Braun an All Star? (Latest: He's in...see post #43)

[torts]

Also,once he won he couldnt start going against his story or hed open himself up to lawsuits

[Invader3K]

Just announced: Ryan Braun is in, replacing the injured Matt Holliday.

 

Personally, I'm happy he's in. Good to have two Brewers in, instead of just one.

http://i.imgur.com/7vuRvhc.gif

Haha, classic.

[MrTPlush]

Wow plush, talk about being a hater. If Braun would have waited he would have gotten the same 50 everyone else got. Instead he got 65, he was hurt anyway so that's probably why he did it. Braun did nothing more than the others and should be treated the same. Being a former mvp shouldn't warrant extra punishment.

 

Not appealed? It worked and everything I read at the time the faulty handling probably did lead to the failed test. His mistake was that he shouldn't have been so brash in the press conference. Well that and doing it to begin with i guess. His only mistake post getting caught is the press conference.

 

No the faulty handling probably did not do anything to the sample. The man followed protocol if there wasn't a FedEx open...however there was one open so Braun was let off. The sample collectors fridge does not have magical powers. Braun's sample failed because he in fact took banned substances.

 

He would not have gotten the same 50 games. MLB made sure the rest of the suspensions could be served in the 2013 season so they could start 2014 fresh. Braun was getting a bigger suspension no question about it.

 

His mistake was taking banned substances and deciding to try to hide what he did wrong. I am not saying he is a super villian. Every person to ever test positive probably would have done the same. That sure as heck doesn't make it right though. Braun deserves everything that has come from what he did and I am sure he would agree. I don't have much against Braun at this point. Personally I just prefer him not to represent our team because of his bad image...thats all. I don't think that is an unreasonable opinion.

[MrTPlush]

On another note the man with the opposing vote in his appeal case(who was furious at the time) had to approve Braun for the ASG. The commissioner must approve any replacements. Probably left a sour taste in his mouth having to do that.

[DocLuna7]

I think that the story about Braun will definitely be overshadowed by the story about Pete Rose being on an MLB field again and on national TV. Pete Rose is the all-time hit king. He is the story this week outside of the game itself.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Wow plush, talk about being a hater. If Braun would have waited he would have gotten the same 50 everyone else got. Instead he got 65, he was hurt anyway so that's probably why he did it. Braun did nothing more than the others and should be treated the same. Being a former mvp shouldn't warrant extra punishment.

 

Not appealed? It worked and everything I read at the time the faulty handling probably did lead to the failed test. His mistake was that he shouldn't have been so brash in the press conference. Well that and doing it to begin with i guess. His only mistake post getting caught is the press conference.

 

 

This is absolutely false. Braun himself admitted that he used PEDS.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9592788/ryan-braun-milwaukee-brewers-apologizes-ped-use

 

The suspended Milwaukee slugger said he took a cream and a lozenge containing banned substances while rehabilitating an injury.

 

"It was a huge mistake for which I am deeply ashamed and I compounded the situation by not admitting my mistakes immediately," Braun said in a statement released by the Brewers.

[treego14]

Gerardo Parra deserves it more, in my opinion. Parra had a much better batting average, a higher slugging percentage and on-base percentage entering today, and is a better outfielder than Braun defensively.

 

Of course, Braun's stats are better than Joc Pederson who is the starting left-fielder in the ASG, too.

 

Why doesn't anybody consult me on these things?

[MrTPlush]

Gerardo Parra deserves it more, in my opinion. Parra had a much better batting average, a higher slugging percentage and on-base percentage entering today, and is a better outfielder than Braun defensively.

 

Of course, Braun's stats are better than Joc Pederson who is the starting left-fielder in the ASG, too.

 

Why doesn't anybody consult me on these things?

 

Their stats come out pretty even. I'd take Braun over track record and the fact he is considered better against both handedness.

 

Joc got starting nod because he was the next guy with the most votes.

