MVP tests positive

[veganrob]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7608360/ryan-braun-wins-appeal-50-game-suspension

And the US has lost any credibility it may have had left.

Really, they lost any credibility years ago.

 

[thehog]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/7608360/ryan-braun-wins-appeal-50-game-suspension

And the US has lost any credibility it may have had left.

I think Lance wrote his statment:

"I am very pleased and relieved by today's decision," Braun said in a statement. "It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side.

"We provided complete cooperation throughout, despite the highly unusual circumstances. I have been an open book, willing to share details from every aspect of my life as part of this investigation, because I have nothing to hide. I have passed over 25 drug tests in my career, including at least three in the past year."


25 tests! Wow!

 

[RigelKent]

Really, they lost any credibility years ago.

Thus "may" have had left. There still may have been a few people who believed the sham.

 

[Merckx index]

Braun's initial T/E ratio was more than 20:1. Sources previously confirmed synthetic testosterone in his system.

"MLB and cable sports tried to sully the reputation of an innocent man," Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Twitter. "Picked the wrong guy to mess with. Truth will set u free #exonerated."

What an idiot Rodgers is. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, just shut up.

Ramirez at first retired rather than face a 100-game suspension for a second positive test. Wanting to return this year, he is serving a 50-game penalty -- the length was shortened because he missed most of last year.

To put this in cycling terms, Ricco “retires” for half a season following his botched transfusion, then is hired at a bargain rate by Riis, and is allowed to begin riding after a couple of months. Riis, meanwhile, is portrayed in a movie as one of the wisest leaders in sports.

 

[RigelKent]

What an idiot Rodgers is. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, just shut up.

He knows exactly what he's talking about. He's on the same juice. Lance is next, I'm sure.

 

[Mr.DNA]

I thank Manny Ramirez for being the "last straw" that finally weaned me off of that ridiculous sport. It prospers because it appeals to escapist morons, i.e. half of America.

 

[joe_papp]

I have a good friend who played minor league ball for Houston but refused to dope and was eventually released. Ironically he now is a drug rep.

Guys who he played against are in the majors now making $1million-plus a season, but they didn't hit the ball farther than he did or run faster or whatever - they just did it every night, whereas his performances were inconsistent by comparison as he tried to recover naturally from the fatigue of a minor league playing and bus travel schedule.

He wouldn't even take vitamins (which is a bit extreme of a position, if you ask me). I've asked him a few times if he doesn't wish that he had doped then, in the minors, when it mattered, b/c it would've gotten him into the majors - where the playing and travel schedule is way less stressful - and where he probably could've performed consistently enough to earn more than the league minimum. And if he'd juiced in the Show too, he could've been making millions, too.

Now he races bikes for fun and still doesn't even like to take an aspirin.

His parents raised him to be frugal and ethical. But he comes across sometimes as a Johnny Appleseed/Johnny Nebraska-type. lol (just kidding, friend, if you're reading this...)

 

[Boeing]

Catchers and Pitchers reported

Spring Training Games start this week. Headed to AZ. Stop in Plam Springs for Division I Womens College softball tournament along way then Ride Golf then a little BBall

I'll be in the outfield waiting for a Pujols ball

 

[frenchfry]

Fat Pat and the UCI have a lot to learn from MLB.

 

[Catwhoorg]

If nothing else this stimulated a good discussion over lunch today. No-one could really understand the omerta over PEDS in baseball.

Surely its in the non-dopers interests to speak out ?
(yeah that didn't work so well in cycling did it)

Silly sanction initially, should have been much tougher, and a really stupid reason to overthrow the ruling.

 

[zigmeister]

Here's the thing, they have never stated publicly or released info as to what exactly he tested positive for? From what we can tell, it wasn't roids, HCG, HGH or anything of the likes. It is rumored to have been possibly connected to a medication/supplement he was taking.

Who knows.

 

[ghostofjoy]

Here's the thing, they have never stated publicly or released info as to what exactly he tested positive for? From what we can tell, it wasn't roids, HCG, HGH or anything of the likes. It is rumored to have been possibly connected to a medication/supplement he was taking.

Who knows.

wasn't it just (significantly) elevated testosterone?

 

[bigloco]

synthetic testosterone (for sure) and an elevated t/e ratio (i heard 20:1 but no confirmation on that)

He was let off due to a "chain of custody" irregularity where the sample holder kept the sample in his home fridge for a day as fed-ex wasnt open on the saturday night when the sample was taken.

