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.

Locke is Key: The Forgotten Cy Young Contender and the Pittsburgh Pirates

Locke is Key: The Forgotten Cy Young Contender and the Pittsburgh Pirates

The story with the Pittsburgh Pirates this year always revolves around their quest to end the drought of 20 years with a losing record or how outstanding their bullpen is. However, the much bigger story at hand, which gets no publicity or fanfare, is the season of Jeff Locke. Locke was always considered a top 10 organizational prospect, but no one could predict the season he is currently having.

Although A.J. Burnett is the seasoned veteran and leader of the staff, Locke will be the most important piece for the remainder of the season and the chase for a winning record and playoff spot. The way things are looking now, it seems like a foregone conclusion that the streak comes to an end and Pittsburgh finds itself in the postseason, but anything can happen. Burnett has always been inconsistent, Liriano, though having a great year, could come back to Earth at any time, and Charlie Morton is not the pitcher he once was. That leaves the young combo of Locke and Cole to carry this team.

Jeff Locke doesn’t get the publicity he deserves because he isn’t a “sexy” choice. Nothing about him really jumps out. Matt Harvey has the strikeouts, Clayton Kershaw has the hardware, Adam Wainwright doesn’t walk anybody, but Jeff Locke, he just gets guys out. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff that he can blow by hitters; he gives up his fair share of walks, but in the end he gets outs. He is currently on a streak of giving up 3 ERs or less in 16 straight starts. He has a 9-2 record with a 2.11 ERA yet most fans wouldn’t be able to pick this guy out of a photo array.

Something tells me that all of this is probably fine with Locke, as the team winning and having success is more important than his own personal accolades, but come October, on the biggest stage of his life, Locke will make his name known in the playoffs.