The Cubs trade of Matt Garza was lost in the big baseball news of yesterday.
No one saw it coming late yesterday afternoon that MLB had suspended Brewers OF Ryan Braun for the rest of the season (65 games) without pay. The shocking thing was that Braun accepted the suspension, but only admitted "he made some mistakes" in the past and left the Milwaukee clubhouse to avoid the press.
Yahoo Sports columnist Jeff Passan went off on Braun's conduct in his column today. He called him a self-centered liar and cheat. He was the ultimate self-protectionist. He took the deal to get ahead of the massive suspensions to come down later from the Biogenesis scandal. But Passan believes that Braun is not "sorry" for his actions, or even letting down his teammates and defenders.
Comments from fans on Milwaukee radio were very harsh. They were duped by Braun's strong denials during the first drug test appeal (which was tossed on a contract technicality). When he told the fans afterward that he had "proved his innocence," it seems that was another bold face lie. Brewer fans were angered by the fact that in retrospect, Braun burned the local drug test taker with malicious lies but gets to go home with the remaining $117 million contract as his security blanket. The face of the Brewers franchise is now closer to a mug shot.
Brewers GM Doug Melvin was terse with the media before last night's game. He was happy the suspension was done but he was blindsided by the news. Braun took the suspension in stride because he was probably going to be put on the DL anyway with a hand injury. Braun gets an extended vacation and will return in 2014. Melvin gritted his teeth when asked if Braun would continue to be the future of the Brewers. Melvin signed Braun to the huge extension that now looks worse the scandal itself. If Braun's consistent career MVP numbers were created in large part by HGH, steroids or some other PED, then Braun's return to the team could be a bad dead money contract if he hits .220 and his production fades away. The Brewers are stuck with Braun. He is untradeable. It will be hard to spin PR to change the negative attitude towards a patent liar.
The Brewers fans lost their naive innocence last night with Braun's suspension. It was a sucker punch in the throat. It will be hard to imagine that the blue collar folk will embrace such a stained role model next season.
ESPN commentators were of the opinion that there has been no incentive for players not to cheat. Melky Cabrera took his suspension last year and parlayed it into a multi-million deal with the Blue Jays, partly based on his previous juiced statistics. Braun gets a "light" 65 games without pay ($3.4 million) but he gets to keep the remaining $117 million, which in part was based upon his PED past. Unless players get "season long" or the possibility of a lifetime ban (like the gambling on baseball rule), there is no real disincentive not to cheat.
Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees will be the nuclear bomb in the scandal. If the reports are true, that MLB has a mountain of evidence against him from the Miami clinic, then A-Rod's huge contract could be essentially voided which would benefit the Yankees. A-Rod has already admitted to using PEDs in the past. Every team he has been on in his career has been tainted by the steroid era rumors. One would suspect that MLB will come down hard on A-Rod.
None of the players caught up in the Biogenesis scandal answered MLB investigators questions. That was their right under the CBA and law. But even the union president signaled last week that the union would not support an appeal of players who clearly violated the drug policy rules. The union head inferred that his recommendation to players would be cut "a plea deal" with MLB. Braun took that advice and cut a favorable outcome for himself. A move as Passan said was solely motivated to protect Braun from harsher penalties.
MLB has tried to clean up the sports image. But this latest round of PED allegations brings back the ugly cloud of suspicion and doubt of the steroid era back in every clubhouse.
