Too Much Braun and Not Enough Brains

Too Much Braun and Not Enough Brains

September 28, 2011 may well go down in Brewers history as the day that the organization made the biggest mistake it ever had in its history. That was the day the organization decided to let Prince Fielder walk out the door and build around Ryan Braun. Right now on July 23, 2013 if given the choice again the team wouldn’t be able to get away from Braun fast enough.

Braun was suspended yesterday without pay for the rest of the season, and like most others before him, looked like a pathetic liar, admitting guilt in a statement once caught, but continuously denying any wrongdoing before that point. Braun stated "As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect, I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions. This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization. I am very grateful for the support I have received from players, ownership and the fans in Milwaukee and around the country. Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed -- all of the baseball fans especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization, and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."

Sorry Ryan, not even close to being good enough. If you were so sorry you wouldn’t have even thought to do it in the first place, and secondly, when confronted last season with elevated testosterone levels, you would have admitted guilt then instead of outright denials and accusations of sample tampering. What these players fail to understand is that the public is far more forgiving when faced with honesty and sincerity. Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte admitted what they did, and although yes they will have to live with the stigma of being cheaters, face nowhere near the vitriol that players like Clemens, Bonds, and A-Rod do.

Considering the investment the organization made in Braun, from his contract to marketing campaigns making him the face of the franchise, he should be disgusted with himself. Cheating is bad enough but when you lie on top of it, there’s no forgiveness. I hope he feels all his accomplishments obtained while juicing were well worth bearing the scarlet letter for the rest of his career.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy.” Well Mr. Fitzgerald, I present to you Ryan Braun, but unfortunately this tragedy will write itself and leave you with nothing to do.