Brew Crew Ball - Ryan Braun suspended for remainder of 2013 seasonLeading the decline of Brewers blogs but with the best Junior Guerra content.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47763/brew_crew_ball-fv.png2013-10-23T13:00:10-05:00http://www.brewcrewball.com/rss/stream/43136092013-10-23T13:00:10-05:002013-10-23T13:00:10-05:00MVBrewers Honorable Mention: Ryan Braun
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3ujUhuvApGf3QFH3rsdKNX2XfeM=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/21636139/167144826.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mike McGinnis</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Well, he had to go somewhere.</p> <p>Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce the elephant in the room. If you'd ever wondered how quickly a person could go from "franchise player" to "sore subject," in 2013 Ryan Braun proved that it can happen in a single day.</p>
<p>Braun's saga had been ongoing for quite some time, of course, starting with the leaked report of his positive urine test in late 2011, dragging out through his much-belated appeal victory the following spring, then resurfacing again early this year when Braun was linked to BioGenesis. The final blow came on July 22, when MLB announced that Braun had been suspended for the remainder of the season and would not appeal.</p>
<p>The suspension ended what was already on pace to be the weakest season of Braun's career. A hand injury had forced him onto the DL for the first time and sapped his power, limiting him to a .243/.280/.329 batting line in his final 20 games. This is the first time in his career he finished a season batting below .300, and the first full season where he didn't make the NL All Star team or win a Silver Slugger Award. At the time of his suspension he was on pace for just 15 home runs.</p>
<p>It's hard to tell how fans will react to Braun when he rejoins the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a> next spring. We're in uncharted territory here for a disgraced face of the franchise. Some, certainly, will never forgive him for his actions. Others already have. Somewhere in the middle there's a group of people waiting for more. Who knows when or if they'll get it.</p>
<p>Things will never be the same for Braun, a slugger whose flaws have suddenly become apparent. But, barring a shocking turn of events, Braun is the city of Milwaukee's flawed slugger and will be for quite some time.</p>
<p><b>Best Game</b></p>
<p>It was a simpler time on April 21 as the Brewers and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> played a Sunday matinee at Miller Park. The Brewers managed just three hits in the game but one of them was this three-run blast from Ryan Braun, his fifth of the year:</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" height="224" width="400" src="http://wapc.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=26466773&width=400&height=224&property=mlb">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
<p>The Brewers won the game 4-2, their seventh victory in a row, to improve to 9-8 on the season and close to within a game of first place in the NL Central.</p>
<p><b>Contract Status</b></p>
<p>2014 is the second-to-last year of the eight-year extension Braun signed in 2008. Following that deal, his 2011 extension kicks in for five more seasons with a mutual option for 2021. The remaining years on his contracts are paid out as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li><span>2014: $10 million (a $1.5 million raise from 2013)</span></li>
<li><span>2015: $12 million</span></li>
<li><span>2016: $19 million</span></li>
<li><span>2017: $19 million</span></li>
<li><span>2018: $19 million</span></li>
<li><span>2019: $18 million</span></li>
<li><span>2020: $16 million</span></li>
<li><span>2021: $15 million mutual option, with a $4 million buyout if the Brewers decline.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><i>Previous MVBrewers posts can be seen at the links below:</i></p>
<p>#1: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/8/4816662/carlos-gomez-2013s-most-valuable-brewer">Carlos Gomez</a><br>#2: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/9/4818718/mvbrewer-2-jonathan-lucroy">Jonathan Lucroy</a><br>#3: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/10/4824446/mvbrewers-3-jean-segura">Jean Segura</a><br>#4: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/11/4828102/mvbrewers-4-kyle-lohse">Kyle Lohse</a><br>#5: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/14/4837760/mvbrewers-5-norichika-aoki">Norichika Aoki</a><br>#6: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/15/4841228/mvbrewers-6-jim-henderson">Jim Henderson</a><br>#7: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/16/4844898/mvbrewer-7-brandon-kintzler">Brandon Kintzler</a><br>#8: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/17/4847274/mvbrewer-8-yovani-gallardo">Yovani Gallardo</a><br>#9: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/18/4852896/mvbrewer-9-wily-peralta">Wily Peralta</a><br>#10: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/21/4852314/mvbrewer-10-scooter-gennett">Scooter Gennett</a></p>
<p>Honorable mentions: <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/22/4866594/mvbrewers-honorable-mention-marco-estrada">Marco Estrada</a></p>
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/10/23/4947666/mvbrewers-honorable-mention-ryan-braunKyle Lobner2013-08-28T12:00:10-05:002013-08-28T12:00:10-05:00Poll: Some voters don't believe Braun, wanted more
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vTdXJZfc4FydM5whL0vfZYwNR_Y=/0x105:483x427/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18569181/gyi0064418729.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jonathan Ferrey</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This week's Brew Crew Ball Tracking Poll has a look at voters' reaction to Ryan Braun's statement last week.</p> <p>This poll was open from noon Monday through Tuesday, and received 192 responses. Here are some notable results:</p>
<ul>
<li><span>When asked for their thoughts on Ryan Braun's statement from last week, 38% said it "was ok, but I wanted more," as compared to 33% that said it was "good and everything it needed to be."</span></li>
<li><span>44% of voters said they don't believe Braun only used banned substances in 2011 to recover from nagging injuries. 21% more were undecided on that question.</span></li>
<li><span>66% of voters said the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Brewers</a> should be looking for opportunities to rest <span>Jean Segura</span> down the stretch.</span></li>
<li><span>38% of voters said they want the Brewers to move <span>Khris Davis</span> to another position where he can play every day in 2014. The second most popular option was moving Ryan Braun to another position so Davis can play left field. That choice received 29% of all votes.</span></li>
</ul>
<p>The full results are below.</p>
<p><b>What did you think of Ryan Braun's apology statement on Thursday?</b></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>It was good and everything it needed to be.</td>
<td>64</td>
<td>33%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>It was ok, but I wanted more.</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>38%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>It was bad.</td>
<td>32</td>
<td>17%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Undecided</td>
<td>24</td>
<td>13%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>Do you believe Braun when he says he only used banned substances in 2011 to recover from nagging injuries?</b></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yes</td>
<td>67</td>
<td>35%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No</td>
<td>85</td>
<td>44%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Undecided</td>
<td>40</td>
<td>21%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>Should the Brewers be looking for opportunities to rest Jean Segura down the stretch?</b></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yes</td>
<td>127</td>
<td>66%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No</td>
<td>54</td>
