Braun, Biogenesis and the Whole Crazy Thing

[brettac1]

I drafted Braun in two fantasy leagues yesterday.

 

I guess I don't think a suspension is coming.

[bullox]

I drafted Braun in two fantasy leagues yesterday.

 

I guess I don't think a suspension is coming.

 

Based on his average draft position, I'd say that the majority of baseball fans agree with you.

[ninja33]

MLB sues the wrong person. Strong work!

 

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9138889/mlb-admits-paulo-da-silveira-not-connected-biogenesis-peds

[TooLiveBrew]

Man, MLB is looking sooooo bad in all of this. I have to imagine it won't be much longer before they realize that & give up.

[splitterpfj]

Never underestimate the power of the dark side...

[splitterpfj]

This whole story just keeps getting weirder. MLB has purchased Biogenesis documents from an employee, and apparently, players were attempting to purchase documents, to destroy them.

 

The next chapter...

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/national/mlb/report-baseball-pays-for-clinic-documentse8ed7e4bf68044febc79791983346f40-202639071.html

[Schlitz001]

This whole story just keeps getting weirder. MLB has purchased Biogenesis documents from an employee, and apparently, players were attempting to purchase documents, to destroy them.

 

The next chapter...

 

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/national/mlb/report-baseball-pays-for-clinic-documentse8ed7e4bf68044febc79791983346f40-202639071.html

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/12/sports/baseball/documents-at-anti-aging-clinic-up-for-sale-in-doping-case.html?_r=0

 

That is the original New York Times article. They raise a good point about MLB possibly shooting themselves in the foot by purchasing these documents.

 

Did anyone else think of Ryan Braun right away when they suggested players were trying to purchase the documents? In my mind, he would have the most to lose if the information is leaked, at least of the names currently tied to the documents.

[dlk9s]

Well obviously people are going to think of Braun because he is one of the names linked to Biogenesis. It's not like anyone's thinking of, say, Todd Helton.

[pebadger]

What is the evidence that any player was attempting to buy documents? We have third-hand word of mouth and nothing direct.

 

Given what has happened in this saga how can anyone trust anything related to these 'documents' on their face? They certainly don't appear to have been well or carefully maintained. We now have people selling them, possibly to multiple parties, and these are the same people whose testimony would be necessary to authenticate and add context to the documents. You don't have to have gone to law school and taken a course in the rules of evidence to see what a farce this is.

[bylo tesi me]

What is the evidence that any player was attempting to buy documents? We have third-hand word of mouth and nothing direct.

 

Given what has happened in this saga how can anyone trust anything related to these 'documents' on their face? They certainly don't appear to have been well or carefully maintained. We now have people selling them, possibly to multiple parties, and these are the same people whose testimony would be necessary to authenticate and add context to the documents. You don't have to have gone to law school and taken a course in the rules of evidence to see what a farce this is.

 

 

Agreed. So if I'm a former employee being investigated by the federal government, all I need to do to raise money is print up a few documents and offer to sell them to the highest bidder. Players or MLB. Who cares if they are factual or not. It's not blackmail as long as they are not forcing anyone to pay. Does MLB or the players even know what is contained in the supposed documents before purchasing them? I would seriously question that.

[JohnBriggs12]

Lets see. I'm a former employee of an outfit that sold illegal substances, and I get wind that there's money to be made by selling "documents"? Talk about easy money! All the guy would need to have would be some letter head from the firm.

 

Any guy fresh out of law school would have a field day with this set of circumstances.

[fondybrewfan]

It sure seems that if any player is suspended by MLB through Biogenesis that MLB would be in a world of hurt if said player sued. There have been a ridiculous amount of questionable tactics sorrounding this case.

 

If MLB actually tried to suspend Braun I am guessing Braun could sue and even if he were to end up losing; postpone the suspension for a long time.

[thebruce44]

It sure seems that if any player is suspended by MLB through Biogenesis that MLB would be in a world of hurt if said player sued. There have been a ridiculous amount of questionable tactics sorrounding this case.

 

If MLB actually tried to suspend Braun I am guessing Braun could sue and even if he were to end up losing; postpone the suspension for a long time.

 

You know, Braun has caught a lot of guff for not explaining his side of the story and "hiding behind his lawyers" but this may very well be the exact reason he has done it.

 

Could it be possible his lawyers knew how upset and revenge minded MLB might be? My buddy is a lawyer and one of the first things he told me he learned in law school is just how many trivial cases there are because of nothing more than spite.

[torts]

My buddy is a lawyer and one of the first things he told me he learned in law school is just how many trivial cases there are because of nothing more than spite.

 

my law professor said pretty much the same thing

[JohnBriggs12]

The fervor with which this is being pursued makes me wonder if there wasn't more to the mishandling of the sample that got Braun in hot water to begin with. Could their tactic be to keep Braun's legal team busy with this nonsense rather than have them bring up issues in the original case, that heretofore we are not aware of? Braun in his statement way back in spring of 2012 did say there was more to this.

[MadScientist]

Buying medical information may put MLB in a grey area as far as HIPPA goes. If they try to use it that information to suspend players MLB might be in an even worse position.

[burnzy24]

Looks like the player trying to buy the documents was A-Rod.

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/04/12/report-a-rod-tried-to-purchase-the-biogenesis-documents/

[PrinceEatMeat]

Figured it was A-Rod. That made the most sense.

[pebadger]

My buddy is a lawyer and one of the first things he told me he learned in law school is just how many trivial cases there are because of nothing more than spite.

 

my law professor said pretty much the same thing

 

I've seen it first hand a lot. I've seen people hire attorneys in small claims stuff and spend way more than the amount at stake in the case just to stick it to a neighbor or a party to an unsatisfactory transaction.

[dlk9s]

I once returned a jacket out of spite.

[brettac1]

This is just more and more awesome by the day.

[pebadger]

It appears that everything that goes to press in this story is suspect.

 

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9165418/no-evidence-tying-alex-rodriguez-purchasing-biogenesis-records-sources-say

[ELCABALLO45]

Love how ESPN goes right at bat to defend ARod but if it was Braun they would just agree with it I bet.

[Schlitz001]

Well obviously people are going to think of Braun because he is one of the names linked to Biogenesis. It's not like anyone's thinking of, say, Todd Helton.

 

I meant out of the names connected to Biogenesis. I thought that was obvious.

 

And like the Times article says, there is no hard evidence that A-Rod tried to buy documents.

[pebadger]

Interesting new info from Biogenesis and Anthony Bosch:

 

Asked about players under his care, Bosch cut in and said, "Allegedly under my care. If you are going to ask me about baseball players, I have no comment on any baseball players or anybody else associated with baseball players."

 

. . . .

 

The only player Bosch would discuss at all was Braun, whose name appears on at least two Biogenesis documents. One list has been described by sources as a list of players who received PEDs from the clinic or Bosch, and indicates that Braun owed $1,500. Another, as reported by Yahoo! Sports, said Braun owed $20,000-$30,000. Braun denied receiving drugs and issued a statement in February saying his legal team consulted with Bosch a year earlier when he successfully appealed a positive test for steroids.

 

"I just answered a few questions from his legal team, not from Braun or any other ballplayer," Bosch said. He would not say what the questions were.

 

I wonder if ESPN will emphasize this at all. Nah. They won't.

 

http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/9225734/biogenesis-director-tony-bosch-denies-knowledge-steroid-distribution-says-ped-reports-inaccurate