[Invader3K]

I think that the story about Braun will definitely be overshadowed by the story about Pete Rose being on an MLB field again and on national TV. Pete Rose is the all-time hit king. He is the story this week outside of the game itself.

 

Good point. I still feel that nationally, most people have probably pretty much forgotten about the Braun PED scandal.

 

By the way, this will be Braun's sixth All-Star appearance. I _think_ that makes him the all time franchise leader for All-Star selections as a Milwaukee Brewer (Paul Molitor had a total of seven in his career, but two were with Toronto...Cecil Cooper had five with Milwaukee).

[BrewCrewForever]

Well deserved. This raises my interest in the game. I always watch the All-Star game and enjoy it, but with two Brewers in the game now one of which is a position player in Braun I am more pumped for the game.

[tmwiese55]

This is absolutely false. Braun himself admitted that he used PEDS.

 

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/95927 ... es-ped-use

 

The suspended Milwaukee slugger said he took a cream and a lozenge containing banned substances while rehabilitating an injury.

 

"It was a huge mistake for which I am deeply ashamed and I compounded the situation by not admitting my mistakes immediately," Braun said in a statement released by the Brewers.

 

 

-Of course we all know that he admitted to using. What he was doing was eluding the tests though, just like everyone else in that scandal. I'm not saying he didn't do it, obviously he did. I'm saying the test might not have been tripped had the handler not screwed it up. We don't know for sure and never will. Do you guys remember reading about it that time? The handler let it sit unrefrigerated in his basement over a weekend with big temperature changes, then left it in his trunk for a day while he was at work and it was a very warm day. This is not protocol and that is why he won the appeal. The biggest thing for me is the report that all players tested that day failed the test with astronomically high numbers, so high they were thrown out because something was messed up. But Braun's was slightly below whatever number it needed to be in order to get thrown out, therefore his stood until the appeal. There is a few other things that were brought up at the time.

 

His mistake was using, especially if he was dumb enough to use in the playoffs before his mandatory playoff test. Second, was such a brash press conference. The attitude that he's worse than everyone because he lied is moot, they all lie and they all appeal. He had no choice but to stick to the story after winning the appeal, he just shouldn't have been so vocal about it when he knew there was a chance something would come out eventually. Which is probably why Matt Kemp never said anything either. Again, I see no reason he would have gotten more than everyone else had he not struck a deal first. You're arguing that because he boasted in press conference they were going to double his suspension, I don't think so.

 

As others have said, most fans truly do not care. He still gets booed a bit but every team has someone like him on the team and the fans don't care. They boo him and crack jokes because it's easy and entertaining, just like they would if he was in some other scandal, like rec drugs or a sex scandal.

 

Good point on Rose being the main story. Probably a good thing for Braun so he can fly under the radar without the media being all over him. Probably hurts him a bit though that its a division rival so they're more familiar with him. If this was say at TB or some random AL park the fans would probably be less aware.

[Invader3K]

Moderator Note: Everyone, let's try to keep focus of this thread on Braun's All-Star Game appearance and not rehash the PED thing yet again. If you want to discuss if he's going to get booed or not, that's fine, but let's not go into the whole scandal thing here.

[DuWayne Steurer]

You're arguing that because he boasted in press conference they were going to double his suspension, I don't think so.

 

 

I'm not arguing anything. I only pointed out that the handling of the sample did not cause him to get tagged as a positive. Him using PEDS caused him to get tagged as a positive. That's my only point.

[reillymcshane]

Braun took PEDs? When did that happen?

[tmwiese55]

That's not an absolute though with the variables in this case. It's absolute that he used but it's not that is what actually tripped the test. No one will ever know, even Braun. It is absolute that the handler didn't follow protocol though.

 

Anyway, back to the game this year. Basically I just hope for no headlines and he flies under the radar. Being a backup though he might be in there at crunch time. Hopefully he comes through so we have home field in the WS (haha).

