Ryan Braun, Banned Substances, and MLB’s Drug Testing

As you can see from the title, I refuse to say Ryan Braun tested positive for a Performance Enhancing Drug.  He tested positive for a banned substance.  He supposedly had extremely elevated levels of testosterone.  Until we know what that substance is, I think it’s erronius to report that it was a PED.  But therein lies the hypocrisy doesn’t it?  Had this report been about Barry Bonds or Alex Rodriguez, or Manny Ramirez, I would have had no trouble reporting it to be a PED.  I would have picked up my pitchfork and stormed the castle.  Those monsters need to be stopped.  Yet, when Ryan Braun tests positive, I feel I need to reserve my judgments for once all the facts come out.  Why?

Before we tackle the why, let me point out I’m not the only one with this hypocritical view.  Jason Stark of ESPN went on Mike & Mike in the morning to defend Braun and ask that we hold our judgment for when the truth comes out in full.  The Packers’ star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has thrown his support behind Braun as well.  Larry Granillo of Baseball Prospectus, a Brewers fan, talked  in part about his hope that Braun can win his appeal.    Why are so many people willing to defend Braun?  Why do we want so badly for this not to be true, where we never fought for Barry Bonds or Manny Ramirez?

The answer is obvious.  Ryan Braun has always come across as a hard-working, likeable guy.  That is a terrible reason, but it’s the reason.  We don’t truly know Braun.  We know of what he has done on the field.  We know of how he comes across with media.  We know of his contributions to charitable organization.  But we don’t know the man.  Behind closed doors, Ryan Braun is no different than Barry Bonds or Alex Rodriguez or Manny Ramirez.  A mystery.

Now we must wait for the results of Braun’s appeal.  Will he become the first Major League player to get a positive drug test thrown out?  Will he go down in history with the rest of the players linked to PED’s?  Will Ryan Braun admit to what he did, move on, and be accepted?  Will he fight it, lose, and still be loved?  These are the questions we face going forward.  Andy Pettitte admitted his HGH use, and he was forgiven.  David Ortiz brushed his link to steroids aside and continued to be one of the lovable Red Sox.  Manny Ramirez claimed he was using a fertility drug and was shunned, then he simply retire and became a pariah.

The differing view points depending on the player are not fair. If a player cheated, he cheated.  Can that player be forgiven?  Sure, but he must admit to using.  I repeat, he must admit to using.  If Ryan Braun continues to fight and continues to deny, he better hope he’s cleared.  He could get the pass David Ortiz did, but then again, Ortiz was not the league MVP when he was linked.  Braun could become an outcast in his own city, he could be hated everywhere he goes.  We don’t know.  But we do know players are treated differently depending on how we view them as people.

I think the Penn State scandal has taught us to reserve our judgment of the person and instead judge the performance of the person.  With Braun, we can’t judge the performance without knowing the truth.  He tested positive, that’s a fact.  Do we judge the performance now?  Should we wait for the outcome of his appeal?  No matter what we do, the situation is disappointing.

Baseball has taken great strides to rid the game of steroids and other drugs.  With the new CBA, they go further in an attempt to rid the game of HGH.  But no matter how much the league does, there will be players who try to cheat the system.  There will be those few who think they can get away with it, or those who weight the cost verse the rewards and choose the rewards.

I don’t know who Ryan Braun truly is.  I simply know his performance last season was impressive.  To think it was enhanced by drugs is a difficult thought.  But it is time we start treating PED-linked players equally.  It’s time, but I’m still not sure I can do it.  I’m not sure I know how.  I like Ryan Braun.  Despite everything I’ve written above, I want to believe he is innocent.  I want to believe there was a mistake.  However, I never wanted to believe in Bonds’ innocence.  I wanted him to pay and be forgetten.  It will take work, but maybe one day I can find that balance.  For now, I must force myself to stop giving Braun a pass.  For now, I must move on and hope no more of my favorite players are linked to PED’s.