<td>28%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Undecided</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>6%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>What should the Brewers do with Khris Davis for 2014?</b></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Move him to another position where he can play every day.</td>
<td>73</td>
<td>38%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Move Ryan Braun to another position so he can play left field every day.</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>29%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Use him primarily off the bench.</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>11%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Trade him.</td>
<td>12</td>
<td>6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Undecided</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>16%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>Do you approve of the job Doug Melvin is doing as General Manager of the Brewers?</b></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
<td>Prev*</td>
<td>Diff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yes</td>
<td>128</td>
<td>67%</td>
<td>62%</td>
<td>+5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No</td>
<td>44</td>
<td>23%</td>
<td>26%</td>
<td>-3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Undecided</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>10%</td>
<td>12%</td>
<td>-2%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>Do you approve of the job Ron Roenicke is doing as Manager of the Brewers?</b></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
<td>Prev*</td>
<td>Diff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yes</td>
<td>112</td>
<td>58%</td>
<td>51%</td>
<td>+7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>27%</td>
<td>33%</td>
<td>-6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Undecided</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>15%</td>
<td>16%</td>
<td>-1%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>Do you approve of the job Rick Kranitz is doing as Pitching Coach of the Brewers?</b></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
<td>Prev*</td>
<td>Diff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yes</td>
<td>75</td>
<td>39%</td>
<td>37%</td>
<td>+2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>35%</td>
<td>39%</td>
<td>-4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Undecided</td>
<td>49</td>
<td>26%</td>
<td>24%</td>
<td>+2%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>Do you approve of the job Johnny Narron is doing as Hitting Coach of the Brewers?</b></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
<td>Prev*</td>
<td>Diff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Yes</td>
<td>110</td>
<td>57%</td>
<td>50%</td>
<td>+7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No</td>
<td>37</td>
<td>19%</td>
<td>24%</td>
<td>-5%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Undecided</td>
<td>45</td>
<td>23%</td>
<td>26%</td>
<td>-3%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b>Which, if any, of these Brewer executives and/or coaches do you think should be fired?</b></p>
<p><i>Note: Voters were allowed to select more than one.</i></p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Response</td>
<td>Votes</td>
<td>%</td>
<td>Prev*</td>
<td>Diff</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>General manager Doug Melvin</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>16%</td>
<td>16%</td>
<td>n/c</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Manager Ron Roenicke</td>
<td>44</td>
<td>23%</td>
<td>25%</td>
<td>-2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pitching coach Rick Kranitz</td>
<td>63</td>
<td>33%</td>
<td>32%</td>
<td>+1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Hitting coach Johnny Narron</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>14%</td>
<td>15%</td>
<td>-1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Third base coach Ed Sedar</td>
<td>29</td>
<td>15%</td>
<td>13%</td>
<td>+2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Amateur scouting director Bruce Seid</td>
<td>86</td>
<td>45%</td>
<td>46%</td>
<td>-1%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Someone else</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>6%</td>
<td>3%</td>
<td>+3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>None of these</td>
<td>62</td>
<td>32%</td>
<td>29%</td>
<td>+3%</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>* - In all cases here, "Prev" refers to the result of the last poll, conducted two weeks ago.</p>
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/28/4668070/poll-some-voters-dont-believe-wanted-more-from-braunKyle Lobner2013-08-23T10:52:14-05:002013-08-23T10:52:14-05:00Friday Mug: Statements on statements on statments
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-B2zJiPcYZFPZNWUjebCOL9a8bI=/0x1:4000x2668/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18315639/20130723_ajl_bs5_042.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We'll talk about what people are talking about regarding Ryan Braun in today's roundup of all things Brewers.</p> <p>Some things to read while <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEYCPc9P-Q0&feature=youtu.be">teaching your beard new tricks</a> (h/t <a href="http://aarongleeman.com/2013/08/23/link-o-rama-134/">Aaron Gleeman</a>).</p>
<p>A quiet day off turned into a big news day late yesterday afternoon as <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/22/4649202/ryan-braun-releases-statement">Ryan Braun issued his long-awaited written statement</a> while the rest of the Brewers were traveling to Cincinnati, then followed it up with an email to Brewer fans. You can read the full text of both the email and statement at the link above, but Jim Owczarski of OnMilwaukee.com hit a key point in our Tweet of the Day:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Things you want to know about Ryan Braun's apology: 945 words. Apologize = 3; Sorry = 3; Wrong = 4 <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Brewers&src=hash">#Brewers</a></p>
— Jim Owczarski (@JimOwczarski) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimOwczarski/statuses/370705454080344064">August 23, 2013</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Of course, we've got much more on the statement:</p>
<ul>
<li><span><a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/22/4649358/doug-melvin-responds-to-ryan-brauns-statement">Doug Melvin spoke with reporters</a> in response to Braun, and emphasized that how Braun responds when he's back with the team next season will matter more than anything he could do or say now.</span></li>
<li><span>Braun's claims that he only used performance enhancing drugs to recover from injury in 2011 were met with some skepticism, but<a href="https://twitter.com/hangingsliders/status/370714857831546883"> @hangingsliders notes</a> that Braun's attorneys almost certainly wouldn't let him lie in a statement while federal prosecutors are pursuing witnesses for their Biogenesis investigation.</span></li>
<li><span><a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/rockies/2013/08/23/heres-what-ryan-braun-said-and-heres-what-ryan-braun-shouldve-said/15470/">Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post</a> dissected Braun's statement and rewrote it with the list of things he wanted Braun to say. In a related note, <a href="http://www.baseballnation.com/2013/8/23/4649518/ryan-braun-apology-statement-steroids-peds">Grant Brisbee of Baseball Nation</a> has the PED apology he's waiting to hear.</span></li>
<li><span>As you might expect, no single statement from Braun is going to make everyone happy. <a href="http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/23/shocker-people-arent-satisfied-with-ryan-brauns-apology/">Craig Calcaterra of Hardball Talk</a> laments that fact, while <a href="https://twitter.com/JaymesL/status/370715022168567809">@JaymesL notes</a> that the impossibility of pleasing everyone doesn't mean Braun couldn't have done better.</span></li>
