MLB suspended Ryan Braun for the rest of the season.
Major League Baseball has suspended Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season and he has accepted the penalty, meaning he was caught red-handed either buying and/or using performance-enhancing drugs.
The suspension takes place immediately, so Braun will be suspended for the final 65 games of the season, beginning with the Brewers’ game Monday night at Miller Park against San Diego. The sanction came as a result of MLB’s investigation into the infamous Biogenesis clinic, which was exposed as having sold PEDs to players after documents were released to various news agencies earlier this year.
The suspension also exposed Braun as a liar because he has stated many times that he never used PEDs and never wavered from that stance. He recently told reporters, “The truth hasn’t changed,” referring to ongoing speculation that he would be suspended for PED use.
That’s from his home town newspaper. At this point, those who thought Braun got off on a technicality for failing a drug test were proven correct.
This likely won’t make much of a difference to the Brewers this year. Braun was out for a while, and with Milwaukee 18 1/2 games out of first place and 13 1/2 out of the wild card, they probably were not going to make the playoffs. Now they can play for a draft pick.
A-Rod should hope to get the same deal.
I wonder if the home run bonus portion of Alex’s contract could be voided. He was supposed to be the “clean” player who took the home run crown away from the “dirty” Barry Bonds. But not true anymore.
Be interesting to have a count of which players have denied PED use and later found out to have used them.
Lot’s of lying and cheating going on. Why do broadcasters always talk about these players as having “character” … it’s a bunch of puffery. Players have the same problem as other super-successful people (CEO’s, etc). They become different people (despite attestations that “they haven’t changed”). They start believing their headlines and believe they are “above” the norms, rules, and laws that apply to “other people”.
Unlike last year when the Brewers expected to compete, his suspension this year is a blessing. Thanks MLB.
Arod is next obviously. I suspect his latest injury is a fake to give him time to work out his deal. I expect 100+ games for Arod since the Yankees need some relief for next year.
Given the last arbitrator was fired for ruling for the players, I am guessing the players are not expecting a fair hearing and will deal.
Would love to know what the evidence is that the players don’t feel they could challenge even with a biased arbitrator.
Off the top of my head, the only players to never deny steroid use are Jose Canseco and Tom House.
I wish Braun would come out and say “I lied before. I knew what I did was wrong and was hoping I would never be found out. I’m sorry. Now I have to have some conversations with the people I hurt.” And then disappear for awhile.
I wish being caught using PED’s would null and void the contract and force the offending player into a renegotiation. If the current team didn’t want that, they would be allowed to walk away. You tend to get the message when you’re hit in the wallet.
jrs » Read my latest post. One of my suggestions is that the union take over policing drug use, and the penalty is the union will no longer recognize the current player contract as guaranteed.