First, Ryan Braun is not guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs. While we will not know the exact reason for the arbitrator’s decision until he issues a written opinion, that is, in effect, what he said. If we are going to take the arbitrator’s decision when he says athletes did take drugs, why don’t we take his decision when he decides the other way?
Second, Major League Baseball seems incensed by the decision, which makes no sense to me unless they think their drug testing system is absolutely perfect and never, ever makes a mistake. But nothing in this world is perfect, and people do make mistakes. How does major league baseball know this wasn’t the time a mistake was made?
Speaking of which, if MLB’s system is perfect, how did the results of Ryan Braun’s test leak out? Wasn't it supposed to be announced only after any appeals? So why did we find out before that? Does that mean the system isn’t perfect? And if it’s not perfect in this way, in terms of secrecy, how do we know it’s perfect in the other way; i.e., in terms of the results of the tests? Also, where was MLB’s apology to Ryan Braun for the leak of the results? Did I miss that?
Finally, I would be a lot more impressed by Bud Selig’s outrage at this decision if it had not taken him so long to speak out on the issue of drugs in baseball. I understand that MLB couldn’t institute a drug testing regime without consent of the players union, but did that mean Mr. Selig couldn’t take a public position? The problem of drugs in baseball was obvious to a lot of people for a long time before the commissioner or the owners said anything. Their self-righteousness now is a little late.
Comments