<li><span><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/mlb--brewers--ryan-braun-as-good-at-contrition-as-he-is-deception-055054657.html">Tim Brown of Yahoo</a> has a perfect example of Calcaterra's point, as he uses the occasion of Braun's apology to re-write the list of grievances against Braun, both real and perceived.</span></li>
<li><span>Over at <a href="http://creamcitycables.com/2013/08/22/a-few-thoughts-on-ryan-brauns-statement/">Cream City Cables</a>, Nathan Petrashek also has what amounts to an acknowledgement that nothing Braun could have said would have made him happy.</span></li>
<li><span><a href="http://flipflopflyball.tumblr.com/post/59053155530/ryan-brauns-statement">Flip Flop Fly Ball edited down the statement</a> to an approximation of what many fans probably heard.</span></li>
<li><span>As I previously mentioned, Braun waited to issue his statement until<a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsonline.com%2Fsports%2Fbrewers%2Fbrauns-timing-lets-teammates-digest-his-apology-b9982106z1-220767481.html&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brewcrewball.com%2F2013%2F8%2F23%2F4650916%2Ffridays-frosty-mug-statements-on-statements-on-statements" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"> the Brewers were in the air</a> on their way to Cincinnati. That means most of the team was unavailable for immediate response and will wait until today to answer questions about it. Adam McCalvy <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/370720834660208640">got a text from Jonathan Lucroy</a>, but that's about it.</span></li>
<li><span><a href="https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/370896843799941120">McCalvy also noted on Twitter</a> that the decision to issue a written statement meant various TV outlets had no video to use for their stories, so they went back to the 2012 Maryvale press conference footage.</span></li>
<li><span>MLB is not planning on issuing any response to Braun's comments. (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/Haudricourt/status/370700063187537920">@Haudricourt</a>)</span></li>
<li><span><a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewGruman/status/370697153460453376">@AndrewGruman notes</a> that we'll probably go through all of this again next spring when Braun reports to Maryvale.</span></li>
</ul>
<p>Back on the field, the Brewers are in Cincinnati this morning and will open a three game series with the Reds tonight. Yovani Gallardo takes on Homer Bailey in the opener, and <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/daily-notes-the-actual-daisuke-matsuzaka-to-pitch-today/">noted leisured gentleman Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs</a> gave the matchup a five out of ten on his NERD scale.</p>
<p>Tonight's game will feature the underperforming team Doug Melvin assembled against Walt Jocketty's playoff contender. <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130822&content_id=57932080&vkey=news_mil&c_id=mil">Adam McCalvy talked to Melvin</a> about his friendship with the longtime NL Central GM.</p>
<p>Aramis Ramirez will likely be back in the lineup batting cleanup and playing third base tonight, and he's coming off two home runs in three days in the Cardinals series. <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeVassallo13/status/370908020206628864">@MikeVassallo13 notes</a> that his next home run will be the 350th of his career.</p>
<p>Ramirez will probably bat one spot behind Jonathan Lucroy, who has been batting third when catching most days recently. <a href="http://reviewingthebrew.com/2013/08/22/jonathan-lucroy-brewers-catcher-has-gone-from-role-player-to-leader/">Curt Hogg of Reviewing the Brew</a> has a look at Lucroy's quick transition from rookie catcher to clubhouse leader.</p>
<p>Scooter Gennett is also likely to be in the lineup at second base. <a href="http://www.foxsportswisconsin.com/mlb/milwaukee-brewers/story/Brewers-Scooter-Gennett-a-supremely-moti?blockID=931761&amp%3BfeedID=5059#.UhYlR3jx1Uw.twitter">Andrew Gruman of Fox Sports Wisconsin</a> has a great story today on how the diminutive second baseman has always used his doubters as motivation. <a href="https://twitter.com/MikeVassallo13/status/370907738924011520">@MikeVassallo13 notes</a> that Gennett's .392 batting average since July 23 is the best in all of baseball. Khris Davis is second at .370.</p>
<p>Elsewhere in surprising contributions, <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/multi-year-deals-for-relievers-an-ugly-retrospective/">Dave Cameron of FanGraphs</a> credits Tom Gorzelanny with being one of the best relievers signed to a multi-year contract last winter. The post is mostly a cautionary tale against giving expensive long-term deals to unreliable bullpen arms.</p>
<p>He's been out of sight and out of mind for most of the year, but Taylor Green continues to work to get ready to compete for a spot on this roster in 2014, <a href="https://twitter.com/Todd_Rosiak/status/370603444991586305">@Todd_Rosiak notes</a> that he was back in Milwaukee recently for a checkup and everything is going well in his recovery from hip surgery.</p>
<p>If Green wears a Brewer uniform next season, he'll have to deal with some debate about whether or not it's awful. Earlier this week I mentioned that Paul Lukas of Uni Watch ranked the Brewers' uniforms 26th in all of baseball, but this morning <a href="http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/57931976">Will Leitch of Sports on Earth</a> posted his own rankings and has the Brewers 18th.</p>
<p>In the minors:</p>
<ul>
<li><span>For once there's encouraging news regarding the potential future of baseball in Nashville, as <a href="http://t.co/tSgoTwUOof">momentum appears to be building for a new stadium for the Sounds</a>. A lot of hurdles still need to be cleared but it's possible a new park could be open as soon as 2015. (h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamMcCalvy/status/370576636921806848">@AdamMcCalvy</a>)</span></li>
<li><span>Meanwhile, the affiliates went 3-2 last night and Brooks Hall pitched five scoreless innings in Huntsville's 2-1 win over Pensacola. You can read about that and more in today's <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/23/4650646/brewers-minor-league-notes-2013-08-23">Minor League Notes</a>.</span></li>
<li><span><a href="http://rattlerradio.mlblogs.com/2013/08/23/a-thing-of-beauty/">Chris Mehring of Rattler Radio</a> has notes from Wisconsin's 8-5 win over Clinton.</span></li>
<li><span><a href="http://www.sports32.com/second-nature">Bob Brainerd of Time Warner Cable Sports 32</a> has a profile of Wisconsin second baseman Chris McFarland.</span></li>
<li><span><a href="http://www.minorleagueball.com/2013/8/22/4648394/the-2012-mlb-draft-where-are-they-now-first-round-update">John Sickels of Minor League Ball</a> has a look back at the first round of the 2012 MLB Draft and the first full professional season for players selected, including Clint Coulter and Victor Roache.</span></li>
</ul>
<p>Looking back a day, Wednesday's FS Wisconsin off day left many of us turning to alternatives to see the game. <a href="http://disciplesofuecker.com/streaming-with-the-enemy/14095">Adam Wieser of Disciples of Uecker</a> took the non-advisable route of watching the Cardinals broadcast and offers a review.</p>
<p>Around baseball:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.federalbaseball.com/2013/8/23/4649986/nationals-reportedly-trade-kurt-suzuki-back-to-oakland-as">Athletics</a>: Are believed to have acquired catcher Kurt Suzuki from the Nationals for a minor league pitcher.<br><a href="http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9593208/san-francisco-giants-put-andres-torres-dl-achilles-strain">Giants</a>: Placed outfielder Andres Torres on the DL with a strained Achilles.<br><a href="http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2013/8/22/4647764/mets-agree-to-sign-daisuke-matsuzaka">Mets</a>: Signed pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to a major league deal.<br><a href="http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2013/8/22/4647860/rays-sign-delmon-young-to-minor-league-deal">Rays</a>: Signed outfielder Delmon Young to a minor league deal.</p>
