Both are 4 years too long. Honestly he is probably worth 25 mill a year for the next 3 or 4 years, it is the 2nd half of these contracts that get ugly. Think the Yankees want to pay A Rod 30 million this year? Or 21 million in 2016!!

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/75...prince-fielder

Hopefully for Tiger fans Leyland doesnt actually let Cabrera play 3rd and makes him DH.

So in 5 years what do you think a 28 year old 1st baseman who hits 300 38 120 will demand?

a lot

If the kid is still performing in year 5 at this level he will be considered a bargin. It's alot to give a guy with a weigth issue, the guy is an athlete so itsnot like he is Rick Reuschel or Mickey Lolich

These deals are never bargins.

Braun to hold press conference today. He supplied MLB a lie detector test proving innocence. He offered DNA to MLB which they refused. He used his lawyer to get off on a technicality (sample not sent in time). MLB could have avoided looking like fools if they would not have had a leak inside. Great day to be a BREWER FAN! Can't wait to see #8 playing with a chip on his shoulder this year and proving that he in fact wasn't juicing

:zz:
Providing MLB with a lie detector proves that he can beat a lie detector nothing more. Did he take it only once witout using anti-anxiety meds? IMO tihis is a horrible precident if MLB caves.

What can they do?

Learn the facts my friend about what happened. MLB has no leg to stand on. They are lucky Braun doesn't sue MLB for defamation. Listen to Braun's press conference and what they learned about how things were handled, specifically how the sample was mishandled. Braun and his lawyer had to go after the testing process because that was the only way to be exonerated. If you know Ryan or if you have followed him and his career at all you would not believe him to be a juicer. He is either the best liar ever or he is speaking from his heart and the truth. If he did take PED's he could have just admitted some wrong doing and just take the punishment and blame the system. He has a 9yr guaranteed contract. The test results shouldn't have been leaked and the way the sample was handled was very suspect.

MLB can do nothing, hope Braun doesn't sue them, which he won't because it isn't good to sue your employer

He does not appear to me to be a juicer and I believe him. My point to you was passing a lie detector is not "proving innocense" it simply is passing a lie detector especially one privately done. Thinking about this more MLB can do nothing but hopefully tighten its procedures so this cant happen again. Drug testing is good for the game.

Let's revisit this in July. I think he struggles with everyone, that is not a Brewer fan, taunting him and throwing syringes at him. He doesn't have Fielder to protect him and he has a lot of extra pressure. He had a career year last year that would have been hard to duplicate any way. I say his numbers drop by at least 25%.

He will get some abuse but in general I dont think people care that much anymore.

[quote=Cannon Shell;841012]He will get some abuse but in general I dont think people care that much anymore.[/QUOTE


Do you think he will be as productive with no Fielder plus the added scrutiny?

[quote=3kings;841036]Probably. "Protection" is a myth for the most part especially when the batter behind him bats from a different side. The guy has been ultra consistent and hits everywhere and everyone. He may get a few less pitches to hit, take more walks, etc but his season last year really wasnt that much different than his other 4 other than he stole more bases and struckout less. What is interesting is that his K rate has decreased with his walk rate has remained identical. His BABIP (batting average on balls in play) was high .350 but isnt far off his lifetime average of .339. He has improved as a hitter but his power numbers have been pretty static. Everyone deals with pressure differently but I would guess he will continue to hit.

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx...=OF#battedball

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl...raunry02.shtml

Mets players take on Braun could be summed up in one emoticon:rolleyes:

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...icle-1.1028102

I am bias as a brewer fan and a big fan of Braun, but will bet his numbers will not drop off and may improve this year playing with a chip on his shoulder. They lost fielder but got A. Ramirez. Look at his stats. They are very consistent just getting some national attention since the crew finally got some pitching last year. Here are his numbers. Pretty consistent since coming to the Majors at 23yrs of age

2007 .324, 34 hr, 97 rbi, .634 slugging
2008 .285, 37 hr., 106 RBi, .553 slugging
2009 .320, 32 hr, 114 rbi, .551 slugging
2010 .304, 25 hr, 103 rbi, .501 slugging
2011 .332, 33 hr, 111 rbi, .597 slugging

The Mets should worry about trying to win 70 games this year.

