Should Ryan Braun be stripped of his 2011 MVP?

[LSN80]

With Ryan Braun being suspended for the rest of the 2013 regular season and the playoffs should the Brewers make it, controversy and questions abound how to punish athletes for positive tests. In what seems to be a "first of its kind" type of punishment, Braun struck a deal with MLB over his involvement with the now-defunct BioGenesis clinic, who allegedly provided Braun with HGH.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9...aukee-brewers-suspended-remainder-2013-season

Braun will miss at least 65 games in total, 50 from the BioGenesis scandal, and another 15 games for his actions regarding the grievance he filed from 2011, when he had a suspension overturned due to alleged mishandling of his urine sample after he had tested positive for PED's. In all, Braun will be suspended without pay, costing him $3.25 million dollars.

Braun the 2011 MVP, won't contest the suspension, and had the following to say following his suspension, in a prepared statement:

"As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions. This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it ... has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization.

I am very grateful for the support I have received from players, ownership and the fans in Milwaukee and around the country. Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed -- all of the baseball fans especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization, and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."

This is something I'd like to see proof of, to be honest. As a Pirates fan, I'm glad Braun is gone, but part of me wonders if it would be better, hypothetically, if Braun were to be made to play, without pay. Not that the MLBPA would ever agree, but what if players caught and suspended were forced to play without pay? It would , if nothing else, challenge the "love of the game" notion. There is so much talk in sports about players 'playing for a contract', in other words, playing hard in the final year of their contract in order to receive a fat one somewhere else, or from their current team.

Wouldn't that be the antithesis of this? Instead of playing for a contract, and the money it involved, what better way to punish a major sports athlete then by making him play without any compensation?

In the same year that Braun won the MVP, he was accused and initially suspended for testing positive for PED's. The suspension was overturned when it was alleged and shown that the man who handled his sample had not followed typical chain-of-custody, thus rendering the results tainted. Skip Schumaker of the Los Angeles Dodgers has an interesting take on this, in an interview with reporters:

"He(Braun) should hand over his MVP award to Matt Kemp, who finished second in the voting. In my opinion, he should be suspended -- lifetime ban. One strike, you're out. It's enough. It's ridiculous. He lied to a lot of people. I was convinced, after that MVP, that he didn't do it."

Schumaker's take is certainly an interesting one, and doesn't allow for a second chance. His verbage suggests that not only should Braun be stripped of his MVP award, but that he receive a lifetime ban from baseball. In other words, a no-tolerance policy. It would certainly be a way of cleaning up the game, would it not? On the other hand, it doesn't allow people a second chance. One mistake, and you're done.

Thoughts on Schumaker's approach? Should Braun hand over his MVP award? Further, what punishment would you prescribe for players who test positive for known banned substances?

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

If he tested dirty during his MVP season, then strip him... otherwise he should keep it. Braun's a cheat and will never be considered for the Hall of Fame in his lifetime, which is a damn shame considering he was one of the better players in baseball and consistently hitting the ball on the screws. Now we know why he was so good.

But to vacate an award when it can't be determined if he was dirty or not isn't the answer. The answer is to have him return salary he made this year back to the Brewers and for MLB to initiate a 3-strike rule when it comes to steroid use. Three bad tests = lifetime ban.

They might already do that, but it needs to be more stringent and more random than it already is. It's the only way to help clean up baseball.