<p>Let's go around the NL Central:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span>The Pirates rode a seven-run fifth inning to a 10-5 win over the Giants last night. Andrew McCutchen was on base four times with two singles and two walks in the victory.</span></li>
<li><span>The Cardinals kept pace in the division race with a 6-2 win over the Braves. Matt Carpenter, Carlos Beltran and Matt Holiday combined for six hits, including four doubles.</span></li>
<li><span>The Reds scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to eke out a 2-1 win over the Diamondbacks. Shin-Soo Choo scored both Cincinnati runs.</span></li>
<li><span>The Cubs scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings but lost 5-4 to the Nationals in 13. Chad Tracy's RBI groundout was the difference.</span></li>
<li><span>The Brewers were off Thursday.</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Here are today's standings and probables:</p>
<table border="1"><tbody>
<tr>
<td>Team</td>
<td>W</td>
<td>L</td>
<td>GB</td>
<td>Today</td>
<td>Time</td>
<td>Matchup</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pirates</td>
<td>75</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>--</td>
<td>@ SFG</td>
<td>9:15p</td>
<td>Charlie Morton v Madison Bumgarner</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cardinals</td>
<td>74</td>
<td>53</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>v ATL</td>
<td>7:15p</td>
<td>Adam Wainwright v Kris Medlen</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Reds</td>
<td>73</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>2.5</td>
<td>v MIL</td>
<td>6:10p</td>
<td>Homer Bailey v Yovani Gallardo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brewers</td>
<td>55</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>@ CIN</td>
<td>6:10p</td>
<td></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cubs</td>
<td>54</td>
<td>73</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>@ SDP</td>
<td>9:10p</td>
<td>Edwin Jackson v Edinson Volquez</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>Today in former Brewers: Carlos Villanueva <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2013/08/22/jayson-werth-on-carlos-villanuevas-eephus-pitch-ive-never-seen-a-pitch-that-slow/">threw a 57 mph eephus pitch</a> to Jayson Werth of the Nationals yesterday.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, yesterday's best news across baseball may have come from Los Angeles, where Vin Scully announced <a href="http://www.dodgerthoughts.com/2013/08/22/the-class-of-65-vin-scully-to-return-for-65th-year-with-dodgers-in-2014/">he'll be returning for his 65th season</a> as the voice of the Dodgers in 2014.</p>
<p>If you've been to a game at Miller Park this season then you're probably familiar with the "Find Ticket Oak" promotion, where one fan is given a camera and 30 seconds to give us all motion sickness while searching for the talking tree in the crowd. Apparently this isn't an original idea: <a href="http://www.faithandfearinflushing.com/2013/08/23/better-than-finding-cuppy/">Faith and Fear in Flushing</a> has a post on the Mets' "Find Cuppy" game at Citi Field.</p>
<p>Today In Brewer History was off this morning, but we do have some bits of history:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span>nullacct has a look at Robin Yount as <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/22/4639774/face-of-the-franchise-1982">the face of the 1982 Brewers</a>.</span></li>
<li>
<span>Today is 1997 Brewer Julio Franco's 55th birthday and </span><a style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;" href="http://www.plunkeveryone.com/?p=4220">Plunk Everyone notes</a><span> that his 38 career HBP are the fourth most ever for a player born on August 23.</span>
</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>Now, if you'll excuse me, <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/philadelphia-phillies-nfl-eagles-shared-blue-chest-pornography-153641956.html">someone has found my collection</a>.</p>
<p>Drink up.</p>
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/23/4650916/fridays-frosty-mug-statements-on-statements-on-statementsKyle Lobner2013-08-22T19:29:49-05:002013-08-22T19:29:49-05:00Doug Melvin responds to Ryan Braun's statement
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tPwxSKZg9OJGQ2yNkU8ZK7lvEW4=/0x348:3093x2410/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18288879/20130406_lbm_bs5_055.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After Ryan Braun released a statement, Doug Melvin followed it with some comments of his own.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/22/4649202/ryan-braun-releases-statement">
<h2>Ryan Braun releases statement</h2>
<img src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16785811/129019103.0_standard_352.0.jpg"></a> <span>For the full text of Ryan Braun's statement, Brew Crew Ball has it here.</span>
</div>
<p>After Ryan Braun's statement was released, Doug Melvin had some comments on the situation. Adam McCalvy released a <a href="http://brewersbeat.mlblogs.com/2013/08/22/melvin-brauns-actions-will-matter-more-than-words/">blog post with those comments</a>, but here's the quotes for you to read as well.</p>
<p>First of all, here are quotes from Melvin about the statement itself.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"I think it's just got to satisfy Ryan. He's got to feel good about it," Melvin said. "He has to put it out; I think people were waiting for it. He wanted to put some thought into it and wanted to make sure he got all of his facts straight before he did it.</p>
<p>"My feeling is, I know he put a statement out, and that's the right thing to do. But I think when any player goes through what he's done, it's going to be the actions after that will be important, too. ... [The statement] is going to be analyzed, dissected, and it's never going to satisfy everybody. That's why I'm saying beyond a release of what he has to say, the most important thing is an individual's actions when he comes back. He's going to be one of 25 players."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Melvin also remarked on what Braun needs to do before he returns to the Brewers next season:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"I don't know what ‘more' is," Melvin said. "I think his actions when he comes back are going to be the most important thing. When a player comes back from a situation like this, he's going to be one of the guys. It's up to every individual on how he's going to be [accepted back]. Every individual has his own feelings, and I think once you put on the Brewers uniform, there's an acceptance that you're all working in the same clubhouse, on the same team. Guys are all professional enough to understand they're on a team. They'll all move forward and try to win ballgames."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you're hoping to hear from Braun's teammates about the statement, it may be a while. <a href="https://twitter.com/Haudricourt/status/370693882075312128">Braun waited until the team was in the air to Cincinnati</a> to release the comments. We'll probably hear from them soon, but it will be later tonight or tomorrow.</p>
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/22/4649358/doug-melvin-responds-to-ryan-brauns-statement-JP-2013-08-22T18:35:16-05:002013-08-22T18:35:16-05:00Ryan Braun releases statement
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/l29F8rk0oO1MH_bicdeDdMEKop4=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18287083/123462562.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark Hirsch</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ryan Braun has released a statement on his suspension and PED usage.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/22/4649358/doug-melvin-responds-to-ryan-brauns-statement">
<h2>Doug Melvin responds to Ryan Braun's statement</h2>
<img src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18288901/20130406_lbm_bs5_055.0_cinema_1050.0.jpg"></a> <span>Brew Crew Ball has comments from General Manager Doug Melvin following Ryan Braun's statement to the public</span>
</div>
