Ryan Braun - Lots Of Info Here ...

Thursday's Very Potent Frosty Margarita

 by Nicole Haase on Feb 24, 2012 6:07 AM PST in Ryan Braun

Opening Day - 42 Days Away

Well folks, it's not quite Greinke-mas, but despite all the hullaballoo and questions that were raised by yesterday's decision that Braun does not have to serve a 50-game suspension, all Brewers fans have to be relieved that the team will not be without it's number one offensive threat and everyday left-fielder. Todd Rosiak points out that this is a best-case scenario for the Brewers.

Let's just jump right in here, there's plenty to cover:

We'll start with all the official statements, since there are kind of a lot of them:

• In case you missed it, here's Braun's. 
• Here's the official Players Association Statement. Short and sweet and giving us the information that both sides agreed to forgo confidentiality and make the decision public.
• MLB Executive Vice President for Labor Relations Rob Manfred is the one that used the now famous "vehemently disagree" phrasing in condemnation of the results.
• Brewers owner Mark Attanasio also had a short, sweet statement that makes a not-so-subtle jab about the confidentiality breach.

Braun will be meeting the press in Maryvale at noon CST. No word yet on if that will be carried live on local TV or radio. Check back with the site for more Braun coverage at that point.

And here's a list of the basic, initial stories from the major sites reporting the news that the suspension had been overturned.

• MLB
• ESPN
• SI
• Hardball Talk
• Covering a bit more than just the basics is the Journal-Sentinel story.

Braun's teammates were obviously very excited about this turn of events:

• Corey Hart went on WTMJ radio in Milwaukee to discuss the decision. Mostly it's just supportive statements about Braun and a weird comment that he did shirtless cartwheels to celebrate the ruling.
• John Axford and Nyjer Morgan took to Twitter to celebrate and express support, as did multiple other players in the league.
• McCalvy had some quotes from teammates in support of Braun 
  - but the most interesting bit in that piece is from new team union repChris Narveson (it was Craig Counsell) who said "Put it this way: This isn’t the first time we’ve had issues with the people [in charge of testing] in Milwaukee. There have been other issues with timing." I certainly hope McCalvy or another local reporter follows up on that dig.

I wasn't sure where to put this one because it makes a pretty bold statement about MLB and the results. This column from a Giants writer on NBCSports.com points out how off base MLB is in their handling of the verdict. He points out that these are MLB's own protocols and procedures they're now decrying, that Braun "played by baseball’s rules, he followed baseball’s procedures, he went through baseball’s process, and he was found not guilty" and that "MLB’s reaction, though, shows that for it, testing isn’t about determining a player’s guilt or innocence, it’s about nailing guys."

The biggest debate that's come out of this is whether or not its appropriate to say that Braun won his appeal on a "technicality."

• The Braun camp, obviously, isn't happy with that summation of the events.
• Ron Roenicke Stole My Baseball gives you some scenarios to consider and points out that the chain of custody failure means the whole sample was compromised.
• Craig Calcaterra calls the notion "bull" and points out that the chain of custody procedure is there to protect "integrity and efficacy of the drug testing process."
• On the flip side, however, South Side Sox calls it "The Ryan Braun Loophole" and takes a look at the MLB-MLBPA joint drug agreement, which just happens to be available online. According to their findings in the JDA, correct procedure WAS followed, leaving you to wonder what exactly the arbitrator heard to make him rule otherwise. So what's the correct answer? Unless Das chooses to speak to the media or issue a statement, we may never know.
• Jeff Passan does a similar breakdown
• as does Drew Silva at Hardball Talk.
• Discples of Uecker point out that the failed chain of custody made the situation incredibly uncertain and therefore Das couldn't "ruin a player’s career and reputation" when he couldn't be sure of the integrity of the sample. They also call the victory bittersweet for Braun.