Raw Biz

I still think MLB would look at this as being negligent for consuming something that you were not really sure about without informing MLB. Now, perhaps, if he can prove that he specifically asked the doctor about this drug and the doctor told him it was clean, then I'm not sure how MLB would look at that. If Braun can prove that he had no way of knowing the drug would cause him to fail (or if he was specifically misled), he should win the appeal. Guys have tried this defense in the past but I believe most of the time they have been told that they SHOULD have known and so were negligent. With Braun's case, it's not unreasonable to think that he asked if it would cause him to fail, doctors/trainers told him he would not, and he decided he wouldn't inform MLB because of the highly sensitive nature of his "condition." If that happened, I don't see why he should be suspended. Or maybe he was taking something like this for awhile and he never failed but switched to a new brand/kind of medication which caused him to fail. There are definitely ways in which Braun can win the appeal and I still think he will.

To borrow a poker term, now they are pot committed. I can't imagine them throwing away $2.5 million and never making an offer. It really doesn't "cost" teams anything to bid. It costs them to actually sign the guy. If the guy is signed, they lose the bid. But if they don't sign him, they get their posting fee back. I know it's not just you but it seems like a lot of the general public doesn't realize how postings actually work. I wish reporters would make this point more well known so fans are actually informed.

That's gotta be the case. If teams could still bid, they would know what the Brewer's bid was and just bid higher.

I agree. I've never been a big Corey Hart fan (and I've stated it many times). I know the guy can hit and he has value but there's just something about him I don't like. I think his terrible defense (or at least terrible routes/arm accuracy), love of the low-and-away slider, insistence on batting 1st or 2nd, and sudden lack of speed all contribute. That being said, I would only trade him if we got fair value and I think Atlanta has a lot of pitchers that could provide fair value. For me, pitching and defense is the most important. It seems like all of our "big" prospects are corner OF/1B types so I think we could find someone to replace Hart. Sure they might not hit .280 with 25 HR right away but Hart didn't either and I don't think we'd need them to. If we could get someone like Beachy, Minor, etc. for Hart, I would have to think hard about pulling the trigger, especially if Braun isn't suspended and we sign Aoki. My ideal situation would be to keep Hart until at least the deadline to see where we're at. If we're out of it, pull the trigger. Otherwise if Aoki/Gindl/Schafer have good years, then trade Hart next offseason.

I'd love to see him end up in Baltimore. I just don't see it happening if he's serious about wanting to play for a contender. Money/years is the most important factor to Prince. I think he will sign with whoever gives him the best deal. I said Baltimore at the beginning of the season but I would put Texas and Washington up there as well.

I don't think anyone is really disputing this. However, using Loe right means using him against righties in the 6th, maybe 7th inning. Normally I don't think that's worth almost $3 million. But at this point, I don't think there's any better FA that we could get for cheaper so we're probably better off keeping him.

I think there was talk of Alonso in another thread and a lot of people pretty much agreed that compared to what it would take to trade for him, he wouldn't provide much more value than Gamel. All things being equal I'd probably prefer Alonso since he's younger and has "proven" himself moreso than Gamel to this point. But I wouldn't give up much to get him.At this point Alonso's bat is WAY more polished than Gamel. I don't think it's fair comparing Gamel to Alonso at this point. Well if you read my post closely, I said comparing what it would take to get Alonso, it wouldn't be worth it when we already have Gamel. I also said all things being equal, I would probably take Alonso, simply because he's younger. Gamel actually put up better minor league numbers than Alonso so I don't see how you can't compare them.

As much as I like winning the posting, let's not get ahead of ourselves here. First, they still have to sign him. And (I presume) nobody here has actually ever seen the guy play (besides maybe a youtube video). I just think it's funny people are already assuming he will be a starter and some even want to move guys like Braun/Hart to a different position and bench a guy like Gamel who has dominated the minors and hasn't yet been given a chance to prove himself in MLB. IF Braun is suspended, I would consider starting him in LF. But I think this talk about moving Braun/Hart to 1B if Gamel struggles in 50 games is premature. People say Gamel hasn't proven himself yet but neither has this guy (at least not in MLB).

TBD after arbitration. I think MLBTR had him projected at 2.5. edit: $2.8 mil projected.