<p>Ryan Braun released a statement tonight about his suspension, his usage of PEDs, and apologizing for what he has done. You can see the blog post from Adam McCalvy <a href="http://brewersbeat.mlblogs.com/2013/08/22/braun-issues-statement/">here</a>, but here is the full text:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Now that the initial MLB investigation is over, I want to apologize for my actions and provide a more specific account of what I did and why I deserved to be suspended. I have no one to blame but myself. I know that over the last year and a half I made some serious mistakes, both in the information I failed to share during my arbitration hearing and the comments I made to the press afterwards.</p>
<p>I have disappointed the people closest to me - the ones who fought for me because they truly believed me all along. I kept the truth from everyone. For a long time, I was in denial and convinced myself that I had not done anything wrong.</p>
<p>It is important that people understand that I did not share details of what happened with anyone until recently. My family, my teammates, the Brewers organization, my friends, agents, and advisors had no knowledge of these facts, and no one should be blamed but me. Those who put their necks out for me have been embarrassed by my behavior. I don't have the words to express how sorry I am for that.</p>
<p>Here is what happened. During the latter part of the 2011 season, I was dealing with a nagging injury and I turned to products for a short period of time that I shouldn't have used. The products were a cream and a lozenge which I was told could help expedite my rehabilitation. It was a huge mistake for which I am deeply ashamed and I compounded the situation by not admitting my mistakes immediately.</p>
<p>I deeply regret many of the things I said at the press conference after the arbitrator's decision in February 2012. At that time, I still didn't want to believe that I had used a banned substance. I think a combination of feeling self righteous and having a lot of unjustified anger led me to react the way I did. I felt wronged and attacked, but looking back now, I was the one who was wrong. I am beyond embarrassed that I said what I thought I needed to say to defend my clouded vision of reality. I am just starting the process of trying to understand why I responded the way I did, which I continue to regret. There is no excuse for any of this.</p>
<p>For too long during this process, I convinced myself that I had not done anything wrong. After my interview with MLB in late June of this year, I came to the realization that it was time to come to grips with the truth. I was never presented with baseball's evidence against me, but I didn't need to be, because I knew what I had done. I realized the magnitude of my poor decisions and finally focused on dealing with the realities of-and the punishment for-my actions.</p>
<p>I requested a second meeting with Baseball to acknowledge my violation of the drug policy and to engage in discussions about appropriate punishment for my actions. By coming forward when I did and waiving my right to appeal any sanctions that were going to be imposed, I knew I was making the correct decision and taking the first step in the right direction. It was important to me to begin my suspension immediately to minimize the burden on everyone I had so negatively affected- my teammates, the entire Brewers organization, the fans and all of MLB. There has been plenty of rumor and speculation about my situation, and I am aware that my admission may result in additional attacks and accusations from others.</p>
<p>I love the great game of baseball and I am very sorry for any damage done to the game. I have privately expressed my apologies to Commissioner Selig and Rob Manfred of MLB and to Michael Weiner and his staff at the Players' Association. I'm very grateful for the support I've received from them. I sincerely apologize to everybody involved in the arbitration process, including the collector, Dino Laurenzi, Jr. I feel terrible that I put my teammates in a position where they were asked some very difficult and uncomfortable questions. One of my primary goals is to make amends with them.</p>
<p>I understand it's a blessing and a tremendous honor to play this game at the Major League level. I also understand the intensity of the disappointment from teammates, fans, and other players. When it comes to both my actions and my words, I made some very serious mistakes and I can only ask for the forgiveness of everyone I let down. I will never make the same errors again and I intend to share the lessons I learned with others so they don't repeat my mistakes. Moving forward, I want to be part of the solution and no longer part of the problem.</p>
<p>I support baseball's Joint Drug Treatment and Prevention Program and the importance of cleaning up the game. What I did goes against everything I have always valued- achieving through hard work and dedication, and being honest both on and off the field. I also understand that I will now have to work very, very hard to begin to earn back people's trust and support. I am dedicated to making amends and to earning back the trust of my teammates, the fans, the entire Brewers' organization, my sponsors, advisors and from MLB. I am hopeful that I can earn back the trust from those who I have disappointed and those who are willing to give me the opportunity. I am deeply sorry for my actions, and I apologize to everyone who has been adversely affected by them.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What do you think? Is this enough for you, or do you need more?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Edit:</p>
<p>At 7:05 pm CDT a letter was sent to Brewers fans via email with the following text:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">August 22, 2013</span></span><span> </span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><span>Letter to the fans of the Milwaukee Brewers: </span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><span>I have always been very grateful for the privilege of playing baseball in the great city of Milwaukee. I am so sorry for letting you down by being in denial for so long and not telling the whole truth about what happened. I am ashamed and extremely embarrassed by the decisions I made. There are no excuses for what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions. I apologize to all Brewers fans for disappointing you. </span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><span>I came forward because I knew it was time for me to tell the truth and accept my punishment. I understand I have abused your trust and that of our great owner Mark Attanasio and the entire Brewers organization. Admitting my mistakes and asking for your forgiveness are the first steps in what I know will be a lengthy process to prove myself to you again. </span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><span>It is an honor to represent the people of Wisconsin by wearing a Brewers uniform. I want all of you to know how much I have appreciated the support I've received from so many of you throughout my years with the organization. I will continue to work on improving myself and making amends for what I have done. I am deeply sorry for my actions and I apologize to everyone I have let down. I am committed to doing everything I can to earn back your trust and support. </span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><br style="color: #666666; font-family: TimesNewRoman, 'Times New Roman', Times, Baskerville, Georgia, serif; font-size: 15.555556297302246px; line-height: 23.99305534362793px;"><span>Sincerely, Ryan Braun</span></p>
</blockquote>
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/22/4649202/ryan-braun-releases-statement-JP-2013-08-05T11:38:51-05:002013-08-05T11:38:51-05:00Nelson Cruz and why cheating makes sense
