Dear Ryan Braun,
I have waited some time now to let rationalization settle in before writing you with my thoughts on your recent failed drug test. I knew I would need to be thinking clearly in order to form the proper message to send to you without anything clouding my judgment…or choice of vocabulary.
Look, Ryan, you were one of the good ones—a young, exciting player with serious power, good speed, and a certain energy while playing the game that was addictive. Even as a Mets fan, I found myself cheering you on and I always looked forward to the Mets-Brewers series so I could get to see you play. For years now, I have considered you one of my favorite “non Mets”…a very short list that also includes Endy Chavez, Yovani Gallardo, and Robinson Cano. You were just one of those guys who I loved getting the chance to see play. This all changed when you failed a drug test.
Like many fans’ favorite players, idols, heroes—these men, women, and children who gladly wear the name of a stranger across their back in loyalty—you too failed us in a game that has been tarnished for years by a problem that just will not go away.
Baseball was supposed to be past this. You and your teammate Prince, Stanton and Albert, Bautista and Teixeira, Tulo, Bruce, Kemp—you were the mashers who were supposed to bring us into the post-steroid era of baseball. An era that should have, no—needed to—bring the game back to its innocence.
Yes, a number of minor leaguers and utility-type players got caught and, yea, Manny did too, but I’m not sure even he knows what he’s put in his body at this point. You were different. We expected more out of you and you let us down. And by saying nothing, you simply validate the allegations that you cheated. Without clarification, you are writing your own name right next to Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez in the “but dot dot dot” history books. “He hit this many home runs in 2013 but…”, “He finished his career with this many RBI but…”. “He won the MVP in 2010 but…”
You say you didn’t do it. Prove it. Your silence proves nothing except your guilt. You say there is confusion and that the test is wrong. Tell us why. For the sake of the game of baseball, come clean. For the sake of your hometown fans, your teammates or hell just some Mets fan a thousand miles away who has cheered you on ever since he got hooked watching you play when you led his Fantasy Baseball team to glory in the 2007 Exit 8 Bleacher Bums when you were only a rookie…come clean. If you cheated, say you cheated. If you didn’t, say you didn’t and let everyone know the whole story—even if it is embarrassing, stupid, humiliating or even infuriating. Come clean, dammit. You owe the game of baseball, your teammates, the writers who awarded you the league’s highest honor, and especially your fans at least that much.
--Stephen
Mack’s Mets – the premier site for information on the New York Mets talent pipeline and dialogue on Mets prospects, Mets news, and Mets opinions.
Stephen- the "rumor" going around is that he has a bad case of Herpes, and the meds he is taking to fight the virus raised his Testosterone levels. Either way, not a good headline, but I'd rather think he was loose with his sexual ways instead of cheating to get ahead as a player...
ReplyDelete@ David,
ReplyDeleteREALLY!?!
If that came out in the headlines... I think I'd like him MORE!
David v1.0, v2.0:
ReplyDeleteWhat is the Yiddish word for herpes?
David, I have heard the rumors as well as well as he was taking testosterone to increase his little Ryan Braun counts. I thought about adding this in the letter with instruction to come clean about it but simply kept my general suggestion with the line "...even if it is embarrassing..."
ReplyDeleteAlso as a side note, I know it is strange to like the second baseman for a rival team but I can't help but love the way Cano plays the game...in every aspect. Tough not to cheer for him although I'd rather him Queens, obviously.
@Mack- "puss-n-putz"??? (Puss as in the stuff that comes out of an infection, not someone who backs away from a fight- LOL!)
ReplyDelete@David- it was "reported" on a number of websites yesterday. The "biggies" didn't pick it up yet b/c of potential libel issues, but it may take a Deadspin to break the story soon...
I believe it's herptickle mack.
ReplyDelete@Stephen - it's not weird to root for a great player like Cano. Joe Morgan and Mike Schmidt were my fave non-Mets growing up, and Thurman Munson was right up there. You simply have a great eye for talent, as Cano is one of the best in the game!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd in Re: The Herpes argument:
ReplyDelete- The league or at least the team should have known about it, especially if there were increased levels of ____ (whatever that caused the failed test).
- Wouldn't "guys I've got Herpes" be a lot better than "Ryan Braun's a cheater, get that asterisk ready, TAKE HIS MVP AWAY!!" and all of the scrutiny that will come him way for the next 15 years of his career? Much less the 50 game suspension?
- If it were something "innocent" (by baseball performance standards) than why would he still be receiving the suspension?
It's not ordained that he's getting the suspension. He is going to get a private hearing at which time he is supposed to present his argument. There are "morals" clauses in contracts, and he has a lot of advertising opps in the Milwaukee area that will disappear once the Herpes story is confirmed (IF it is true) so he has a lot to lose either way. The bigger thing against him is that if, indeed, he was prescribed something for the alleged herpes or any other virus he had, if he had simply contacted MLB to let them know that he was taking a med that would elevate his levels, all would've been "well" and this wouldn't have ever come out, most likely...
ReplyDeleteSteve; yes, to you and me...we'd probably rather be.known as having herpes other then.being labeled a cheater. However, if he does get off from the suspension due to a medically reasonable explanation, I'd imagine because of confidentiality we'd never know what that reason was(as is every person's right). If indeed his meds gave him a high testosterone level, the league should've known in advance and he should still serve the suspension for not telling them. You can't have players cheating later on and then claiming the "herpes alibi". Either way, Ryan seemed to have used poor judgment in whatever situation is correct. Who knows if the Extreme Herpes Breakout story, or "HerpeGate" is even true. I don't think we'll ever know for real because medically, we're not entitled to.
ReplyDeleteCharles you bring up excellent points and I do believe that your scenario would be a best-case scenario if this medical issue is true. The MLB would release a statement that Braun's failed test was due to prescribed medication that was legit but since he did not alert the league, he must face the suspension anyway. If you can hope for something that respects privacy but also puts some credibility back into Braun's image (and baseball's), that would be it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Braun won the MVP in 2011, not 2010. Can't believe I just made that mistake. Just feels like years since baseball's been played, you know?
HerpeGate...what a bitch.
ReplyDelete