Braun, Biogenesis and the Whole Crazy Thing

[splitterpfj]

http://www.baseballintheblood.com/?p=912

[markedman5]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/03/19/ryan-braun-remains-calm-amid-drug-firestorm/2001581/

[Warning Track Power]

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/20/in-focusing-on-braun-major-league-baseball-is-abandoning-the-principles-of-its-drug-testingenforcement-program/

 

Getting embarassing for MLB if they are willing to let the "small fish" go to get the "big fish." While we are obviously biased towards Braun because it makes our team better, I really hope this ends up with egg all over MLB's face. What an absolute joke.

[Crew2323]

At what point will Bud Selig start being roundly booed in Milwaukee? Have we gotten to that point now?

[Patrick425]

Wow..this looks like it could get pretty ugly.

[PrinceEatMeat]

This is ridiculous. Selig is a joke. Saw this tweet that couldn't have said it any better. "I find it funny that in the MLB’s crusade to uphold the integrity of their program, they’re sacrificing more of that integrity in process."

[Teatoe993]

I wouldn't wanna be the Selig statue at Miller Park if this witch hunt keeps going the way it's going.

 

This whole ordeal is starting to turn into good material for Ken Burns to use for the 11th inning of 'Baseball'. Or at the very least, a 30 For 30 episode.

[Thurston Fluff]

I'm all for investigating. If Braun cheated he should be hammered. I am not for the way MLB is going about it. They have suspended a minor leaguer because they didn't believe what he told them. At some point is it belief or not hearing what you want? AT this point it is hard to determine if MLB's motives are sincere investigation or a witch hunt. That means now other minor league players on the list have a dilemma. They have to choose between telling MLB what it wants to hear or be honest and face a possible career threatening suspension. I fail to see how that helps at all. If all they are interested in is getting Braun and A-Rod then I think they have crossed the line from legitimate investigating to harassment.

[Ennder]

There is no way the players union will stand for this anyway. I don't think the owners will either to be honest. What stops a player from making crud up about a player on a competing team in their division. This is just too slippery of a slope to go down. Just like with the first Braun suspension this will be a case where MLB learns they aren't as powerful as they think they are and will come out look like morons to the educated while the players look bad to the senseless masses.

[umphrey]

I'm all for investigating. If Braun cheated he should be hammered. I am not for the way MLB is going about it. They have suspended a minor leaguer because they didn't believe what he told them. At some point is it belief or not hearing what you want? AT this point it is hard to determine if MLB's motives are sincere investigation or a witch hunt. That means now other minor league players on the list have a dilemma. They have to choose between telling MLB what it wants to hear or be honest and face a possible career threatening suspension. I fail to see how that helps at all. If all they are interested in is getting Braun and A-Rod then I think they have crossed the line from legitimate investigating to harassment.

 

I would be upset if I was that minor leaguer. His options apparently were admit guilt and get 50 games or deny it and get 100 games. Whether he was actually guilty or not didn't seem to matter.

[Patrick425]

To be honest, I'm not sure what to believe any more. The article states "a source close to the investigation". Sounds familiar. Like "a source close to Braun", "a source close to Bosch", "a source close to the players union". A lot of these "A source close to" pieces have been garbage. I'm going to have a hard time believing that MLB will ask players to "rat out" other players until I see better evidence of this or an actual statement coming directly from MLB or the player's union.

[dlk9s]

I'm actually starting to enjoy this whole fiasco. It's getting very entertaining and no matter what someone's opinion is on the matter, they have a villain against which to root!

[Thurston Fluff]

I'm going to have a hard time believing that MLB will ask players to "rat out" other players until I see better evidence of this or an actual statement coming directly from MLB or the player's union.

 

A minor league player got suspended 100 games for his first offense. Not a failed test but for being on a list. So 50 games for being on the list and 50 games for something else. That isn't hearsay from a source close to the players. We can verify he was suspended for 100 games. We can also verify he wasn't suspended before. So that extra 50 games came for something other than a second drug offense. It isn't out of line to think it was for being deemed uncooperative. That is far more evidence to go on than MLB did when it suspended him.

[Nottso]

There is no way the players union will stand for this anyway. I don't think the owners will either to be honest. What stops a player from making crud up about a player on a competing team in their division. This is just too slippery of a slope to go down. Just like with the first Braun suspension this will be a case where MLB learns they aren't as powerful as they think they are and will come out look like morons to the educated while the players look bad to the senseless masses.

