Ryan Braun was let off the hook in 2011 when he successfully appealed the 50 game suspension handed down by the league at the end of the season.
He denied that his relations with Biogenesis owner Tony Bosch had to do with anything PED-related when rumors surfaced late last year and early this year.
And Braun, ever defiant, continued to deny.
“There was a dispute over compensation for Bosch’s work, which is why my lawyer and I are listed under ‘moneys owed’ and not on any other list. I have nothing to hide and have never had any other relationship with Bosch. I will fully cooperate with any inquiry into this matter.”
Now, after today’s announcement that Braun will be suspended for the remainder of the season (65 games), his tune has changed.
Now, the former NL MVP is going along with the punishment. It appears as though Braun has nowhere left to run, and his legacy as a baseball player will forever be ‘asterisked.’ He appears to be fine with it. Denial can only go on so long. As the famed Roman poet Seneca once said, thousands of years ago, veritas odit moras, or “Truth hates delay.”
Braun’s comments to media this afternoon:
“As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect,” Braun said in a statement released by MLB. “I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions.”
Braun should have been willing to accept them the first time; instead, he was let off the hook based on the formalities dealing with how his test samples were handled. A loophole. The hope is that Braun’s acceptance of this suspension will open the door for more players to stop playing the invincible, wounded athlete, who everyone is “out to get.”
The jig is up.
As I said earlier this year, suspend them now, and get it over with. The game doesn’t have to wait any longer to clean things up. The gavel should come down hard, and swift, as it did with Braun today.
We’ll be lucky if the next player on the suspension list shows as much humility as Braun did today.