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Yf8xA4R-iqpTEmYbXXFTd3hU9ok=/0x0:599x399/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/17405257/26-oct-10_104157768cc102_new_york_yan.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Elsa</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Today's BioGenesis suspensions may knock down performance enhancing drugs in baseball, but Nelson Cruz's case shows why many will try to cheat anyway.</p> <p>We're still waiting for official word on MLB's BioGenesis suspensions (see update below), but it's becoming increasingly likely that one of the players suspended will have a tie to the <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Brewers</a>. <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rangers</a> outfielder Nelson Cruz was a Brewer briefly in 2005 before being sent to Texas in the Carlos Lee deal in 2006.</p>
<p>To date the faces of the BioGenesis investigation have been Ryan Braun and <span>Alex Rodriguez</span>, two longtime productive major leaguers. Braun and A-Rod didn't have clear turning points in their career where you could suspect some kind of rule breaking took place, they were just good players who remained good. In Cruz, though, baseball has a different kind of example. Cruz may be a textbook example of the reason why players will always try to cheat.</p>
<p>Cruz joined the Brewers in December of 2004, and Milwaukee was already his third organization. He'd been traded for players like <span>Jorge Velandia</span> and <span>Keith Ginter</span>. The Brewers gave him his first seven MLB plate appearances before including him as a throw-in in the Carlos Lee trade. Following the 2007 season Cruz was a career .231/.282/.385 hitter. The Rangers designated him for assignment the next spring, and he went unclaimed on waivers.</p>
<p>We don't know when Nelson Cruz first came across BioGenesis or started taking performance enhancing drugs, but if this was the point it'd be easy to understand why. At 26 years old, Cruz's major league career might have reached its conclusion. If someone had approached him with a potential miracle drug to try, he really wouldn't have had much to lose.</p>
<p>Cruz made it back to the big leagues with the Rangers in August of 2008, hitting .330/.421/.609 down the stretch. He was an All Star in 2009, hitting 33 home runs after never producing more than nine in any previous season. He has an .852 OPS over the last six seasons with 142 home runs, has played in two All Star Games and been a member of three playoff teams. He's also been paid about $20 million over that time.</p>
<p>Over the coming days, weeks and months we're going to see a lot of hand-wringing and moralizing about how Cruz and others have sullied baseball's good name. How they've sacrificed their own integrity for personal benefit. Perhaps they deserve some of that. They cheated, and they got caught.</p>
<p>With that said, for every player like Cruz there are dozens more who have spent their entire lives in pursuit of a single goal, MLB stardom, and instead found themselves just short of that dream. I'm not asking you to feel sorry for them. But before you condemn them as reprehensible human beings or <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/359541912933376000">worse</a>, I'd ask you to put yourself in their shoes for a moment and consider the possibility that you might've done the same thing.</p>
<p><b>UPDATE: </b><a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal">Ken Rosenthal is reporting</a><b> that the following players have been suspended -</b></p>
<ul>
<li>Nelson Cruz, as expected.</li>
<li>Tigers shortstop Jhonny Peralta</li>
<li>Phillies reliever Antonio Bastardo</li>
<li>Mets infielder Jordany Valdespin</li>
<li>Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera</li>
<li>Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli</li>
<li>Mariners catcher Jesus Montero</li>
<li>Astros pitcher Segio Escalona</li>
<li>Padres pitcher Fautino De Los Santos</li>
<li>Yankees outfielder Fernando Martinez</li>
<li>Free agent pitcher Jordan Norberto</li>
</ul>
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/8/5/4590768/nelson-cruz-biogenesis-steroids-cheaterKyle Lobner2013-07-30T09:21:34-05:002013-07-30T09:21:34-05:00Attanasio: "redemption for Ryan will not be easy."
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B6oIAbEhrgE9asDGfj3Fu1FWISs=/0x0:1000x667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/17101203/129024638.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christian Petersen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A letter from Mark Attanasio is the latest step in the healing process following the events of the last week.</p> <p>This morning <a href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Brewers</a> chairman and principal owner Mark Attanasio sent out an email to Brewer fans responding to the challenges of the last week and starting an effort to move forward. If you haven't already received the email, you <a href="http://atmlb.com/162UkGU">can see it here</a>.</p>
<p>I won't re-post the entire email, but it divides relatively neatly into two parts. First, there's an acknowledgement of the challenges the organization faces following Ryan Braun's recent suspension, as highlighted here:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>We recognize that Ryan has many steps ahead of him to regain your trust and respect. This process will take time, and the road to redemption for Ryan will not be easy. Our responsibility as an organization is to help Ryan appreciate the difficult task ahead of him and to assist in the healing process.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The second half of the email, meanwhile, shows an attempt to move forward:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Starting this week, we will be introducing a series of initiatives to reaffirm our commitment to you and all of our fans throughout Wisconsin. We know that these initiatives are not a substitute for success on the field, and our primary mission remains to have a perennially competitive team.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The Brewers <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130729&content_id=55186166&notebook_id=55186500&vkey=notebook_mil&c_id=mil">have already announced a plan</a> to distribute $10 vouchers to every fan who attends a Miller Park game in August, and that second blockquote implies to me that more response is on the way.</p>
<p>As Attanasio states above, the road to redemption for this team will not be quick or simple. I'm glad to see the Brewers, though, recognizing this as an organizational issue and taking steps to move forward.</p>
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/7/30/4571078/mark-attanasio-letter-brewer-fans-ryan-braunKyle Lobner2013-07-24T13:30:06-05:002013-07-24T13:30:06-05:00The BCB contributors react to the Braun suspension
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0ONmiT81wtlVQYHAY_6lygrFsxc=/0x152:4000x2819/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16814913/20130723_kkt_bs5_431.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>How do our resident contributors feel about the Braun suspension? We get their take on it here.</p> <p>One of the great aspects of a site like Brew Crew Ball is all the different contributors we have. Each one brings a different view to the table, with different opinions and a different writing style. All of that coming together really strengthens the site by bringing together content from a variety of people.</p>
<p>Yesterday, I emailed all of the regular BCB contributors and asked them to put together a short piece on their thoughts on the whole situation with Ryan Braun. I didn't give them much for restraints, just to talk about the situation around Braun, and to keep it within a certain word count range. What I got was a variety of opinions expressing different feelings: disbelief, anger, confusion, indifference, depression and even a little bit of bargaining. Let's take a look at what the contributors (including myself) had to say.</p>
<p>(Note: You can see Noah's reaction <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/7/23/4549234/ryan-braun-suspended-my-reaction">in this post from yesterday</a>., and NPetrashek published his own post <a href="http://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/7/24/4551796/beyond-braun-the-shortcomings-of-mlbs-drug-policy" target="_blank">here</a>.)</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Hangwith'em Rach</b></p>
