I like your optimism and surely it is shared by the rest of the players on the Brewer roster. But from my perspective in the stands, it feels like a slight shadow has been cast over left field and it's not from Bernie's head at the top of the slide.

I wasn't yelling at you:) Just yelling to anyone who's reading:)

The Brewers will be just fine next year, with or without Mr. Braun for the 1st 50, we will compete.

Good news on Ramirez. I know it might not change the Brewers offseason plans, but I was concerned a 34 year old veteran wanting a shot at a title might be hesitant to sign now. Glad I was wrong.

The Crew just inked Ramirez. 3 yr 34-37 mill is what I read...

THE BRAUN SITUATION WILL HAVE NO EFFECT ON WHAT THE CREW WAS OR IS GOING TO DO IN THE OFFSEASON

I wish the Crew would've inked a deal with Ramirez before this news broke. Braun-gate not going to help with free agent negotiations.

NV, I think I can speak for all Brewer fans when I say ABSOFREAKINLUTELY. Cheaters deserve whatever punishment they get. As a Brewer fan, I will support Mr. Braun until the facts are known...

I am just curious. Do the Brewers fans here feel that he should be punished if it is ruled that he did use a banned substance?

There was a minor league player in the Brewers organization by the name of Brendan Katin(who actually played w braun in Miami). In 2007 he failed a test for high testosterone and subsequently had the result overturned. It's possible

Unbelivable if this is true he will be the first Milwaukee Brewer to have had this kid of problem. Now we have to make a decision of how will fill his spot till he finishes his suspension because this puts a huge hole in the line up and no telling how well the team will perform without his bat in the lineup will now need to find a left fielder with Braun's bat that can keep the team competive in the first half of the season.

Sooright.

I think he meant quiet. He shouldnt say this is BS and then stay quiet.

sturmer...I don't think they can say anything more per MLB rules

Stay quite what?

I heard my 7th graders (I am a teacher) talking this morning before the bell about Braun and how he is a cheater. Asking questions like... why did Braun take drugs? I stepped in and told them that they may want to hold judgement because Braun says he isn't guilty... Their reply was "yes he is"
Regardless, right now, this is bad. A huge black eye for Braun and the Crew. I am holding judgement but if he truly isn't guilty, he needs to clear it up ASAP. Not just say this is BS and then stay quite. Very sad....

Either Braun's test was tainted or he has been using banned substances for his entire career. Maybe this is just the first time he was caught. There really wasn't a spike in his power numbers this year. So I don't think he had all of the sudden decided to change what he does, or doesn't, put in his body.
.
I hope that he can be exonerated, but that is highly unlikely. Regardless of the outcome this is bad for baseball. I think ESPN is out of line by going public with the story before Braun gets the chance to clear his name. He won't ever be looked at the same. That is very unfortunate.

Billnewbie hasn't said or done anything wrong since the Carter administration. Just ask him. But he'll judge you and everyone else. The Braun situation stinks. That's all I can say.

He ought to take his own advice to another positive testee; fess up and take your punishment.

Braun has been tested since he was drafted and never failed one.

No matter how this fiasco ends, it will be interesting to see if Braun's HR totals go down, or if his muscle mass goes down, or if he "loses weight". Heck, maybe his head will even shrink(Barry Bonds). On the bright side, maybe the Brewers have finally found their leadoff hitter(a smaller "punch and judy" singles hitter named "Brauny").

Kid this will suck if true. Hate to have a nasty asterisk placed next to his name the same way it has been by others.

Synthetic testosterone is what I heard. If that's the case Tim, I'm afraid it's so. He should have called in Lance Armstrong's trainers.

If this story is not true, then it is like trying to un-ring a bell.

this is a two part tweet from Trenni Kusnierek from 620 WTMJ on Twitter

'I'm told by a source close to the Braun situation that key parts of the PED story were reported incorrectly. The positive result was NOT a PED, drug or steroid of any kind and there has never been a result like this in the history of the program.'