 

It's always better to have the guys with the torches and the pitchforks on your side. For MLB, the collective opinion of said senseless masses carries much more weight ($$$) than does the collective opinion of the educated.

[trwi7]

Interesting how MLB had no problem taking in record revenues in the 90's while they looked the other way about steroids. Then the feds got involved and MLB was forced to do something about it.

[Thurston Fluff]

Didn't they implement drug testing for the minor leagues in the 90's? I'd hardly call that looking the other way. The reason they didn't do so in the major leagues wasn't due to looking the other way so they could get more money either. They could not do anything without union consent in the majors. They have been far more proactive within the confines of what they could actually do than you give them credit for. The NFL I think looks the other way more so than MLB does these days.

[splitterpfj]

Both of those articles are saying what I said in mine...this is a mess, and it has been at every step along the way. The longer they drag this out, the worse the whole thing gets, and if they head where this may be heading, they're going to start a fresh war between owners and players, while taking all credibility away from their own drug testing program.

 

They have a process in place, and it was followed...the player won the appeal. MLB fired the arbitrator, and now they're turning their own program on its head to get one or two guys...it's like the kid who flips the checkerboard over because he's about to lose.

 

I'm embarrassed for everyone involved in this disaster.

[splitterpfj]

Why do I think this is going to end up in court?

[PrinceFielderx1]

Why do I think this is going to end up in court?

 

Who is going to take who to court is the million dollar question.

[JohnBriggs12]

Isn't attempting to nail one player through means other than testing, an indictment of the testing process itself? Aren't the reason they are after Braun that his successful defense brought the testing process into question?

 

So which is it Bud? Are you saying you can't nail Braun with your test because it's not foolproof so you need to find other dubious means to punish him for making that exact point?

 

As for Bud's statue, I'm not advocating vandalism, but a few placards attached to it might get the point across.

[JimH5]

Some of the talking heads (Heyman, Buster, etc.) talk about the joint agreement not requiring a failed drug test to suspend a player if there is other evidence. I don't really have a problem with MLB pursuing Braun or A-Rod or anyone, really.

 

If the evidence is there, they'll get suspended. If not, they won't. And I think it would hammer the point home to players of all skill level that MLB is serious. If they're willing to go after two greats, they'll go after anyone. Nobody gets a free pass because they're an All Star.

[pebadger]

The multi-million dollar question: What constitutes "evidence" in a system that doesn't recognize that an accused has the right to fully confront witnesses against him?

[JimH5]

True, but none of us will know the nuances of what goes on in these cases. And the players do have the MLBPA in their corner, so they have pretty solid backing on their side.

 

And they probably still have the right to sue in regular court, if their salary is held from them unlawfully.

 

MLB is at least putting a serious face on their pursuit of a cleaner game.

[jjfanec]

True, but none of us will know the nuances of what goes on in these cases. And the players do have the MLBPA in their corner, so they have pretty solid backing on their side.

 

And they probably still have the right to sue in regular court, if their salary is held from them unlawfully.

 

MLB is at least putting a serious face on their pursuit of a cleaner game.

 

Giving immunity players to get info on a known cheater and a guy who the MLB wants to prove is a user is not putting on serious face. Why are they just going after those two? They were not the only two guys on the list. You go after these two because ARod is already public enemy number 1 and he has already said he used. He is very safe to go after. You go after Braun because you think he beat your system and it saves face to find out he did. They are putting on a serious face that they want people to think the MLB is pursuing a much cleaner game

[Warning Track Power]

True, but none of us will know the nuances of what goes on in these cases. And the players do have the MLBPA in their corner, so they have pretty solid backing on their side.

 

And they probably still have the right to sue in regular court, if their salary is held from them unlawfully.

 

MLB is at least putting a serious face on their pursuit of a cleaner game.

 

Giving immunity players to get info on a known cheater and a guy who the MLB wants to prove is a user is not putting on serious face. Why are they just going after those two? They were not the only two guys on the list. You go after these two because ARod is already public enemy number 1 and he has already said he used. He is very safe to go after. You go after Braun because you think he beat your system and it saves face to find out he did. They are putting on a serious face that they want people to think the MLB is pursuing a much cleaner game

Couldn't have said it better myself. While I agree that cleaning up the game is important, granting immunity to known users to get others doesn't clean the game. If so, what precludes Braun or A-Rod from staying quiet about others potentially? I'm guessing immunity doesn't apply to the "big fish."