The past few days have been miserable times for Brewers Nation. Dropping 3 of 4 to the Padres did not help, but most of the misery can be pinned on Ryan Braun. There is not much more to be said until he tells his story, so until then I have two final thoughts on the matter.
1) Prediction: Ryan Braun will win back Milwaukee
Braun's victory speech has evolved from a triumphant display of innocence to a severe indictment of character. However, what hasn't changed is the quality of the speech. He was passionate, eloquent, and convincing. I, along with many others, believed every word he said even though in retrospect there was strong evidence to the contrary. He may have lost the public's trust, but his public speaking skills are still present. I expect him to give a sincere and detailed press conference before the 2014 season that will reclaim a significant portion of the goodwill he completely lost. I also expect him to rake and help the Brewers win games, which won't hurt.
2) Let us never boo again
Both statements about John Axford are true: 1) He's one of my all-time favorite Brewers, and 2) He was a primary culprit in the Brewers missing the 2012 playoffs.
Regarding (2), his epic mid-season meltdown was horrifically painful to watch. It eventually led to boos, embarrassing Twitter spats, and excessive frustration towards someone trying his best. I'm aware players do not get trophies in MLB for playing hard and being generally cool dudes, but they should receive a basic level of courtesy provided they're otherwise ethical people. While Ryan Braun earned the boos he'll hear for the rest of his career, Axford did not. If there's a silver lining to the Braun saga it's that in the grand scheme of things, blowing saves (or otherwise slumping) is not that bad. As fans we're better off remembering this important fact and supporting players when the need it most.
Regarding (1), Axford has a 1.69 ERA since May 1. His recovery from a checkered 2012 and dreadful April has been awesome to watch. I'm thrilled to see him earn his contract and I hope to have him back for 2014. I like focusing on cool stuff like this, and that's what I'm going to do starting at the end of this sentence. Period.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Is Ryan Braun a Bad Person? or: Why the Biogenesis Scandal is Terrifying
It's a rare occasion a person will be as universally reviled as Ryan Braun is right now. The national media, fans, and even teammates are none too keen on Mr Braun. Their indignation is righteous as he both cheated and spent fourteen months lying about it, highlighted by a victory speech which, like Tom Petty's 'Don't Come Around Here No More' music video, disturbs me to the point I will never again watch it. The consensus is Braun is clearly a bad guy. I do not believe this is true, rather, I believe his actions are an inevitable outcome of the human condition. This, I think, is infinitely more unsettling than anything to be found in the Biogenesis scandal.
The world today is unlike anything humanity has ever seen. In particular, there is a 24-hour news cycle with an insatiable appetite for dirty laundry and a series of tubes known as "The Internet," both of which ensure any misstep will documented for billions to see. There is no escape if you're unfortunate enough to be the object of scorn, though it's hard to blame one for trying. Consider the following examples:
1) Rafael Palmeiro: His tremendous career (3020 hits, 569 HR, 132 OPS+) is overshadowed by the following statement made at a congressional hearing" I never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period." Five months later he was suspended for using steroids.
2) William Jefferson Clinton: In 1998 we was both a) Married, and b) the most powerful man on Earth. He had sexual relations with that woman, but told a grand jury he did not.
3) Manti Te'o: His brilliant play for Notre Dame was (allegedly) inspired by a terminally ill girlfriend that did not exist. The 21st century version of "Win one for the Gipper" became one of the most embarrassing episodes imaginable. Te'o never told the truth about the situation, even though he knew his "girlfriend" was fake well after "her" story became nationally news.
4) Ryan Braun: No explanation necessary.
Are all four of these people narcissistic sociopaths incapable of telling the truth when it would be disadvantageous to their current situation? Perhaps. But every additional high-profile case of someone lying when the truth would set them free suggests something much more terrifying is going on.
In Breaking Bad Walter White gets diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and starts cooking the finest crystal meth in all of Albuquerque to provide for his family after his (presumably) imminent death. Mr White's initial intentions, while tragically misguided, were pure. In the same vein of good intentions leading to moral decay, I believe PED users fall into the same trap. They have nagging injuries to heal, want to impress the tens of thousands of people that pay hundreds of dollars to watch them play, or have some other legitimate concern. Unfortunately PEDs are an exit to an inescapable road of lies. This leads us back to Biogenesis.
What Ryan Braun did was bad. The morality of PEDs is, in my opinion, still a debate. However, lying is almost universally wrong. I'm scared when I put myself in his position because I cannot say with certainty I would not follow the same path.* If I take my medicine, own up the unscrupulous activity, and accept the punishment my transgressions will be forgotten in time. But what if there's another option? What if I proclaim my innocence and make MLB prove their case? Better yet, what if they fail and I win the appeal? Now I can say I got screwed by the process and take my chances on everything going away. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? The latter option is irresistibly appealing because of the infinite upside. You beat the wrap and are vindicated forever. The alternative is being labeled a cheater for the rest of your career, even if people care less and less as time passes.
