, which doesn’t run out until 2017.

The third baseman has yet to play this season following hip surgery. He was supposed to return to the Yankees as early as Monday, until he strained his leg during his minor-league rehab stint.
Kevin Brito, 15, who plays on the Inwood youth league’s Yankees squad, doesn’t care either way. He said Rodriguez’ performance-enhanced career had left him disenchanted with big league stars in general.

“He has to change his attitude — he thinks he’s the God of baseball, but he’s not,” said the pinstriped youth-leaguer.
“Nowadays it’s which player do you like who is not using PEDs?”

But even A-Rod’s critics in Inwood Hill Park conceded the Yankees’ lineup could benefit from the controversial hitter — even one coming off of major surgery.

“He does make a difference,” said Isaac Cejeda, 16. “Like it or not, we need him.”
But that didn’t mean they liked him.

“Baseball used to be pure talent, now it’s just PEDs,” said Matthew Stolz, 17, who also played for the Inwood squad.
“We’re going to have to evaluate A-Rod before we welcome him back.”

If they get the chance, of course. The News, citing sources close to the Rodriguez affair, has reported Rodriguez is considering claiming he is physically unable to perform and then retire from the game before he can receive a likely suspension for alleged use of performance enhancing drugs provided by the Biogenesis clinic in Miami.

The move would allow him to collect his full salary — $100 million over the next five years.

Still, Kengry Badia, 14, said he hoped team captain Derek Jeter and Rodriguez would return soon and bolster hopes of a playoff run.

“As soon as him and Jeter come back, they’re going to be better,” Badia said.

[Outlaw]

Seems AROD wants to fight and drag baseball down to the gutter. Funny his Attorney is the same one Braun had when he appealed his failed test, David Cornwell. I pointed out 2 months ago where Cornwell and Braun told different stories on both of their BioGen stories. Funny how Cornwell was dropped by Braun a while ago.

AROD says MLB had more on Braun than on him... that is laughable... He'll bring down anyone to save his own skin. ARODS whole endgame is to avoid a lifetime ban. He most likely wants a similar deal as Braun, but he's not getting it. I can see this year and all of next year as the best deal for him. Ultimately he'll take that too and this noise about MLB and the Yankees conspiring against him, is just that, noise. Seems he is irritated that JETER is allowed in the dugout while on the DL and he is not. Look in the mirror AROD, no one wants you around. I Would not be surprised if AROD also brings down other Yankees who used PEDS. Braun is slick, knowing the whole focus will be on AROD shortly.

[Outlaw]

Do not fret, I'm not doing a NFL peds post, That game has PEDs use of up to 60% if not more. It will take them years to clean it, lest the FEDS decide to help them.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/ne ... &eref=sihp

The NFL and the Players Association are closer to HGH testing than ever before. The sides have agreed in principle on a population study for HGH testing, according to an email the union has sent to its players. The study is a precursor to formal HGH testing.

Procedural issues such as the storage of blood samples and how positive tests would be tied to the larger Performance Enhancing Drug policy still must be resolved, but the sides hope to finalize those details before the end of the week.

If that happens, every NFL player will have blood drawn in current training camps for the population study, which will be used to determine the decision limit for a positive test.

It's believed that once an agreement is reached, it will be the most scientifically valid HGH test in pro sports. Major League Baseball is the only professional league that has HGH testing, but it did not do a population study.

One of the things being discussed is whether the blood samples used in the population study will be subject to discipline once an official HGH policy is finalized. The union is arguing that the test can't be retroactive.