Love the Hebrew Hammer as much as you but what do you make of the Mets contention that "How did synthetic Testosterone get in is urine sample?" Your response is kind of lame and totally ignores the contention of the Mets players.

Braun has been tested over 25 times in his major league career. His numbers have stayed consistent over his entire career. He is not stupid and wouldn't have used testosterone of all things. It just doesn't add up. He won arbitration where is presumed guilty not innocent. Since the chain of custody was against protocol and the way the sample was handled was enough to over turn the suspension. Why was the only sample that was held for 44 hrs + by the collector the only one that had elevated testosterone? Mets players should worry about their team and their own issues. If the sample was handled like it was susposed to and the same results occurred then Braun would be serving 50 games, but there is suspicion on what could have happened to the sample during the time when it was held by the collector.

So you are you saying it was tampered with because a degraded sample doesnt produce a positive for synthetic testosterone.

The Mets players should be asking where to get some

Yes I believe it was tampered with. The collector passed over 10 fedex locations on his way home and there is one open 24 hours in milwaukee. When u have a simple job to do like this the 2 logical reasons why you would have handled it this way was to either tamper with it or you are incredibly lazy and bad at your job. If you listen to the way braun spoke about this from day 1 he is either the best liar on the planet or he is telling the truth and the sample was tampered with. I will give him the benefit of the doubt based on his numbers, appearance, his own words and the poor handling of the only sample that has ever had high levels of synthetic testosterone. Braun is great for the game and the city of milwaukee. Plays hard, MVP numbers consistently, outstanding in the playoffs and was willing to take a long term deal with a small market team

Latest rumor is that the collector Dino Lorenzi( not sure on spelling of his name) is a Cubs fan. Also the levels of syntethic testosterone were so high that makes this seem like it was tampered with. Should get interesting with the release of the arbitrators report today

Not sure if anyone has noticed, but Josh Hamilton is a freak.:tro:

I'm just reading this thread now. LOL at folks really believing the poor sample collector somehow tampered with Ryan Braun's urine sample.

Take a look at Braun's numbers so far in 2012. Not too shabby with no help around him

.331 average 11 hrs, 28 RBI's .402 OBP

Ramirez behind him is batting .218
weeks infront .154, morgan infront .214

So much for his numbers dropping. Anyone still think he was juicing?

*raises hand*

I sure do. Then again, I've never believed the Palmeiros and Contadors of the world when they tried to explain away their positives.

I do too and also believe he is probably still "juicing" to some extent. Jucing is a very vague term. Can we all agree that most athletes (as well as horse trainers) push the envelope as far as they can? Some occasionally get caught. I guess it is not juicing if you don't get caught.

The name of the game is winning and people will take every advantage they can get. Sometimes they push it too far.

Pay the consequences as dictated by the sport you are participating in and move on.

Yes, I think he was juicing. It's a long season and steroids help the most with recovery. Let's just hope the cheating prick starts breaking down like the rest of the cheaters when they quit. He is younger than most cheaters so it may take a little longer.

Count me as one who DOESNT believe he was/is cheating, even before he vehemently denied the accusations.

Wow you have some hate for Braun.

I also think he'd probably been "juicing" in some form or fashion for his entire career, but what do I know?

It's not hate for Braun. I don't like people who cheat and get off on a technicality. This goes for any walk of life not just athletes. It is similar to people who sue when they know that they were at fault or caused the problem.

It is tough to say though since you are judging him without knowing all the facts. Would you rather have him take a 50 game suspension even if he was innocent or would you rather have him get off on a technicality since he knew that is how he could get off?

I understand your point and I personally believe in Karma and if he was juicing it will come back to him.

I have had the above happen to me where I was sued because my dog barked at 2 bicylists as they rode by my in laws farm. The women got scared from my chocolate lab and rode off into the gravel fell over and broke her shoulder. They got $40k from my insurance company even though my dog never touched her. Personally I believe they will get what they deserve in the long run so I get your point.

Who cares what he is doing?

Those "technicalities" are in place for a reason.

Umps giveth and umps taketh away. In Johan Santana's case, they definitely giveth. Too bad Armando Galarraga didn't get the same respect.