*I like to believe I would never take PEDs, either, but if I had chronic back pain and someone said "Take this, it will make you feel better. By the way, it's 50 games if you get busted with it, but this stuff is almost impossible to detect." I would be very tempted to take the substance.
So what would you do? The litany of case studies suggests you'd proclaim innocence and hope for the best. You're standing on the brink of being hated by millions of people if the truth comes to light. Confess and you'll surely be despised and booed and lose heckled forever. Lie and you just might get away with it. Though lying is the wrong thing to do, the reward is avoiding a nightmare I cannot begin to comprehend.
Is Ryan Braun a bad person? I believe the answer is no. He cheated and then lied with a ferocious intensity. Both things, but especially the lying, are wrong, reprehensible...and exactly what most people would do in his situation. It doesn't make him right, it makes him human. We are all capable of doing what Braun did, and I find that terrifying.
The world today is unlike anything humanity has ever seen. In particular, there is a 24-hour news cycle with an insatiable appetite for dirty laundry and a series of tubes known as "The Internet," both of which ensure any misstep will documented for billions to see. There is no escape if you're unfortunate enough to be the object of scorn, though it's hard to blame one for trying. Consider the following examples:
1) Rafael Palmeiro: His tremendous career (3020 hits, 569 HR, 132 OPS+) is overshadowed by the following statement made at a congressional hearing" I never intentionally used steroids. Never. Ever. Period." Five months later he was suspended for using steroids.
2) William Jefferson Clinton: In 1998 we was both a) Married, and b) the most powerful man on Earth. He had sexual relations with that woman, but told a grand jury he did not.
3) Manti Te'o: His brilliant play for Notre Dame was (allegedly) inspired by a terminally ill girlfriend that did not exist. The 21st century version of "Win one for the Gipper" became one of the most embarrassing episodes imaginable. Te'o never told the truth about the situation, even though he knew his "girlfriend" was fake well after "her" story became nationally news.
4) Ryan Braun: No explanation necessary.
Are all four of these people narcissistic sociopaths incapable of telling the truth when it would be disadvantageous to their current situation? Perhaps. But every additional high-profile case of someone lying when the truth would set them free suggests something much more terrifying is going on.
In Breaking Bad Walter White gets diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and starts cooking the finest crystal meth in all of Albuquerque to provide for his family after his (presumably) imminent death. Mr White's initial intentions, while tragically misguided, were pure. In the same vein of good intentions leading to moral decay, I believe PED users fall into the same trap. They have nagging injuries to heal, want to impress the tens of thousands of people that pay hundreds of dollars to watch them play, or have some other legitimate concern. Unfortunately PEDs are an exit to an inescapable road of lies. This leads us back to Biogenesis.
What Ryan Braun did was bad. The morality of PEDs is, in my opinion, still a debate. However, lying is almost universally wrong. I'm scared when I put myself in his position because I cannot say with certainty I would not follow the same path.* If I take my medicine, own up the unscrupulous activity, and accept the punishment my transgressions will be forgotten in time. But what if there's another option? What if I proclaim my innocence and make MLB prove their case? Better yet, what if they fail and I win the appeal? Now I can say I got screwed by the process and take my chances on everything going away. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? The latter option is irresistibly appealing because of the infinite upside. You beat the wrap and are vindicated forever. The alternative is being labeled a cheater for the rest of your career, even if people care less and less as time passes.
*I like to believe I would never take PEDs, either, but if I had chronic back pain and someone said "Take this, it will make you feel better. By the way, it's 50 games if you get busted with it, but this stuff is almost impossible to detect." I would be very tempted to take the substance.
So what would you do? The litany of case studies suggests you'd proclaim innocence and hope for the best. You're standing on the brink of being hated by millions of people if the truth comes to light. Confess and you'll surely be despised and booed and lose heckled forever. Lie and you just might get away with it. Though lying is the wrong thing to do, the reward is avoiding a nightmare I cannot begin to comprehend.
Is Ryan Braun a bad person? I believe the answer is no. He cheated and then lied with a ferocious intensity. Both things, but especially the lying, are wrong, reprehensible...and exactly what most people would do in his situation. It doesn't make him right, it makes him human. We are all capable of doing what Braun did, and I find that terrifying.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
The Allure of Extra Innings
It's not often a team has a chance to shut out their opponent for an entire series. The big question entering this game was if the Brewers could make it happen. But entering the 13th inning with the score 0-0 the question became "would this game ever end?" Much to my delight, the answer to both questions was "yes."
