Jeremy Guthrie Responds To Ryan Braun Suspension
By Ben Nielsen
Jul 21, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder
Ryan Braunreacts after striking out in the 11th inning against the Miami Marlins at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Add Jeremy Guthrie to the list of people pleased by MLB’s actions yesterday.
Milwaukee Brewers All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun was suspended for the rest of the season by Major League Baseball yesterday because of his involvement with the Biogenesis clinic. There was no positive test to prove he took steroids, however Braun was linked through documents to the clinic and was not cooperative with MLB’s investigation.
The 65-game suspension will cost Braun millions of dollars but he will still be able to play next season in addition to being allowed to earn the remaining $129 million left on his contract.
There has been a great deal of discussion around the league about the suspension, and on Tuesday afternoon Jeremy Guthrie went to Twitter to voice his opinion.
(1/6) Lots of discussion about the Ryan Braun suspension. I am strongly opposed to Ryan's actions but do not want to judge him. With his...
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) July 23, 2013
(2/6)...statement it appears evident that he lied to & cheated the fans, some individuals, & himself. As w/anyone who makes mistakes,...
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) July 23, 2013
(3/6)...I hope he can change & return w/a resolve to achieve greatness in life through hard work & honesty. I applaud @MLB & the MLBPA...
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) July 23, 2013
(4/6)...for taking strong action to deter & penalize those who cheat & deceive our fans. Players who violate the drug policy...
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) July 23, 2013
(5/6)... are effectively stealing from the fans, teams, & the athletes who trust in their God given abilities & use hard work to achieve...
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) July 23, 2013
(6/6)...on field success. Baseball won't tolerate those who continue to recklessly destroy the integrity & reputation of this great game.
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) July 23, 2013
Absolutely! RT @plinksburgh:I agree with everything you said but in addition to 'some individuals' he betrayed his teammates & organization.
— Jeremy Guthrie (@TheRealJGuts) July 23, 2013
It should be noted Guthrie is the Royals MBLPA representative so his words carry a little more weight than most. At the very least they give some insight into the players perspective of what MLB is doing, which appears to be, according to Guthrie, a the right thing thing.
MLB is on shaky ground about how they went about acquiring information in this scandal as they have zero positive drug tests. The eye witness testimony and many of the documents used in this case were paid for in cash by MLB. But these statements from Guthrie give the impression that MLBPA (MLB Players Association) is not too concerned about those methods being used in order to find information to suspend a player.
It is clear MLB is going to do everything they can to rid the sport of PEDs, but there is the possibility they are going too far in their quest to achieve their goal. Baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement included aggressive testing policies that go beyond any of the other major professional sports in America. At some point the testing practices need to be trusted, and baseball could afford to forge a new identity that isn’t clouded by constant PED talk and investigations.
Until that day, at least we have Twitter to inform us that steroids are the most evil thing to have ever happened.