<p>I've been all over the place on this. On one hand, I want to lay on the floor and kick and scream. This is so unfair. I've been a great fan and I love Ryan Braun. I devoted a lot of my time to watching, writing about and, generally, loving this ball player. The best part of watching the Brewers was watching him. Heck, at one time I described myself as Team Herpes and Cocaine. That's devotion. On the other hand, the cynic in me knew he probably took PEDs; that steroids in baseball was not limited to a select few "others."</p>
<p>So now we're Braunless. And the question that keeps entering my mind is what I want to do next. Do I "punish" MLB by not watching? Do I walk away from the Brewers? Do I forgive it all because that playoff game against the D-Backs felt just so awesome? And if I forgive and forget, does that say something about my character? I'm conflicted and it is just going to take some time to figure it all out. One thing that I know for sure: I'd gladly tack on 10 or so games to that suspension if I knew exactly what happened.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Alec Dopp</b></p>
<p>I’ve never felt more deceived in my life. When ESPN first reported that Braun had tested positive for a banned substance back in late 2011, and would be in line for a potential suspension, I immediately assumed the story to be true -- forgetting to consider the whole ‘innocent until proven guilty’ notion. I called my dad up the next morning regarding the news to see what he thought – he’s always been my go-to baseball guy, especially when it comes to the Brewers – and he reassured me about that aforementioned notion.</p>
<p>Then, when Braun held the press conference in February 2012 after word got out about the break in the chain of custody from the sample collector of Braun’s urine sample, any doubts about his potential guilt in this whole process were erased from my mind, to be honest; his public apology was executed perfectly and he seemed wholly honest about the situation.</p>
<p>Even as news leaked about his connection to Anthony Bosch and the Biogenesis clinic, I truly believed that Ryan was innocent. No matter the amount of smoke – I told myself there was no fire.</p>
<p>But as I sat at work on my mandatory 30-minute break Monday evening, checking in on Twitter to see if any potential deadline deals had fallen through while I was at work, I realized I was wrong when I saw Braun had admitted to his usage.</p>
<p>This hurts – a lot. The kid I had idolized, the kid who had played a huge role in my love for the game of baseball, turned out to be a cheater and a lying coward. I don’t know what to think about Ryan at this point, to tell the truth. All I can do is hope that he’ll learn his lesson and become a better all-around person because of it.</p>
<p>It didn’t have to be like this, Ryan.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Fred Hofstetter</b></p>
<p>Ryan Braun was suspended. For cheating. Okay. What did he do? We still don’t know. Oh. Well, then. Love the deductive process. So we’ve got this root of "Ryan Braun cheated" with about a thousand branches hanging off of it, with maybe seventeen actually bearing something substantial. Some notebook paper. A "false positive". Tony Bosch. Shyam Das. I don’t know. Maybe it’s less than seventeen.</p>
<p>Let’s face it – Braun’s image couldn’t get worse. Reasonably speaking. Everyone hates him. The only new information coming with the official suspension is that Braun admitted to making mistakes, and he employed a sophisticated regimen of injecting the mistakes. I don’t know what that means. I’d like to know what it means. I hope to find out what that means. When, why, the remaining wh- question words. Most of all, I’d like to hear it from Braun himself. He’s got nothing to lose.</p>
<p>Maybe it will happen later. But probably not. But if he gets explicit and shares this supposed sophisticated regimen, perhaps he can actually help the situation. It couldn’t hurt to try. Plus, it would appease my curiosity. Which is all I really care about.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Eric Nehm</b></p>
<p>During the first draft of my thoughts on the Ryan Braun saga, I spent time talking about all of the great memories I've had as a Brewers fan and these memories are probably many of the same memories each of you have had. I talked about my first time at County Stadium, my first time at Miller Park, CC's first start, Game 82, the 2008 playoffs, the 2011 playoffs, and everything that has been great about my experience as a Brewers fan. I wrapped up my little trip down memory lane by trying to remind Brewers fans of all the great stuff that has happened and to not burn jerseys and boycott a team that they've loved just because of one guy, but that was all a copout.</p>
<p>I wrote all of those things to keep myself from actually writing about the Braun stuff. I was much happier telling people to remember the good times and keep the hope than actually confronting my feelings about the saga. So here goes...</p>
<p>This whole thing pisses me off. I put up with all of this garbage for the last year and a half for nothing. All I got was a 65 game suspension and a vague apology from Braun. Now I don't want, or do I think I deserve, an apology from Braun. I could care less about the lies he has told and the sincerity of his apology. And I don't need him to detail exactly what happened. I do want someone to tell me what actually happened though</p>
<p>All I want is answers and that is the one thing I don't believe I will receive.</p>
<p>I will never find out if the only thing Braun did wrong was fail that first test that he successfully appealed. I will never find out what actually happened in that appeal. I will never find out if he was actually on a testosterone regimen and screwed up just once in October or if he actually only took testosterone that one time. I will also never find out about his true relationship with Biogenesis. I will never find out if he was buying drugs off them regularly or if he actually only paid Biogenesis for their consulting. I will never find out exactly what Braun was shown in that first meeting with Major League Baseball that convinced him to look for a settlement.</p>
<p>Was there actual evidence or was there just the threat of facing a suspension no matter what he might have done? What actually happened in these last two years? I don't think I'll ever know and that's the thing that truly upsets me.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Nicole Haase</b></p>
<p>To frame my reaction to Monday's Braun news, you need to know that I was in charge of the site the day in February 2012 it broke that Braun was successful in his appeal of the original suspension - Kyle was on vacation and had asked me to be ready in case the news broke. This meant that I had very little time to actually think about the news - I just went into full-on site-coverage mode. Compiling the Mug really OD'd me on the whole thing and I kind of just really moved past the story without ever really processing it for myself.</p>
<p>MLB's reaction made me realize the story wasn't over. I figured I'd have a response and deal with that when the next phase of the story came up. I assumed I'd either feel elated or disappointed.</p>
<p>So I was pretty shocked when on Monday the whole thing hit the fan and the only thing I felt was exhaustion and apathy. I'm too sick of the whole thing to bother being shocked, angry or sympathetic. I feel very "it is what it is" and I really just hope this means we might be able to start moving on from here.</p>
<p>It's probably too much to hope that this will bring any sort of closure, but to say that I'm just sort of "done" with this whole story would be the best way to sum up my feelings on it. We've been on this roller coaster for 18 months and I'm ready for it to be something approximating over. It's been the ever-present elephant in the room and for us doing the blog, it's been a bit of an albatross. "The Braun Thing" has always been there, looming like a specter, so in some way it's a relief to have that gone.</p>