In a small but very real way the Brewers have salvaged the season by developing a recent habit of winning games through exceptionally rare and satisfying methods. Good things come to those who wait, and if you endured 12.5 innings of no runs and ten hits you were treated to an ending that's exciting regardless of the context. I'll get to that in a moment.
Entering the bottom of the 9th inning I thought "The Brewers better win because it's well past noon and I've yet to go outside." As the game went to extras I keep thinking "One more inning and then I'm getting some sunshine." This thought crossed my mind three times before I remembered that extra-inning baseball is like Con Air on TNT: when it's on I'm powerless to do anything but watch. Unlike Con Air, however, extra inning baseball does not guarantee you'll see something inspirational. But being an optimist I'll always stick around for the chance to see a walk off victory.
The contributions of baseball player are the purest of any team sport because they are largely feats of individual excellence. As such, their accomplishments are the most enjoyable to celebrate. When Caleb Gindl stepped into the batters box to lead off the 13th inning he had yet to homer in the majors. This changed when he drove a ball just over the left field fence to win the game; his first career home run was a walk off. How cool is that?
As he rounded the bases his teammates, in line with the custom of ignoring a player after he hits his first homer, hustled into the dugout to leave Gindl to touch home without the customary mob of teammates (though Jean Segura was kind enough to give him a high five). Much like the game-saving grab of Carlos Gomez versus Cincinnati, these are the moments you live for as a sports fan. A 13-inning grind became the a long opening act for an unforgettable moment.
The chances of something amazing happening increase exponentially as the innings reach double digits. If you stick around long enough you might see a DH pitch two scoreless innings and get the win, or a rookie hit their first homer in walk-off fashion. I'll admit the latter might not fall under the classification of "amazing," but just the chance to see it happen makes it worth sticking around the ballpark. That's the allure of extra innings.
In a small but very real way the Brewers have salvaged the season by developing a recent habit of winning games through exceptionally rare and satisfying methods. Good things come to those who wait, and if you endured 12.5 innings of no runs and ten hits you were treated to an ending that's exciting regardless of the context. I'll get to that in a moment.
Entering the bottom of the 9th inning I thought "The Brewers better win because it's well past noon and I've yet to go outside." As the game went to extras I keep thinking "One more inning and then I'm getting some sunshine." This thought crossed my mind three times before I remembered that extra-inning baseball is like Con Air on TNT: when it's on I'm powerless to do anything but watch. Unlike Con Air, however, extra inning baseball does not guarantee you'll see something inspirational. But being an optimist I'll always stick around for the chance to see a walk off victory.
The contributions of baseball player are the purest of any team sport because they are largely feats of individual excellence. As such, their accomplishments are the most enjoyable to celebrate. When Caleb Gindl stepped into the batters box to lead off the 13th inning he had yet to homer in the majors. This changed when he drove a ball just over the left field fence to win the game; his first career home run was a walk off. How cool is that?
As he rounded the bases his teammates, in line with the custom of ignoring a player after he hits his first homer, hustled into the dugout to leave Gindl to touch home without the customary mob of teammates (though Jean Segura was kind enough to give him a high five). Much like the game-saving grab of Carlos Gomez versus Cincinnati, these are the moments you live for as a sports fan. A 13-inning grind became the a long opening act for an unforgettable moment.
The chances of something amazing happening increase exponentially as the innings reach double digits. If you stick around long enough you might see a DH pitch two scoreless innings and get the win, or a rookie hit their first homer in walk-off fashion. I'll admit the latter might not fall under the classification of "amazing," but just the chance to see it happen makes it worth sticking around the ballpark. That's the allure of extra innings.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
I Disagree with Jeff Passan
I do not know if Ryan Braun took PEDs. The positive test indicated yes, but his victorious appeal said no. His name is in the books of Tony Bosch, but there's a plausible explanation for why it's there. I'm aware my skepticism of guilt puts me in the minority and I know that believing Braun juiced is a reasonable position. However, some of the arguments levied against Braun reveal a line of thinking that is just plain wrong. Jeff Passan dispenses these arguments like candy:
“I have nothing to hide,” he likes to say. This is funny. For somebody
with nothing to hide, Ryan Braun is a fireproof safe inside of an armed
vault behind a Scooby-Doo pull-a-book secret door. All he does is hide.
When MLB asked him questions about his positive testosterone test more
than a year and a half ago, he wouldn’t answer them, and now he’s all
Mr. Fifth Amendment again as the league investigates players’ links to
Tony Bosch, the alleged PED pied piper of the Biogenesis clinic near
Miami.
