Per ESPN: Braun Tests Positive, May Face 50 Game Suspension (Part 2)

[splitterpfj]

One thing that keeps getting skipped over, but has never added up for me...

 

The reports are that Braun had an insanely high level of testosterone, and that the testosterone was shown to be synthetic....but he is said to have taken a banned substance, NOT a PED, which synthetic testosterone most assuredly is.

 

I believe there are key details that have yet to be leaked in this case, because, as ridiculous as this explanation may seem, it is simply not possible to have sky high synthetic testosterone in your body, unless you ingested synthetic testosterone.

 

HGH, for example, DOES NOT introduce synthetic T into your body...it causes your body to produce more of its own natural T.

 

If you took a PED, that's what you'd have in your body. If you took a banned substance, yes, it may cause you to have high T levels...but you can't get SYNTHETIC T into your body without ingesting exactly that.

 

This makes no sense...Braun did not take a PED, but he somehow managed to have an unbelievable amount of T in his body, which was synthetic...that, right there, appears to be a contradiction.

 

I have no knowledge at all when it comes to the testing process, but I do understand hormone therapy...this is some very strange math.

[brettac1]

I agree. Everything is certainly very murky to this point.

[endaround]

They have no clue what Braun took from what they say the tests were. And they don't need to. He had too high a ratio and they found synthetic T. They don't care what caused it, that isn't allowed. And it falls under the PED rules and not the drug abuse or methamphetamine rules. All the banned vs PED means is they don't know what Braun took.

[CheezWizHed]

Anyone who knows about steroids or has used knows you will have spikes. In size, weight lifting numbers, or something like homeruns.

 

Well, I can't tell if his head got any bigger, but his hair sure did! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[GreatEgret]

Anyone who knows about steroids or has used knows you will have spikes. In size, weight lifting numbers, or something like homeruns.

 

Well, I can't tell if his head got any bigger, but his hair sure did! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

Maybe his hair is hiding his newly big head. (blue intended).

[splitterpfj]

I talked to Chipper Jones today. I see him once a year, and I always tell him to get himself traded to Milwaukee. When I said it today, he said, "You guys have a really good third baseman now, Aramis is really good." I agreed, then I said, "Well, can you play first base?" He gave me a "Hell yeah!"

 

Then, I said, "Braun was framed", to which Chipper replied, "I sure hope something's wrong with that, he's one of the really great guys." We talked about Ryan for a minute, and what the chances are of him avoiding suspension, he posed with me for a quick picture, and I was on my way.

 

Chipper really does seem to like Braun, and he absolutely does hope this whole thing blows over and goes away...I just thought I'd share that.

[LouisEly]

Steroids don't help hitters make contact, but they do help hit home runs.

I'll disagree with that. Steroids improve your eyesight, which helps you see the ball better. Steroids also improve your reaction time, which helps you react to the pitch quicker. Both, I will argue, indirectly help you make contact.

 

Will they turn a .200 hitter into a .300 hitter? No. But seeing the ball better and having quicker reaction time will help you make contact more frequently.

[TheCrew]

In theory, wouldn't improved contact lead to more HR's in itself?

[Mass Haas]

Steroids don't help hitters make contact, but they do help hit home runs.

And they help routine fly balls become deeper sacrifice flies, and harder-hit ground balls sneak through the infield more often, and harder-hit line drives find the gaps more frequently -- all these years, I wish more folks in the media had made these points.

[CWSOmaha]

Just to add something similar to what was previously posted about Chipper Jones. Right after word came out about Braun failing the test, I emailed Jim Morris, his coach at Miami. I met Coach Morris in Omaha at the CWS in 2008 (I've been going to the CWS since 2000). He and I have exchanged emails a couple times a year since then. Pretty cool to be able to email and get an immediate response from a D-1 baseball coach who's successful as he's been in college baseball.

Coach Morris said "we shouldn't prejudge Ryan and he doesn't know what happened. He wants a chance and we should give him that." Every time I have talked to Coach Morris he has never said anything bad about Ryan and has always said "he's a great kid, who's very smart and confident".

I know this is nothing earth shattering.

[Beast Light]

Steroids don't help hitters make contact, but they do help hit home runs.

I'll disagree with that. Steroids improve your eyesight, which helps you see the ball better. Steroids also improve your reaction time, which helps you react to the pitch quicker. Both, I will argue, indirectly help you make contact.

 

Will they turn a .200 hitter into a .300 hitter? No. But seeing the ball better and having quicker reaction time will help you make contact more frequently.

I will agree with your disagreement. In addition to what you mentioned, just look at Barry Bonds. His bat speed was quicker in his late 30's than it was in his mid 20's. Quicker bat speed, improved eye sight and quicker reaction time would all have to improve your ability to make contact.

 

As mentioned earlier, once contact is made, deep fly balls go out of the park, grounders that the SS would otherwise get to have enough mustard to sneak into the outfield ..etc. There is a reason Barry Bonds was able to hit .358 over the seasons in which he was 37, 38 and 39 years old. His batting average up until that point, throwing out his rookie season in which he hit .223, was .295.