Of course, Braun is dropping lines like "truth won out" etc...what truth is that? That fed ex isn't open 24 hours a day in Milwaukee?

 

[Merckx index]

I have heard 20:1 from one source, 30:1 in another, but it doesn't really matter. The IRMS test is what counts. Remember that Floyd's elevated T/E got thrown out on the appeal, and he still was sanctioned.

MLB is considering appealing the decision, and I hope they do. What the collector did--storing the sample in a cool place at his home over the weekend--is standard procedure in almost every other antidoping protocol, including WADA. It is specifically allowed, the collectors are trained so that they know what to do and how to do it when the sample can't be shipped immediately. And not only were the seals not broken, indicating no tampering, but there was no bacterial contamination, not that that could convert a negative to a positive, anyway.

Braun's lawyers spotted a loophole where it isn't specifically mentioned as allowed in MLB's protocol. It isn't prohibited AFAIK, this particular possibility simply isn't covered. MLB spent all this time formulating an antidoping protocol, and apparently they forget to address this scenario. What enrages me is that Braun can't just let sleeping dogs lie. He can't just be thankful he got off and get on with spring training. He has to broadcast his innocence and imply that the collector screwed up. Also reminds me why I could never be a lawyer, though I don't fault Braun's lawyers for doing this.

 

[usedtobefast]

spring training is about to heat up. MLB wants this to got away. Manny is back though!

 

[EasyRider]

This is such garbage.
Braun is holding a press conference to proclaim his innocence but yet he and his lawyers have never disputed the results of his positive test. The only leg they have to stand on is that the test wasn't sent to the lab within a 24 hour period. As if we are all supposed to forget about the synthetic testosterone in his urine and a 20:1 t/e ratio. The nerve of this guy to stand there shove his "innocence" in baseball fans faces while never addressing the facts that prove his guilt. The only thing worse is the terrible comparisons US journalists have drawn between PEDs in cycling and MLB... at least cycling has the balls to punish their stars.
I hear MLB is going to appeal the ruling but there stance on PEDs is nothing to cheer about. Already this year they have reduced Manny Ramirez's 100 game suspension to 50 games, because he retired instead of facing the 100 game suspension he received last year. So much for cleaning up the sport.

 

[Pazuzu]

This is such garbage.
Braun is holding a press conference to proclaim his innocence but yet he and his lawyers have never disputed the results of his positive test. The only leg they have to stand on is that the test wasn't sent to the lab within a 24 hour period. As if we are all supposed to forget about the synthetic testosterone in his urine and a 20:1 t/e ratio. The nerve of this guy to stand there shove his "innocence" in baseball fans faces while never addressing the facts that prove his guilt.

The implication being that the person who took the samples and brought them home with him and into the fridge somehow tampered with Braun's sample. Even though, apparently, the seal wasn't broken. So either Braun dodged a bullet or he was the victim of a terrible, terrible act of sabotage. Bottom line - Brewer's fans shouldn't get too excited just yet as Braun could suffer a baffeling drop off in production this year.

 

[ChrisE]

Cycling gets alot of deserved heat due to cheaters getting away with doping. Regardless, I think they seriously test more than most sports and cycling gets a bad rap due to the amount of positives vs other sports. I don't believe this is because there is more doping in cycling.

There is incentive to cover up positives or dismiss positives in sport, as opposed to the opposite. If PED testing in US sports was taken seriously, most of the stars would be busted IMO.

 

[EasyRider]

The implication being that the person who took the samples and brought them home with him and into the fridge somehow tampered with Braun's sample. Even though, apparently, the seal wasn't broken. So either Braun dodged a bullet or he was the victim of a terrible, terrible act of sabotage. Bottom line - Brewer's fans shouldn't get too excited just yet as Braun could suffer a baffeling drop off in production this year.

The possibility of sabotage lies in all drug tests but I can't help but feel that is a very weak excuse in this situation (or any situation). I could very well be mistaken here, but from everything I have heard the steps this tester took were very common. A lot of sporting events take place on the weekend and later in the day, so when the tester comes around quite often Fedex or any other shipping locations are closed. MLB's player's association has negotiated this 24 hour rule.

 

[EasyRider]

There is incentive to cover up positives or dismiss positives in sport, as opposed to the opposite. If PED testing in US sports was taken seriously, most of the stars would be busted IMO.

