CLAY MOYLE
I see Major League Baseball just announced the suspension of reigning
National League MVP Ryan Braun for the rest of the season in the face of “overwhelming” evidence that he’d used “a sophisticated doping regimen” for an extended period of time per an article that appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
According to the article, in the wake of the fallout of the Biogenesis case investigation Braun had no choice but to accept the 65-game penalty or face a much longer suspension. As a result, the scumbag becomes the first former MVP to receive a suspension under the MLB drug program.
I use the term “scumbag” because Braun is the guy who skated on a charge of a positive drug test over a year ago as a result of a chain-of-custody technicality and had the gall to openly question the motives of the poor guy who collected the specimen while suggesting it would be very easy for him to tamper with the sample.
Once he was vindicated, the self-righteous SOB went on to tell the press that if he’d taken any performance enhancing drugs intentionally or unintentionally, he’d be the first one to openly admit it.
Going even further, he said, “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 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.”
RYAN BRAUN
How on earth does a guy who was obviously so guilty get the nerve to issue a statement like that when he’d clearly taken the drugs, and only managed to avoid punishment because he’d won an appeal when an independent arbitrator overturned the results of the drug test?
In a statement issued to the press after the announcement of his suspension for the rest of this season yesterday, Braun said, “I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions.”
Really, it’s just now that he realizes he has made some mistakes? It’s now that he’s willing to admit and is willing to accept the punishment for his actions? Only when the overwhelming evidence has come to light and he has no other choice?
Of course, Braun went on to apologize to anyone he may have disappointed and express his relief to have the matter behind him once and for all. He also offered how anxious he is to get back to the game he loves.
Somehow, I don’t believe the matter is now, or will ever be behind him. There was no specific apology expressed to the individual who had collected that urine sample that he all but flat out accused of tampering with it last year.
When Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker heard of the suspension he said, “I guess this gives an example to the kids what not to do.”
I just wish Braun had been suspended from baseball for life and the kids were given an even better example. Braun will have to forfeit approximately $3.3 million over the rest of this season, but the Brewers signed him to a five-year $105 million contract extension two years ago so he won’t be hurting financially over the next few years.
There will be more player suspensions to follow as a result of the investigation connected to Biogenesis. I’m glad to see the Major League Baseball Players Association has stated they won’t fight for any players who might be suspended when faced with overwhelming evidence that they used performance-enhancing drugs.
None of the names of players facing suspensions are more prominent than our old Seattle Mariners buddy Alex Rodriquez. I see in an ESPN article they are saying that the evidence against Rodriguez is “more substantial” and “far beyond than what MLB had on Braun.” Rodriguez, however, is trying to cut a deal to minimize damages to what if anything remains of his own career.
While listening to the comments about Braun’s suspension on the radio this morning I was reminded of an infamous interview Katie Couric conducted with Rodriquez on the 60 Minutes television show in 2007.
During the interview, Rodriguez told Couric he’d never been tempted to use steroids, human growth hormones or any other performance enhancing substance.
When she asked him if he never felt like he should look into it because of an awareness of certain players putting up bigger numbers as a result of doing so, he told her he’d never felt overmatched on the baseball field and had always been in a very strong dominant position without them.
When she asked him about his reaction to the investigation of steroid use by ballplayers at that time he replied as follows:
“Katie, you’re putting me in a tough spot. These are guys that I play with. They’re my teammates, friends. If anything comes of this it would be extremely disappointing. It would be a huge black eye on the game of baseball.”
But, I think anyone paying attention might have found it telling a moment later when she asked him who he thought held the all-time home run record, Barry Bonds with 762 in light of the accusations of his steroid use, or Hank Aaron with 755.
“Well I think Barry Bonds, he has 762” replied Rodriguez.
“But he has an asterisk next to his names,” said Katie.
“Does he, not yet right?” replied Rodriquez as he went on to say Bonds was innocent until proven guilty.
Well, Rodriquez would go on to admit to his own guilt less than two years later when he admitted taking steroids during the years 2001 – 2003 during an interview with ESPN’s Peter Gammons. But, in typical scumbag fashion he went out of his way to point out it was the culture at the time and he’d done so only because of the pressure he felt to measure up to the huge contract he’d just signed with the Texas Rangers.
He went on to say he’d since proven with his performance on the field he didn’t need the drugs to produce the big numbers.
When Gammons asked him if he was saying the only time period he’d used the drugs was 2001, 2002 and 2003, Rodriguez replied:
“Uh, that’s pretty accurate.”
Pretty accurate that he used them only during those three years?
Umm no, I’d think it’s probably pretty accurate it wasn’t only those years, eh Alex?
Here’s hoping Rodriguez receives the stiffest penalty of the bunch.