Braun suspended for season, effective immediately

[Judge Jude]

@JeffPassan Word out of the Brewers clubhouse almost universal: glad Braun got suspended. He straight-up lied to teammates. They're mad.

[madducks]

Good point. I guess the standard assumption was that a possible suspension would be followed by an appeal which would last the rest of the year.

Yes, i thought for sure that Braun would play out 2013 and do his time in 2014. But, i think most of us didn't consider how much his thumb injury would influenced his decision to not appeal. Braun obviously isn't 100% healthy yet as shown by his limited playing time since coming off the DL. So, he decided to kill two birds with one stone by resting the thumb and serving the suspension simultaneously.

[Don Quixote]

Braun dropped today in one of my two mixed leagues and my NL-Only. I'm not sure what the owner in the other mixed league is going to do, as he's in a dogfight for the title.

Back to the subject--Probably a smart move on Braun's part. Plead guilty, take the punishment, get well during the suspension (memo to him--if you need surgery, get it done NOW), make all the right noises next February and March. Your teammates, fellow members of the Milwaukee organization, and the fans may not love you for what you've done, but they're more likely to dislike you less if you take your lumps AND get well. Coming back clean, healthy, and productive would make up for much of your sins.

The question in my mind still is whether MLB has the stones to go after Alex Rodriguez as hard as they should (which is just as hard as they went after Braun). I share the suspicions of others here as to his "quad strain" delaying his return to the majors, but I won't say it's certain that it's fake. If he's smart, he agrees to the same suspension as Braun, but I'm not sure he's smart.

EDIT TO ADD: If Rodriguez is suspended, I know he doesn't get paid, but does his salary still count in full for "luxury tax" purposes? I'm not trying to be snarky; I really don't know and would like to know.

[mike9289]

What is Braun's salary for 2013 and 2014? If he makes more in 2014 then obviously it costs him less to take the suspension this year.

[Hornsby]

What is Braun's salary for 2013 and 2014? If he makes more in 2014 then obviously it costs him less to take the suspension this year.

Good Point...per Cots baseball contracts:

8 years/$45M (2008-15)
signed extension with Milwaukee 5/15/08, replacing 1 year/$0.455M contract for 2008 renewed 3/2/08
$2.3M signing bonus
08:$0.455M, 09:$0.745M, 10:$1M, 11:$4M, 12:$6M, 13:$8.5M, 14:$10M, 15:$12M

[Long John]

Guys, I'm not condoning Braun's actions here, but here in the land of reality, you don't get to go after someone again just because you think or know they did it - even if they get off on a technicality. OJ was a free man, no?

And let's not forget that it was two-faced Selig's inaction in the 90s that led to the drug culture that exists in MLB today. It seems completely facetious to me that Selig and MLB is all about cleaning up the game now, but turned the blind eye 15 years ago when it was in the better interests of the game as a whole. When McGwire hit 62, did Selig put a needle in his arm or shake his hand?

Yeah, Braun's an idiot and a cheater. He is being held responsible for his actions and he should take responsibility. But you can't tell me that MLB didn't create the culture to encourage his actions.

There will never come a time when you will know 100% if someone in MLB is not using some kind of performance-enhancing booster. There will always be someone looking to gain an edge, legal or not. These drugs are constantly being reformulated specifically to mask their presence in the body. MLB can talk all they want about cleaning up the game, but the bottom line is that's about as much of a reality as me pitching for the Expos. You can't stop human greed.

[Controller Jacobs]

Guys, I'm not condoning Braun's actions here, but here in the land of reality, you don't get to go after someone again just because you think or know they did it - even if they get off on a technicality. OJ was a free man, no?
...

What the hell? Of course you do. Is he just free to do all the drugs he wants for the rest of his career?

And by the way, as quickly as he bowed, do you believe they just "think" he did it? I think it's fair to say that they're now sitting on something pretty solid regarding Braun.

[TranaGreg]

There will never come a time when you will know 100% if someone in MLB is not using some kind of performance-enhancing booster. There will always be someone looking to gain an edge, legal or not. These drugs are constantly being reformulated specifically to mask their presence in the body. MLB can talk all they want about cleaning up the game, but the bottom line is that's about as much of a reality as me pitching for the Expos. You can't stop human greed.

no question - it's the same issue that every league/event is trying to get a grip on, from the Olympics to the NFL to the Tour de France. There's no such thing as "clean" ... but the line has to be drawn somewhere.

What I don't get this morning is how they can come down on only one of the alleged 20 people being investigated. Was the "evidence" that much clearer for Braun compared to the other guys? they need to come out with a comprehensive position on everyone very soon imho.

[revo]

And let's not forget that it was two-faced MLBPA's inaction in the 90s that led to the drug culture that exists in MLB today. It seems completely facetious to me that the MLBPA and MLB is all about cleaning up the game now, but turned the blind eye 15 years ago when it was in the better interests of the players as a whole. When McGwire hit 62, did Don Fehr and McGwire's agents put a needle in his arm or shake his hand?

Yeah, Braun's an idiot and a cheater. He is being held responsible for his actions and he should take responsibility. But you can't tell me that the MLBPA didn't create the culture to encourage his actions.

Fixed.

[Controller Jacobs]

...

What I don't get this morning is how they can come down on only one of the alleged 20 people being investigated. Was the "evidence" that much clearer for Braun compared to the other guys? they need to come out with a comprehensive position on everyone very soon imho.

After taking Braun first, and getting more than 50 games with no appeal, it's arguable the others will be much more likely to deal.

[TranaGreg]

After taking Braun first, and getting more than 50 games with no appeal, it's arguable the others will be much more likely to deal.

which reinforces the notion that this is less about doing what's right, and more about how MLB will be perceived.

[Controller Jacobs]

which reinforces the notion that this is less about doing what's right, and more about how MLB will be perceived.

They certainly don't want the remaining players to perceive that they can get away with using PEDs by looking for technicalities.

[TranaGreg]

They certainly don't want the remaining players to perceive that they can get away with using PEDs by looking for technicalities.

then why negotiate deals with each separately? why not come out with a consistent position for all implicated?

[Controller Jacobs]

Ten now very-awkward Braun quotes: Link (Yahoo Big League Stew)

[Pauly]

Heads are going to roll very, very soon (and this is terrible news for owners like me who own Nelson Cruz who's been a monster this year).

As an owner of only Braun in this mess, the heads better start rolling already. Figures I would have the only guy who wont appeal anything.