I hope you're not serious. What would be the point? IF he is suspended, they wouldn't have to pay him for the duration of the suspension. IF he has been using all along and stops now, I highly doubt he will lose much ability. You still need to have hand-eye coordination, quick wrists, some ability, etc. to play baseball at his level. And whatever he took likely wasn't even a PED in the first place. There wouldn't be any point in voiding his contract. Even if he gets caught again (100 games) and a third time (lifetime), the Brewers wouldn't have to pay him during those suspensions.

I think there was talk of Alonso in another thread and a lot of people pretty much agreed that compared to what it would take to trade for him, he wouldn't provide much more value than Gamel. All things being equal I'd probably prefer Alonso since he's younger and has "proven" himself moreso than Gamel to this point. But I wouldn't give up much to get him.

IF that was the case, he must have had a really good masking agent that wasn't detected either. Or he has a mole on the inside that told him when he was going to be tested. Or he had a fake you-know-what filled with clean urine. I think you get my point. I believe Braun has been tested at least twice every season, plus both times they made the playoffs. I would think that if he had been on something all along, he would've been caught a lot earlier. I mean Manny has been caught twice already. Sure Braun could have been incredibly lucky the whole time and Manny unlucky but I doubt that's the case. I'm a Brewers fan (and Braun has been my favorite player in the organization since he was drafted) so I'm obviously biased. But we really don't have enough facts to come to any conclusion now and nothing in Braun's history makes me believe that he actually knowingly took any PEDs.

As I understand it, that defense is not going to work. It's the same thing Palmeiro tried to no avail. Claiming you didn't know drug-supplement-vitamin X would elevate your T levels is not a justifiable defense. Otherwise every one would claim this. Exactly, which is why this all just seems like spin and half-truths by Braun's team. I am trying to react to the information the same way I would if it were some else, like say, Pujols. I don't know (or really care) if he is "guilty" or not, but none of the leaking from Braun's team has seemed to amount to any kind of defense that is going to meet the required standard, so he will most likely be out for 50 games. The only difference with it being Braun, rather than, say, a Cardinal is that I say that's too bad that they are not going to have him for 50 games in Braun's case, while in the other case I'd say good the Cardinals will have to get by without ______ for 50 games. Just because Braun happens to wear a Brewer uniform does not mean I am going to delude myself into thinking that he, while seeming to be a pretty decent guy, is anything other than another cocky, arrogant, athlete who will do whatever he thinks he can get away with to gain an advantage. Kind of like the portrait of him that Anthony Witrado has "painted" here: http://aol.sportingnews.c...-suddenly-is-in-question Well the way I look at it is, would you ever have suspected Braun of "juicing" before this? With guys before (Bonds, Manny, ARod, McGwire, etc.), I think most people had a suspicion (or at least weren't surprised) that those players were juicing, whether it be from radical physical changes or ridiculous spikes in numbers or both. Braun has been incredibly consistent in his career and he doesn't look jacked at all. Carlos Gomez looks bigger than Braun. I know not all PEDs change your appearance or affect people the same way but I'm still doubtful here. It also doesn't make sense to me that Braun would use in the playoffs since he knew (or should have known) that every team gets tested then. He seems a lot smarter than that. Finally, what Braun's team has been saying seems a lot different than what guys have said in the past. IIRC, most guys just said something like "i'm innocent" or "i didn't knowingly take anything." Braun's team has specifically said these circumstances are highly unusual, they are positive he will be cleared, etc. I may be blinded by my Brewers faith but they seem like they at least have somewhat strong of a case. The fact that his levels were double the highest ever signals to me that something screwy is going on here. In the end, if Braun is actually suspended, I will still believe that he didn't knowingly take anything. He just doesn't seem that stupid and his numbers are consistent and not incredibly outrageous.

If, as he has claimed, he is completely innocent and it's all BS, how would simply stating the truth and giving factual answers to any questions jeopardize his appeal? Instead we have gotten plenty statements coming and/or leaking from Braun's "camp" that sound like spin and half-truths, such as: "There are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program," So their are highly unusual circumstances that will prove that he is innocent, but stating exactly what those circumstances are right now will somehow jeopardize his case next month? and "...there will be a defense. It's not something he knew or should have known about." But revealing right now the details of what he didn't know and should not have known about would somehow jeopardize his case next month? In a word, yes. If you were going to court, would you state your specific defense and tactics to the public before your trial? Obviously this is a little different than court but it's still a hearing and I'm sure they are gathering every amount of info possible. MLB will try to defend their testing system and I don't think Braun and his team want to give them any more ammo than they already have. If they have a solid defense, I certainly wouldn't want to give MLB a heads up and give them more time to find holes in it. Braun and his team have already denied the claims and have even stated there are unusual circumstances which will prove he is innocent. I don't think there's a reason to state those circumstances before the hearing.