What's troubling about Passan's article is it places the burden of proof on Braun when it rightfully belongs to MLB. Even worse is referencing constitutional rights as if they're a bad thing. I agree it ostensibly looks bad to say "I have nothing to hide" and subsequently refusing to answer questions, but that's also making a connection where none exists. Furthermore, saying you have nothing to hide does not mean you have something you're obligated to disclose.
Imagine you're pulled over by a police officer for going 42 in a 35 zone. The officer gets settled by your window and says "I suspect you have drugs in your trunk." Shocked the officer would draw this conclusion, you proclaim "My trunk is empty, I'm not hiding anything back there." The officer remains skeptical and responds "If that's so, why don't you pop it open and let me have a look?" Realizing you live in America, you refuse this unreasonable demand. In this scenario, you've told the officer you have nothing to hide, yet you did not allow him search your trunk. Are you wrong to refuse? Jeff Passan says yes, because if you say you have nothing to hide you're obligated to prove that's true, otherwise you're certainly hiding something.
Outside of the dangerous logic present in Passan's article, being an enthusiastic participant in the investigation is not in Braun's best interest. We know that players have used PEDs in the past and many are probably using them right now. If Braun holds a press conference where he opens his fireproof safe to the world it sets an unfavorable precedent for players that subsequently find themselves in a similar position. Perhaps this is baseless conjecture, but I believe that would make him a pariah. If he cooperates to Passan's liking, future players that don't do the same will be unfairly presumed guilty(er). And let's be real, nothing he says or does will convince the skeptics otherwise. At best he has absolutely nothing to gain.
Intelligent and reasonable people believe Braun cheated. This is a-okay with me. What's not is admonishing Braun for properly handling the situation. Not speaking to people who wish him harm is self preservation 101, not evidence of guilt.. He's allowed to say he has nothing to hide or say nothing at all, and doing (or not doing) so should not raise suspicion. As Stan Marsh once said "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought this was America!"
Monday, July 8, 2013
Carlos Gomez and the Joys of Rooting for a .409 Team
Nothing is better than rooting for a contending baseball team. Conversely, few things are as frustrating as rooting for a team on place for 96 losses. The high volume of games gives bad teams ample opportunity to do bad things. The 2013 Milwaukee Brewers are exhibits A-Q to this point. The Crew has 74 games left and they'll probably lose the majority of them, however, with Carlos Gomez playing center field each game holds the potential to involve something spectacular.
Never in my life have I seen a baseball game end like it did tonight. Joey Votto, representing the go-ahead run with two outs in the 9th, hit a ball 401 feet to center. With the terrifying Aroldis Chapman lurking in the bullpen, the game was effectively over. Except, of course, that Gomez made a perfectly timed jump and earned free dinner from K-Rod for the rest of the season. This amazing catch won the game for the Brewers and reminded us why baseball is such a rewarding sport it watch (or in this case, endure).
Sure, the Brewers may kick the ball around the diamond, make outs on the basepaths, and treat fans to 2.1 inning starts, but every now and then even the losers get transcendently awesome. With Carlos Gomez the Brewers have a guy that can make catches running uphill, score from first on sacrifice bunts, lose his helmet swinging for the fences, and earn a save without throwing a pitch. Following a bad team is mostly frustrating, but with a player like Gomez you're reminded about how baseball rewards those with the patience of Job. Ultimately it does not matter that the Brewers are now 16 games under .500 instead of 18. What does matter is for a brief moment the 25,341 in attendance were on top of the world. Even .409 teams are capable of giving fans their money's worth and then some...It's just they're more capable if they have Carlos Gomez playing center field.
Never in my life have I seen a baseball game end like it did tonight. Joey Votto, representing the go-ahead run with two outs in the 9th, hit a ball 401 feet to center. With the terrifying Aroldis Chapman lurking in the bullpen, the game was effectively over. Except, of course, that Gomez made a perfectly timed jump and earned free dinner from K-Rod for the rest of the season. This amazing catch won the game for the Brewers and reminded us why baseball is such a rewarding sport it watch (or in this case, endure).
Sure, the Brewers may kick the ball around the diamond, make outs on the basepaths, and treat fans to 2.1 inning starts, but every now and then even the losers get transcendently awesome. With Carlos Gomez the Brewers have a guy that can make catches running uphill, score from first on sacrifice bunts, lose his helmet swinging for the fences, and earn a save without throwing a pitch. Following a bad team is mostly frustrating, but with a player like Gomez you're reminded about how baseball rewards those with the patience of Job. Ultimately it does not matter that the Brewers are now 16 games under .500 instead of 18. What does matter is for a brief moment the 25,341 in attendance were on top of the world. Even .409 teams are capable of giving fans their money's worth and then some...It's just they're more capable if they have Carlos Gomez playing center field.
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