Milwaukee Brewers

This is getting ridiculous

New story on ESPN, “Cubs players praise, back Braun collector”. My only question is this: What the fuck difference did it make how this guy performed at his job in the past? That is not being questioned. It is on the same line of thought as “MLB’s drug problem doesn’t wok because of the Braun case.” This one incident does not change anything that happened in the past or, possibly, anything that will happen in the future. It is what it is, and that’s all that it is. It was a SINGLE incident. The drug testing policy (and process) were ‘broken’ in this one instance. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t work before or won’t work going forward. It does mean that it didn’t work THAT ONE SINGLE TIME. Is this single failure indicative of a flaw in the testing procedure? Possibly, but that doesn’t mean that the whole system doesn’t work. Did the arbitrator find, in this one situation, that the collector did not follow appropriate procedure? Yes, but that doesn’t mean that the collector didn’t follow appropriate procedure in the past and won’t in the future. Nobody is hanging this guy out to dry, in fact, he has the complete backing of Major League Baseball. There is no reason for anybody to feel sorry for him or come rushing to his defense. 

Listen, I am not a fan of Albert Pujols. I will go on record (and have in the past) to say that I feel he is one of the laziest players in the game. However, if this same situation happened with Pujols and he was exonerated because the sample wasn’t handled correctly, I would believe the same thing. The only evidence that is out there that Braun is guilty of anything was the positive test. That test was ruled invalid. Hence, there is no evidence that Braun is guilty of anything. It is extremely simple logic and it doesn’t matter if anyone agrees with the reasons that the test was ruled invalid. People that know an infinite amount more about the situation than anybody in the national media or the blogging world have decided that the sample was improperly handled and the test was ruled invalid. Why is there so many that are questioning it, with nothing to go on but the garbled “facts” that have come out since November?

Braun’s own people were the “leak”.

In previous posts I have blamed MLB for being the leak in the Braun case. Apparently, the leak came from Braun’s side. I stand corrected. That is especially unfortunate, as he could be scott free if not for loose lips. This bums me out.

When a technicality is not a technicality

ESPN, keeping true to form about how they handled this story from the start, reported yesterday that Ryan Braun was exonerated on a “technicality”. Like a back-handed compliment or a humblebrag, the way they reported the results of the appeal cut two ways. Their view that Braun won the appeal on a technicality is due to the fact that the courier that is charged with delivering the sample to FedEx/Kinko’s to send it to the lab in Montreal failed to do so in the allotted time. When does it stop being a “technicality” and start becoming part of the process? 

Nobody but the people in that arbitration hearing know what was said or the evidence that was presented. That hasn’t stopped everyone and their dog (myself included) in hypothesizing why the arbitrator, Shyam Das, ruled for Braun instead of Major League Baseball. I’ve seen many “facts” presented, some in direct opposition to one another. Here are some indisputable “facts”; there is a lengthy process as to the handling of urine samples for MLB drug testing, one step in the process is how fast the sample must be FedEx’d to the testing house, the courier failed miserably in that regard. I have read two separate stories as to where the sample was stored during the time that it was in the hands of the courier. One said it was in his refrigerator and another said it was on his desk in Tupperware. Word is, he felt safer with the sample in his possession rather than in a Fed/Ex office over the weekend. There is one MAJOR problem with that thinking: He is the only person who knew who the sample came from. And that is why it is important that the courier waste no time in getting the sample into the hands of someone who has no idea what it is. In his press conference, Braun mentioned that him and his attorneys have found out things about the courier that bring his professionalism and credibility into question. Because of potential further litigation Braun would not or could not say what that evidence entailed. 

Of course, I do not know if the sample, refrigerated or not, is affected by the delay. I’m not a biologist so the science is over my head. In this case, I’m not sure it mattered. ESPN’s initial report made a point to say that Braun and his crew did not challenge the science or the positive test. That brings up the question of how much the handling and expediency of the process affects the science of the test. Is a sample that has sat around for a weekend less reliable than one which is tested within 24 hours? I certainly don’t know, but in this case it really doesn’t matter. The process has been agreed upon by both sides and there is a reason that it is there. In the document that explains the process the handling of the sample is mentioned 33 times. To me, that is part of the process and not a mere technicality. If a sample is spilled on the floor and recollected is that a technicality? If someone mixes two samples together is that a technicality? If a sample is unaccounted for over a 44 hour period is that a technicality? Where is the line drawn? 

I’m obviously a Brewer fan and a fan of Ryan Braun, so take my opinion and analysis with a grain of salt. I’ll admit that this whole situation and how it has been handled by the media has pissed me off. Ryan Braun’s reputation has been sullied and with some people he will always be a “cheater” no matter what happens. Immediately after being notified of the positive test, not only did Braun get retested, he offered his DNA to test against the positive sample and MLB didn’t want to do that. That would definitely raise a red flag with me. Here is a guy that has maintained his innocence from the jump, prostrated himself at every turn, fought the system, and has escaped unpunished, yet there is still a portion of the population that refuses to believe him. Now, MLB and ESPN have egg on their faces and hopefully Ryan Braun gets another day in court to bring the WHOLE story to light.

