In a report issued by ESPN’s “Outside the Lines”, the National League MVP and Milwaukee Brewers all-star left-fielder, Ryan Braun, has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs (PED’s).
Braun is disputing the result through arbitration and if he is to lose, he will face a 50 game suspension to start the 2012 season.
I’m not here to jump to conclusions, but if Braun’s legal team fails to account for the positive test, this will most definitely have a detrimental effect on his legacy and forever taint what appeared to be a hall-of-fame bound career.
Let’s start off by saying there is no way Braun’s MVP award should be taken away. Baseball has not done this in the past and I can’t really see them making a case for it in this specific situation. If Barry Bonds can hold onto the all-time home-run record and Roger Clemens his seven Cy Young awards, a precedent should not be made for this award to be stripped.
However, to fans in Milwaukee, the MVP award should be the least of their worries. Instead, their superstar who appeared to be a member of the new generation of “pure” baseball players could be no better than the last generation of players who used performance enhancing drugs to be among the best in the MLB.
Not only do fans have to deal with that, but also that Braun is in the midst of his record $150 million deal which keeps him in Milwaukee through 2020. I’m all about giving players second chances, but not when it comes to taking drugs in order to be better than your opponents.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Wisconsin fans rally around the guy, but I’m not sure that’s the appropriate response. He should be treated the same as Bonds, Clemens, Mark McGwire, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, ect…
Lost in this entire story is the best free agent currently on the market, first-baseman Prince Fielder. I can’t help but feel sorry for a guy who was probably under-appreciated during his time in Milwaukee while always being second to Braun in potential and value. Yeah, he’s going to get paid somewhere and he doesn’t really need any pity, but maybe he’s the guy Milwaukee should have been throwing the money at for a long-term deal.
Now, let’s say the test was “BS,” as some have suggested. In that case, I think MLB and ESPN should both take huge hits. Time and time again, ESPN has jumped the gun and caused a story to balloon in to more than it had to be (for instance, Brett Favre anyone?).
No matter the result, Major League Baseball needs to get their act together because PED’s and steroids are ruining their sport. Yes, the NFL, NBA and any other major league have their issues with these kind of things, but it’s not the supposed faces of the league who are on the chopping block.
What effect do you think this will have on Ryan Braun’s career? Is it a travesty or a tragedy? Let me know by commenting below!
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.
Follow paulmbanks
agreed maybe Milw should have put their $$$ in Prince instead of Bruan