Say it Ain't So, Ryan

The Report

The world of professional baseball has been sullied once again by one of its superstars. Ryan Braun, The Hebrew Hammer, has tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. All the people that say, "wait till the appeal is over", are seriously kidding themselves. No one has ever had a PED appeal overturned and everyone has had to serve his respective suspension.

Braun was tested during the playoffs, and notified in late October of his failed test. He had the "highest results of any test ever taken for performance enhancing drugs. Twice the level of the highest test ever taken." This is according to Teri Thompson of the New York Daily News. For those that don't know exactly what the "levels" are it's testosterone. He tested for insanely high levels of testosterone which is something that is a byproduct of anabolic steroids.

Braun's camp is saying there are extenuating circumstances that will prove his innocence. I'll eat my words if this gets overturned, but a second test was done to make sure this wasn't a naturally created testosterone, and I'm sorry Ryan, you're guilty until proven innocent. The Associated Press has released the following about the second test:

"ESPN cited two sources Saturday in first reporting the result, saying Braun tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, adding that a later test by the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Montreal determined the testosterone was synthetic."

For anyone that doesn't know much about the testing, the carbon-isotope testing has a nearly 100% success rate and it is nearly impossible for the test to render a false positive.

An interesting twist from the above article by Teri Thompson was that Braun immediately took a second test upon getting news of his failing of the drug test which came back with normal levels of testosterone. To which Thompson went to Victor Conte (the founder of BALCO, the center of the steroids scandal in the 2000's) and he said:

“The second test probably means nothing, depending on the method of ingestion, whether it’s injected or taken orally, it could easily be out of the system.”

(Side note: if you have not read Game of Shadows, I would implore you to do so. Gives great insight into the effect steroids have had on the game and what they actually do to the human body.)

Impact on the game

This has tarnished his own legacy probably irreparably. But this has tarnished the game and The Game's efforts (however trite they are) at cleaning the game up, even more.

Bud Selig said, in 2009, "Our minor league testing program is in its ninth year, and that means all the great young players in baseball, from Ryan Howard to Ryan Braun, have all been tested for nine years".

Also in 2009, Ryan Braun came out to speak to MLB.com about Alex Rodriguez and his involvement with steroids. "The best thing he can do is come out, admit to everything and be completely honest. The situation will die a lot faster if he tells the whole truth." When asked if he has been tempted with steroids, his response: "I would never do it because if I took steroids I would hit 60-70 home runs." Ouch. Pretty damning conjecture my Hebrew homie.

With the more stringent testing structure in place players are looking at other players more harshly than they used to because a player that is using could potentially have been taking someones spot and therefore affecting their livelihood and ability to make more money. The stench of resentment could and probably will follow Braun around baseball much like it does with Alex Rodriguez, and that's awful especially when Braun doesn't give off the narcissistic persona.

To the notion that he should be stripped of the MVP, maybe had people have known they would have voted a different way but they went by the numbers and overall team performance and was voted the Most Valuable Player in the National League. Simple as that. Back in '96 after the late Ken Caminiti came clean about his rampant use of steroids he didn't get his plaque handed to the second-place finisher and neither will Braun.

My Synopsis

It breaks my heart as a baseball fan to see one of the supposed "good guys" of the sport have his name dragged through the mud, but it is of his own accord, and he must be responsible for what he has done if in fact he has done it.

This also shows me that the game is not clean, the players have just gotten smarter. It is in an athlete's DNA to find any competitive advantage available. Whether it's seeing that a pitcher opens his front shoulder when trying to throw a curveball or sticking a needle in your ass to turn that warning track fly out into a big fly, if it's available they will take advantage of it as long as they don't think they can get caught.

I understand the rationale that players want to get back on the field, honestly I do. And if MLB would make it legal to use in order to come back from injury, I honestly wouldn't hate the notion. But if it is in the rulebook that you shouldn't take PED's than you shouldn't take PED's, plain and simple.

Unless some strange scientific anomaly comes to fruition and his appeal gets upheld he is going to be gone for essentially two months and will probably end any illusions of grandeur that Brewers fans have going into next year. The Brewers are already primed to lose Prince Fielder and will start the season without Braun.

This team could be done before the season starts and Braun needs to live with the fact that, he, in a pure act of selfishness may have cost his team a chance at a playoff berth during one of his peak years. The one thing that could potentially save the Brewers is the fact that the Cardinals won't run away with the division in this, The Year Without a Pujols.

Sadly, another one bites the dust.

Stay Tuned

Norton