All of us in the baseball world have heard that Ryan Braun, the 2011 NL MVP, has been suspended without pay for the rest of the baseball season (and post-season if the Brewers make it). The reason for the suspension is because he has been involved in buying performance-enhancing drugs from the Biogenesis clinic in Florida.
Braun of course, isn’t going to be the only player that will be suspended; the league is looking to Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, Melky Cabrera of the Blue Jays, Texas outfielder Nelson Cruz, as well as Bartolo Colon, Francisco Cervelli, Jesu Montero, Everth Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta, all of whom have been reportedly linked to the Biogenesis clinic.
Ryan Braun took the suspension responsibly and did not seem to want to fight the suspension, but we won’t know about any hearings until MLB suspends more players. Braun has had a target on his back since the last time MLB tried suspending him, but the urine sample for his test had been improperly handled. His suspension probably won’t affect the Brewers this season, as they are last in their division, 18.5 games behind the first place Cardinals.
As I mentioned before, now MLB will focus on trying to suspend A-Rod and company, which will most likely happen in the next month or so. The only problems that might get in the way are players like Melky Cabrera, who was suspended for 50 games last season for testing positive. The question for the MLB officials should be whether he has taken any more since he was last suspended, and if so then suspend him for even longer. If not, then it might be a bit harder to suspend him and appeals from Melky could be forthcoming.
What does suspending these guys do to Major League Baseball? It proves that the MLB is trying their hardest to clean up the sport since the steroid era in the 90’s, and they have done a pretty good job at that. At the same time, the steroid topic is an old boring one that many fans would like to forget.
Do these suspensions serve justice from the players who used steroids in the late 80’s and the 90’s? No it doesn’t, but what it does is suspend some players who lied to, well, everyone, stating that they didn’t take steroids. MLB has gone berserk with the players who have lied about taking steroids, and since there isn’t much they can do about the players from the past (aside not making the Hall-of-Fame), they can punish the current players who lied about taking performance enhancers.
Players like A-Rod and Braun might have great numbers that are Hall-worthy, but probably won’t make it to the Hall anymore because they lied, got caught, or have had claims against them related to performance enhancers. I doubt any of them will see the Hall of Fame any time soon after their own retirements. The only ex-payer I see possibly making it to the hall is Mark McGwire, mainly because he never lied about taking steroids during his career (technically) and admitted to taking them when he retired, which actually spiked his popularity again.
As Ryan Braun is set to take his suspension, MLB and its fans will have to wait and see what other suspensions will come out in the next couple of weeks and months. Once this is all said and done, Major League Baseball will not let anyone forget anytime soon that they caught Braun and company. For me I hope it just means less performance enhancers will be taken and that the game will be cleaner than ever.
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