I completely agree with you there.

Money>Ethics, American capitalism at its finest

 

[ChrisE]

I completely agree with you there.

Money>Ethics, American capitalism at its finest

Its not just American. It is human nature to not do things that are detrimental to your well being. Busting sports stars is not good for the marketing of that sport.

 

[EasyRider]

Its not just American. It is human nature to not do things that are detrimental to your well being. Busting sports stars is not good for the marketing of that sport.

Yes but roiding up athletes is also detrimental to our well being, especially the well being of said athletes. The money home runs brings is more important to MLB than preserving the integrity of the sport and the well being of its athletes.

My previous post would probably be more accurate if I had just said "capitalism at its finest"

Everything is for sale and everything has a price, integrity included.

 

[usedtobefast]

at the end of the day sports are entertainment. people want to see the fastest,farthest,hardest athletes perform at the highest level. ethics are mostly window dressing.

 

[EasyRider]

at the end of the day sports are entertainment. people want to see the fastest,farthest,hardest athletes perform at the highest level. ethics are mostly window dressing.

Yes this is true for most sports but the thing that separates baseball (I realize this is the wrong site to have this discussion but while I'm here what the heck) from a lot of other sports is its emphasis on stats and history. I'm not sure any sport places as much importance on the these two factors as baseball. PEDs distort the stats and change the history in such a way that it deteriorates the past, present, and future of the sport.

I guess my point is baseball is a numbers game. PEDs distort the numbers and, in my opinion, ruin the game. I do not want to see the fastest, strongest, best athletes medicine can create. I want to see the the best athletes compete with relatively the same advantages and disadvantages every other player has had. If not the history of the game is meaningless, the present soon to become meaningless, and the future irrelevant. Who would want care to invest any time into a sport like that?

 

[Merckx index]

at the end of the day sports are entertainment. people want to see the fastest,farthest,hardest athletes perform at the highest level. ethics are mostly window dressing.

Window dressing exactly. When people have suggested a two tier system, with one league allowing unlimited doping, and the other for clean athletes, there is almost universal dismissal of the idea. Forget the problems in actually implementing the clean tier. The real reason why most people are revolted by unlimited, unapologetic doping is that while sports fans want to see the fastest, strongest, most enduring, they also want to maintain the pretense that the athletes are clean. Doping among athletes is like extra-marital affairs among politicians. Everyone knows it’s going on, and most people don’t have a problem with it as long as it’s done discreetly. As long as they don’t have to be reminded that it’s going on. Braun getting busted is a reminder.

Shakespeare had it right, as usual. The fault is not in our stars, it’s in ourselves.

I guess my point is baseball is a numbers game. PEDs distort the numbers and, in my opinion, ruin the game. I do not want to see the fastest, strongest, best athletes medicine can create. I want to see the the best athletes compete with relatively the same advantages and disadvantages every other player has had. If not the history of the game is meaningless, the present soon to become meaningless, and the future irrelevant. Who would want care to invest any time into a sport like that?

Even without PEDs, it’s well-recognized that you can’t make historical comparisons. Baseball has gone through several major phases, with records in one phase not comparable to those in another. The era before Ruth is the best example, but there are others. For example, it was a pitcher’s game in the late 60s. One year, Bob Gibson had a record 1.12 ERA, and conversely, only one player in the majors hit .300. Then they lowered the pitching mound, and BA and ERA numbers both began to climb. The wiser people who get to vote for HOF take this into account, so e.g., HOF players from that era can have acceptably lower batting averages than candidates from more recent years.

That one factor alone—the height of the mound—can have an enormous impact on numbers, probably far more than doping. Other factors that have also probably changed the numbers are the size of the ballparks, night games, the DH in the AL, a far larger pool of players, now including many foreign countries, less development of pitchers, and perhaps the way the balls and the bats are made. Also, the fact that relief pitchers are used much more often today than in the past (the middle reliever or set-up man didn’t even exist in the past), and that starters pitch on four days rest, whereas in the past pitching on three days rest was common.

While steroids have had a major effect on HR totals, in other respects they have not seemed to change anything, e.g., batting averages are no higher, and strike-out totals not much lower. This is probably because both hitters and pitchers dope, so there is something of a stalemate. And also, as I argued earlier, because there is a lot of skill required in baseball which is not that much affected by doping.