<p>The most interesting thing about the past few days for me has been the reactions, both positive and negative. As someone who went to school for journalism and studied the history of journalism, this is a fascinating time. There's been both some truly awful and some truly spectacular writing happening this week and the context of it all will be incredibly interesting as the whole Biogenesis thing continues to play out.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Cheeseandcorn</b></p>
<p>Braun's suspension and final public shaming has felt so inevitable for so long that now that it's finally happened, there aren't a whole lot of emotions left for me. I don't feel the outrage that so many fans feel, but I also don't feel the defiant "Who gives a crap?" that many of the commenters here feel, either. And frankly, I'm kind of tired of people -- especially Brewers fans -- telling each other what they should and shouldn't feel about Braun anyway. (That doesn't extend, of course, to condemning the faux-outrage being spewed by the Passans and Olneys of the world. That's not emotion; that's strategic performance, and we should all continue calling that self-serving blather out for what it is.)</p>
<p>The one thing I keep coming back to is something several commenters said throughout this ordeal: that we don't ever want to become Giants fans -- the only people in America still cheering for a villain and a liar that everyone else in the country justifiably loathes.</p>
<p>Well, that's what we are now -- we're Giants fans rooting for Barry Bonds. I don't like that at all, and I don't know how to process it right now, but it's the new reality of being a Brewers fan, so we might as well start figuring out how we're going to adjust to it. I suspect that adjustment is going to take shape in very different ways for all of us here, but that's OK by me.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>-JP-</b></p>
<p>For the longest time, I had been in denial about the whole thing. I just wanted to believe that he was telling the truth, that he was clean, and that this was just a witch hunt against him. Now that he's been suspended and has admitted to making mistakes, I'm still trying to figure out what this means to me. I haven't been a Brewers fan as long as many of the other people here, and Braun has been part of the Brewers for most of my time as a fan. I'm left wondering how much of those years are a lie now. While the 2008 wild card and 2011 division title will never be taken away, they feel a little less special now. If Braun comes back and continues to play well, he will hold several Brewers records and be one of the most important players in Brewers history, if not the most important. What does it say about the franchise if that happens?</p>
<p>There are a lot of questions out there about what happened, and others want some answers. I'm on the opposite end of that. I just want to move on from this, and I don't really want to hear the answers now. I'm ready to look to the future. Braun will be back in 2014, and I definitely won't be booing him. However, I won't be cheering either. I think Braun can win back a lot of support from the Brewers fans, but it won't be the same as before. The Brewers need Ryan Braun if they want to be successful. For that reason, I can put aside any feelings I have about him and be ready to welcome him back next year.</p>
<p>I'm not as outraged about the whole situation of PEDs in baseball as some other people are, and I think that's because I haven't been a fan of baseball as long as they have. The whole PED issue has been around for the whole time I've been watching, and I've come to accept that it's a part of the game for now. I'm more outraged by how MLB is trying to clean up the sport. I agree that a level playing field is needed, but I don't think MLB is doing this correctly. They need to step back and reevaluate what they need to do.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>morineko</b></p>
<p>I don't get myself worked up too much about doping; it's been part of the game since at least the early 20th century. The overblown reactions in the press just make it harder to have discussions with fans of other teams without discussions turning to cheats. There are much larger issues of crime and punishment to worry about.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Rubie Q</b></p>
<p>I'm largely over the Braun part of this whole saga, because I realized a long time ago that he probably took something he shouldn't have, lied about it (because, honestly, what other choice did he have?), and was gonna get hammered before his career was over. On that front, then, my reaction is largely: "whatever"; a dude who I watch run around and smack stuff with a big wooden stick for a couple of hours each night isn't going to do that anymore this year. Bummer.</p>
<p>I remain much more fascinated with how badly MLB is handling this entire situation. You remember the scene in <i>The Dark Knight</i>, when the accountant who works for Wayne Enterprises figures out that Bruce Wayne is Batman and Lucius is funding him and demands, like, a million dollars a year not to go public? And Lucius says something along the lines of: "You've concluded that your boss, who's one of the most rich and powerful people in the world, goes around at night beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands ... and your plan is to blackmail this person? Good luck."</p>
<p>That's how I feel about MLB at this point: in an effort to convince people that you've got your PED issue under control and it's not the problem it was in the '90s and '00s, you're going to publicly (and repeatedly) trash two perennial All-Stars and former MVPs, leak information about the case to the media, buy off the testimony of two drug-peddling pukes, threaten people with bajillion game suspensions and effectively disregard the agreement you made to deal with this very issue, and then let the suspensions (and who knows how many there are going to be; 20? 30?) trickle out piecemeal over the course of the next several weeks?</p>
<p>That's your plan?</p>
<p>Good luck with that.</p>
<hr>
<p><b>Jordan M</b></p>
<p>I have never been big on righteous moral indignation. I have also been fairly outspoken about my beliefs that the line drawn between performance enhancing drugs and non-PEDs is arbitrary and stupid. If someone can explain to me why creatine, contact lenses, caffeine, vitamins, Tommy John surgery, and hundreds of other "nutrition supplements" are not banned while many other items are (without the phrase "a line has to be drawn somewhere"), I would love to hear it.</p>
<p>That being said, Ryan Braun clearly broke the rules. I will save the moral judgment until/if we ever actually learn details about this whole debacle, but he, the Brewers, and the fans have to live with a suspension. Ryan Braun did not die. He will be in the Opening Day lineup in 2014, and I will cheer for him. In some ways it will be almost like a nice surprise; the Brewers can pretend to build a team around Gomez, Segura, and Lucroy and then out of nowhere bring a star left fielder back into the mix. This year I have cheered for a domestic abuser and a drunk driver, I do not really do a moral check on players if they are going to help the baseball team I like.</p>
<p>There are really only two reasons I am somewhat angry about the whole fiasco. One is that Braun made me look like an idiot to the non-Brewer/baseball fan contingent for defending him so profusely. He came out after the successful appeal with such strong language you felt dumb <i>not</i>believing him, and unless there is some big piece of the puzzle we do not know, that was a mistake. And secondly, MLB's drug program, in addition to the aforementioned arbitrary line, clearly has problems in the detection department (twenty-some Biogenesis clients and one shady positive test? you would be stupid not to use) and in the due process department.</p>
<p>It is fun to root for villains sometimes. Braun may not be a good guy, but he's our guy. And I have a feeling he is going to take the time off to get "naturally" stronger and better, and come out next year, get drug tested three times per week, and have a career year.</p>
<hr>
https://www.brewcrewball.com/2013/7/24/4549928/the-bcb-contributors-react-to-the-braun-suspension-JP-