[Beast Light]

I talked to Chipper Jones today. I see him once a year, and I always tell him to get himself traded to Milwaukee. When I said it today, he said, "You guys have a really good third baseman now, Aramis is really good." I agreed, then I said, "Well, can you play first base?" He gave me a "Hell yeah!"

 

Then, I said, "Braun was framed", to which Chipper replied, "I sure hope something's wrong with that, he's one of the really great guys." We talked about Ryan for a minute, and what the chances are of him avoiding suspension, he posed with me for a quick picture, and I was on my way.

 

Chipper really does seem to like Braun, and he absolutely does hope this whole thing blows over and goes away...I just thought I'd share that.

Good read. Thanks for sharing! Not to go too far off-topic but Chipper is one of the first players that I remember watching as a rookie. In otherwords, he will be one of the greats from "my day". When he retires, I sure am going to feel old!

 

It's good to see that players seem to like Braun.

 

 

[NYChez]

Braun does not look much different than he did in college (unlike the Bonds / Sosa / McGwire-type transformations). Photo from Miami is linked. I'll say that his usage or lack of usage fits one of these categories:

1. Never used.

2. Has always used, back to his college days and perhaps high school days. Braun has a record-breaking power hitter at every level (including being national freshman of the year at Miami). It wasn't like he was a scrawny kid who suddenly started hitting bombs. His average and power numbers have never wavered.

3. For some reason, he started using prior to this year's playoffs.

4. Perhaps his oblique injuries were such an issue that the only way for him to swing healthily was to use.

http://www.google.com/img...mp;hovh=188&hovw=220

[jjfanec]

Braun does not look much different than he did in college (unlike the Bonds / Sosa / McGwire-type transformations). Photo from Miami is linked. I'll say that his usage or lack of usage fits one of these categories:

1. Never used.

2. Has always used, back to his college days and perhaps high school days. Braun has a record-breaking power hitter at every level (including being national freshman of the year at Miami). It wasn't like he was a scrawny kid who suddenly started hitting bombs. His average and power numbers have never wavered.

3. For some reason, he started using prior to this year's playoffs.

4. Perhaps his oblique injuries were such an issue that the only way for him to swing healthily was to use.

http://www.google.com/img...mp;hovh=188&hovw=220

If Braun used I think 4 is the most likely scenario. His body did not change like ARod or Bonds. He looks very similar especially for a guy who spends as much time in a weight room as he does. In the Lucroy and Marcum interviews

talked about how much he worked out. both I guess he could have used all along but then how does he get caught at a time when he know he is getting tested. I mean in the playoffs it is guaranteed that you will be tested so it seems that if he was dumb enough to get caught then he would have been caught before. Steroids help someone recover from injury faster and Braun is a competitive guy so that is the scenario that makes the most sense IF he used.

[Schlitz001]

Braun is going to accept his MVP Award on saturday evening in Manhattan. The New York Times suggests that his speech might shed some light on the allegations. He won't be taking interviews.

[Invader3K]

I really doubt he says anything about it.

[umphrey]

Braun is going to accept his MVP Award on saturday evening in Manhattan. The New York Times suggests that his speech might shed some light on the allegations. He won't be taking interviews.

I doubt he'll even address it until after the appeal process

[brwrsfan]

That's gotta be taking place soon right? I mean, it's January 18th already, and they're supposed to hear the appeal and make a decision by the start of spring training. If you factor in even like 2 weeks of "deliberation", that doesn't leave all that much time for the appeal to occur.

[brettac1]

In that Jon Heyman article I posted a while back, I think he said the 23rd or 24th.

[brwrsfan]

I thought I read somewhere else that those dates had since been un-true and that it was purely speculation.

[Raw Biz]

I thought I read somewhere else that those dates had since been un-true and that it was purely speculation.

Speculation. I don't think anybody (besides MLB/Braun's team) knows the specific date and I bet they're at least attempting to keep it under wraps. Everything I've seen said that it should take place by the end of the month but even Haudricourt said today there's a chance they don't know anything by On Deck on Jan 29.

[Patrick425]

That's gotta be taking place soon right? I mean, it's January 18th already, and they're supposed to hear the appeal and make a decision by the start of spring training. If you factor in even like 2 weeks of "deliberation", that doesn't leave all that much time for the appeal to occur.

He can appeal this decision? I thought this was the final step?

 

[rwa12]

I don't recall there ever being much deliberation in these matters. I could be wrong, but I thought it was a pretty quick response.

[brwrsfan]

I thought I read initially that it could take the arbitrator a couple of weeks to decide. I may be remembering that completely incorrectly though. It could be a matter of only a day or two I guess, in which case they could hear the appeal well into February and still be able to make that decision prior to spring training.

 

It just seems that this process could have been handled much faster. I mean, he tested positive in October and we won't get a verdict until February? Why wasn't this whole thing done much sooner? If he does wind up being suspended, it would have given the Brewers much more time to figure out what to do and prep themsevles, etc. I don't understand why it needs to take this long.

[umphrey]

It's pretty much the same process as the courts with lawyer teams and multiple hearings, etc. That crap can take years.