"The first time Mr. Newbie decides to comment on my blog he's got to be all holier than thou and make it personal."

And this surprises you... because??? ;-)

My entire body sank on the news but let's wait for the full story to unfold, Tim.

First of all, Tim, great column. Seriously, I can feel your pain. And your evaluation of billy is on the money. His responses are similar when he discusses politics. He sees all and knows all!
Secondly, you have to understand how long I heard how Pujols was on roids and therefore the Cardinals were not legitimate. My kneejerk response to those buddies of mine who pounded me with this is simple....LOLOLOLOLOL!!!! But that response IS kneejerk. My true first thought is "how sad."
Secondly, if these charges are found to be true, the first thing that should be done is to give the MVP award to the guy who probably should have received it in the first place, Matt Kemp. I have long favored expunging the home runs of cheaters like McGwire and Sosa from the records. In my mind, Aaron, the true best of all time, could have hit a thousand dingers on roids.
But the reality of this situation is that Braun has been found guilty of nothing. And as a believer in the fact that the system usually works, I will wait and see. In that even as a huge Cards fan, I lost total respect for McGwire and am not happy he was hired as hitting coach. I believe that the Cardinals are the classiest of all organizations, and don't need cheaters around the clubhouse. But I digress.
Finally, I believe that it is sad to see any team suffer because of the behavior of one or a few idiots. This would be a tragedy for true, non bandwagon, Brewer fans. So, like you Tim, I will wait and see. I prefer to see the Cards win it again in 2012 against the best Brewers team possible.

Not cool billnewbie. Not sure what you have against Tim but last I checked he's never been accused of using PEDs. You sound like an ass to even insinuate such falsehoods. Stick to the topic and keep your snide comments out of the public forum.

Isn't this interesting. The first time Mr. Newbie decides to comment on my blog he's got to be all holier than thou and make it personal. This is why people don't respect you billy, at least I stand up for what I believe where as you get to hide behind a keyboard and act like a 12 year old...on the Sabbath no less.

Isn't this interesting. If the PED allegation is true, (and I hope it isn't!) then it looks like Ryan Braun and Tim Thompson have something in common. When they don't agree with the rules, they apparently feel they don't have to follow them. Of course, their drug of choice is different, at least in this regard.

One thing this story highlights is the harmful effect that illegal drug use has on people who never took the drug. We all cheered and blushed with pride when Ryan won the MVP. Now, if the PED use is true, we'll feel like used fools for ever getting on his bandwagon. Sure, none of us will ever suffer the ill effects of Ryan's drug abuse. We won't get some of the nasty ailments that result from long term drug abuse. We'll just suffer the ignominy of having believed in a person who decided to betray our faith in him for the easier path to glory that, perhaps, he wasn't given enough natural talent for and therefore, couldn't achieve without the PEDs.

Let's hope, against the odds, that the test he failed was a false result. But if it isn't, as these tests usually are accurate, we'll just have to deal with the fact that yet another generation of cheaters has infiltrated baseball yet again. What a pity that the Brewers have to join the ranks of teams with tainted achievements due to the selfish act of just one, what everyone used to think was, an outstanding young man.

Again Tim...............I still believe and I will give Ryan the benefit of doubt because of what he has shown us in the past. There is more to the story !

Tim: You should know better than to ask for a response from NVgrf this early after the departure of Pujols. NVgrf is still in his mourning period.

I find this hard to believe but will wait for further testing before condemning Braun. Who knows, maybe he had a Big Mac with seeds on the bun and is now testing positive for MJ.

I think that the testing pendulum has swung too far in reaction to the steroid scandals in the late 90's, early 00's.
Athletes tend to use the same supplements and vitamins that we use to keep healthy and active. When some of those common items can result in a positive test they have gone too far.
As for Ryan Braun, I too will hold judgement until the results are in. In today's 24 hour news cycle information is initially blown out of proportion to the real story.