Witnessing a Human Breakdown in Five Minutes

oldtimefamilybaseball:

Not often does one have the displeasure (or pleasure, if your leanings are sociopathic) of witnessing a human being crack. Yesterday afternoon, with the Cardinals leading 5-2 due in large part to David Freese’s three-run home run, me and a friend, who hails from St. Louis, got in the car to start the trek back to Santa Monica.

When the ride began, he was chipper and agreeable. But as we drove and the bottom of the fifth began, his mood turned black. When Corey Hart lead off with a single, it didn’t faze him. When Scott Hairston doubled, putting runners at second and third, he mentioned that it was no problem. “Jaime Garcia has gotten out of worse.”

But Ryan Braun then doubled into the right field corner, scoring two runs. After a few slaps to my glove compartment, he composed himself, realizing that not only did the Cardinals still have the lead, but Ryan Braun is an excellent hitter who will run into his fair share of breaks. 

On the very next pitch though, when Prince Fielder blasted the fastest home run that was hit this season, coming in at 119 mph, and giving the Brewers a one-run lead, he just sat there. 

“Too stunned to speak?” I asked. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Prince Fielder just blasted a two-run shot. Your team is losing.” 

He paused. “Wait, what? Hold on. I thought they were just replaying the crowd’s reaction to the Braun doubl—you mean, that is, I…well. F&^#!” 

When the Cardinals replaced Jaime Garcia and the radio went to commercial, we drove in silence.

“You know, it’s a seven game series. It’s only game one.” 

His eye twitched. “I know.” 

And then the game returned. Rickie Weeks hit a groundball for a sure out, but then wound up on second base thanks to Octavio Dotel’s throwing error. I looked over. He was rocking back and forth.

“Don’t worry. Yuniesky Betancourt is up next. Everything will be all right.” 

But then Yuniesky did the unexpected. After swinging and missing at a first pitch strike, Yuniesky drew a ball and fouled off four consecutive pitches. This wasn’t the Yuniesky Betancourt I knew. When Dotel left a 78 mph cutter at the top of the zone, Betancourt hammered it over the left-centerfield wall, putting the Brewers up 8-5. 

There was no saving my friend now. He was not muttering something to himself, maybe it was “don’t leave pitches up” or maybe they weren’t even words at all. He was like Jack Nicholson at the end of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and no amount of ripped out bathroom fixtures was going to bring him back. 

The scoring was largely over by that point save for a pair of traded runs in the seventh inning, but it was too late. The Brewers went on to win and at least one man’s brains was returned to a pile of mush. Kansas City Royals fans are well accustomed to the mental anguish that Yuniesky Betancourt provides, though usually for different reasons. Hopefully when the newly revised DSM V is released it will recognize Betancourtism as a disease that requires a healthy dose of beer and fatty meats to overcome it. 

The Cardinals will have their chance to tie up the series tonight when Edwin Jackson takes on Shaun Marcum at 8:05 ET. 

(Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty Images)

If MLB Wants to Complain About TV Ratings, They Have Only Themselves to Blame

oldtimefamilybaseball:

Baseball is, thankfully, not football. There is no single day of devotion to it, no lone game of the week for everyone to get jacked up on five hour energy and 40s of Hurricane. Baseball is steady and reliable and, above all, provincial. The introduction of MLB.tv, a boon for all baseball fans, has only made it easier for the local fan to pay attention to their lone club and ignore all the others. So if you see columns bemoaning baseball’s lack of ratings going forward in the postseason, please ignore them. 

Still, if Major League Baseball is disappointed of the TV ratings now that all the major media markets like New York and Philadelphia have been eliminated, it’s really their own fault. The vast majority of advertising and marketing attention is focused on the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Giants, etc. Even Albert Pujols, the baseball god with an expiring contract, hasn’t been effectively used to lure in the occasional viewer.

Nyjer Morgan is a professional crazy person but my parents could probably name about half the roster for the Yankees, before remembering “that guy who calls himself a stuffed animal or something.” Ryan Braun went 30/30, Lance Berkman resurrected his career like the phoenix, CJ Wilson is one of the most outspoken and congenial players in the game, etc etc etc. There is a lot of great baseball that needs to be showcased more often during the regular season for fans to want to tune in during the playoffs. Initial television ratings for FOX or ESPN may suffer, but I truly believe that  the way to build and expand the audience for baseball is not to televise 18 Red Sox - Yankees games every season, but to have more attention paid to places with payrolls below $100 million. 

True dat homie!!