Not to mention that he has to look out for the best interest of the MLBPA and any other players that may find themselves in a similar position in the future.Exactly. If anything Braun said anything publicly that could jeopardize his appeal, its better to just keep his mouth shut.

I would take ARam easily. McGehee's numbers were on a downward trend, progressively worse each year. He also didn't have the minor league numbers to really backup his success. With ARam, it seems that 2010 was just an off year. His career numbers have been great. ARam gets on base and slugs better than McGehee and strikes out less. Yes he's older (and costs a bit more) but I would think he still has 2-3 more solid-good years in him. With McGehee, his best days are likely behind him.

So two teams will sign him?

Hope that was meant to be in blue since neither of those guys are actually on the team.

You could also put in some volunteer work with any kind of charity; that'd look very good on a resume, & you might wind up making some more contacts from it too. Given your comments/situation, if there's anywhere you could work to help provide pro bono or significantly discounted legal services, maybe that'd be worth exploring. Sorry if I'm just saying things here you already know http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gifI've contacted a few volunteer legal aid places in Milwaukee. Most of them even want you to actually have experience in the legal industry because you'd be working cases on your own. There is one that said they would provide training/advice but they don't have any "openings" now and they would keep me in mind. As far as volunteering with a law firm, that technically isn't legal so I haven't really gotten anywhere with that. I might look into asking if I can "job shadow" for a bit or something and see if I find any openings with that. The lack of experience is the main thing holding me back, even with applying for jobs that "only" require a Bachelors degree. I can't really get a job without experience but I can't really get experience without the job. It's kind of a chicken and egg thing.

I've thought about that but I don't know what to say. I mean I obviously tried to get a job after my 2nd year of law school but didn't get any offers. And I've been trying since graduating. I don't wanna lie with an excuse but I also don't think it's a good idea to just come out and say nobody's wanted to hire me. If I had to do it all over again, I would probably rethink going to law school. A law degree isn't what it was 10 years ago. It's not even what it was 5 years ago. Have you thought about entering the Financial Services Industry? The JD would give you instant credibility in an industry that is sorely lacking. I worked as a "registered representative" for a major financial services firm my first year after out of college. The position was straight commission and I only earned about $18,000 after I paid my overhead business expenses (rent, utilities, marketing, etc). However, the training that I received was excellent and I was able to leverage the experience into a much better position with a competitor. It's relatively easy to become a "registered representative." In fact, I heard that the required training for a licensed massage therapist is far more extensive. Most firms will hire anyone who they feel can pass the FINRA Series 7 Exam, which is otherwise known as the General Securities Representative Exam or "stockbroker's license." While the firm often pays for your license and training, their risk is limited because the "registered representative" is paid based on their sales. If you are not effective, they do not have to pay you. However, if you are a self-motivated individual, your income potential is unlimited. Working in this capacity for a few years may enable you to obtain a position in the legal department of a financial services firm.You may even like the type of work that you are doing. I've been looking into the banking/financial industry a little the past couple of months. I've applied to a bunch of financial analyst jobs but have been mostly told that they are going with someone who better fits their needs. I'll look into the registered representative stuff a little more.

100% agree. No clue. He probably got it from riding a tractor in his swimsuit. I thought he just got a scar on his leg from that.

Gotta be the sex change operation then.

With Marcum's contract being up after this year (and possibly his performance the last 6 weeks of the season), I don't think teams would be willing to give up a young pitcher for him. I think Hart could bring back a young pitcher because he has a pretty team-friendly contract but with the loss of Prince and possibly Braun, I don't think that would be a good idea. I might be willing to move him next year though if Gindl hits well again this year.

Unfortunately, I think this is probably what happened. Occam's Razor and all. I hope not. To me if he is guilty the most likely explanation is his body was acting up and he used them so he could play through the playoffs and just hope he didn't get tested.But all teams who make the playoffs get tested. Shouldn't he have known that? That's why I don't understand why he'd knowingly take anything and something else must have happened.

Was the pacing much better last season even with the larger budget? This just seems to be the shows MO to me. I don't know, I thought last season was better because they had a lot of action and suspense (or at least a lot more than this season). Maybe having everything crammed into 6 episodes made it better.