It’s official. Brewers outfielder and 2011 MVP, Ryan Braun, has been suspended for the rest of the entire 2013 season for PED use — Braun even admitting to being a user.
Braun said in a statement:
“As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions. This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization. I am very grateful for the support I have received from players, ownership and the fans in Milwaukee and around the country.”
“Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed — all of the baseball fans especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization, and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love.”
To those who follow baseball avidly, this is both tremendously stunning yet unsurprising at the same time. Braun, 29, has been one of many players who have been in the middle of an MLB investigation for months after evidence was released tying players to a South Florida anti-aging clinic run by Anthony Bosch. It was reported that Bosch had been knowingly releasing PEDs to MLB players. While Braun had fought a failed PED test with appeal and won — due to a technicality — following his 2011 MVP award, many in baseball speculated that suspensions tied to the Bosch investigation wouldn’t come this season but prefacing the 2014 season.
Braun reportedly met with MLB investigators recently where he saw the evidence laid out against him. Instead of going through the appeals process again, Braun took a plea deal and the negotiated suspension. First time offenders receive 50-game suspensions while second-time offenders get 100 games and third-timers get lifetime bans from baseball. This suspension obviously tells us MLB and Braun both believe he was guilty in 2011.
Braun hit .298/.372/.498 this year with nine home runs in 61 games with intermittent DL trips while trying to tackle a nerve injury in his hand. His suspension will last 65 games and will cost him around $3.5 million in salary. Braun is under contract for $177 million through the 2020 season.
This suspension could be the first of many as nearly two dozen players are knowingly tied to the Biogensis clinic, including Alex Rodriguez and Nelson Cruz. According to ESPN, MLB’s evidence against Alex Rodriguez is “far beyond” what MLB used to suspend Ryan Bruan, a source told “Outside The Lines'” T.J. Smith.
Josh Helmuth is the editor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @JHelmuth or subscribe at Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports for the latest in sports on your newsfeed.
Photo Credit: Getty