[Invader3K]

Realistically, he might get one pinch hit appearance. Odds of him playing in the outfield or getting a second AB?

[tmwiese55]

4 reserve outfielders so one might get left to just being a PH but who knows which one, so I'd say 1/4. I assume they play with NL rules being in Cincy?

 

Grandal is a PED guy too for the Dodgers, four of them in there.

[jerichoholicninja]

4 reserve outfielders so one might get left to just being a PH but who knows which one, so I'd say 1/4. I assume they play with NL rules being in Cincy?

 

Grandal is a PED guy too for the Dodgers, four of them in there.

 

I thought they changed it a few years ago to use the DH in every game. Could be wrong though. I haven't watched the all star game in years.

[tmwiese55]

Sure would make sense if they did. Hope that is the case. I guess that would increase the chance of Braun playing more than just one AB. Although i guess it would open up the chance that just gets on of the DH ABs

[Pugger]

If you read comments about Braun in the All-Star Game on the MLB website fans talk about him like he is this terrible monster who is a lying, cheating scumbag who ruined the life of the man who kept his sample over the weekend. The hate and vitriol for him by some fans is so far off the charts it is ridiculous. You would think Braun was a serial murderer for heaven's sake.

[yfinn6]

4 reserve outfielders so one might get left to just being a PH but who knows which one, so I'd say 1/4. I assume they play with NL rules being in Cincy?

 

Grandal is a PED guy too for the Dodgers, four of them in there.

 

I thought they changed it a few years ago to use the DH in every game. Could be wrong though. I haven't watched the all star game in years.

 

You would be correct; I just saw that Nelson Cruz will be the DH.

[tmwiese55]

If you read comments about Braun in the All-Star Game on the MLB website fans talk about him like he is this terrible monster who is a lying, cheating scumbag who ruined the life of the man who kept his sample over the weekend. The hate and vitriol for him by some fans is so far off the charts it is ridiculous. You would think Braun was a serial murderer for heaven's sake. [rolling eyes]

 

That's exactly what I think is ridiculous. The guy did do his job incorrectly and even if so it's not like it ruined his life, running samples for MLB is just a part time job. The media has put Braun/Arod out there as these pariahs so even general fans know. Yet Nelson Cruz was a feel good story in the playoffs and then at the beginning of this season. General population doesn't know this though. And they don't care when someone on their team is a PED guy, I mean, Giants fan boo Braun, pot kettle. I put a lot on MLB themselves too for perpetuating bad publicity against their own sport, these guys were using such minor stuff it wasn't even tripping tests for the most part. yet they want balls to the wall and used some shady methods to bust them anyway, creating more bad publicity for themselves. I understand the argument that would applaud them for doing it, I'm just saying you don't see the NFL and NBA going out of their way to find bad publicity. They generally look the other way and in the NFL when someone actually fails no one cares. NBA barely even tests and it's a sham anyway. MLB has the toughest test in the world and there's no reason not to continue it and to keep making it as strong as you can to catch masking agents and new stuff. But to basically have a detective group going out actively trying to catch people seems much.

 

Anyway, glad they have the DH in all games now. Any idea who will be the NL DH then? If it's an OF like Upton then Braun will be seeing a lot of PT.

[tmwiese55]

Rizzo is the NL DH. Site I just saw it on had the statlines up, I hadn't looked at Goldschmidt and Harper in a while. Man are they having monster seasons, OBP over .450 in this day is major feat.

[Patrick425]

Good point. I still feel that nationally, most people have probably pretty much forgotten about the Braun PED scandal.

 

From what I have heard, he was loudly booed at the all-star game (in an NL stadium). So, it doesn't appear that "nationally" most people have forgotten.

[tmwiese55]

It hurt him being in Cinncy so they're aware. TV here cut in really late as the pitch was coming in already so couldn't really hear the walkup, fans seemed to be happy when he hit the triple and scored through. Did they boo Peralta, Cruz, Grandal?