Braun tests positive for PED | Presser update pg. 42

[livestrong4ever]

Like I said, I don't even care if he's suspended at this rate. Just come to a decision so this team can figure out what the hell it's doing.

I don't understand this line of thinking. Any miniscule chance that he can be vindicated is better than finding out tomorrow that he is suspended 50 games. They could wait until next winter for all I care, as long as there's a possibility that he could be vindicated. Every extra day this drags on is a good sign in my book.

I agree with you.
1) if braun is suspended 50 games, the season is a loss. probably under .500.
2) brauns name is forever damaged.
3) the season we had last year is going to be tainted

[Hatchins]

Like I said, I don't even care if he's suspended at this rate. Just come to a decision so this team can figure out what the hell it's doing.

I don't understand this line of thinking. Any miniscule chance that he can be vindicated is better than finding out tomorrow that he is suspended 50 games. They could wait until next winter for all I care, as long as there's a possibility that he could be vindicated. Every extra day this drags on is a good sign in my book.

I agree with you.
1) if braun is suspended 50 games, the season is a loss. probably under .500.
2) brauns name is forever damaged.
3) the season we had last year is going to be tainted

You're kidding right? How can you think that without Braun we are under .500? Don't get me wrong, we need him. But our pitching staff alone will keep us above .500

[MrLynch07]

You're kidding right? How can you think that without Braun we are under .500? Don't get me wrong, we need him. But our pitching staff alone will keep us above .500

We were only 6 games above .500 at the all-star break, and that was with Braun and Fielder, not to mention, other than the Greinke offseason injury, our starting 5 went uninjured, thats an incredibly difficult feat to pull off on back to back seasons, i wouldn't be too shocked at all if we are under .500 while Braun is out. Im not saying Im right, or that the brewers wont still be playing well, just that i wouldn't be overly confident, other than the fact the Central is weak this year

[Kerb Hohl]

Yeah, I go back and forth on this one.

I think without Braun we still have a slightly above-average offense, maybe average. An above-average staff, and an average defense. That should put us right around .500. The schedule seems just at a quick glance...average. We don't see the Phillies or Marlins at all without Braun. We get some decent teams like Cincy, Atlanta, San Fran, Arizona all once, I believe, in the first 50. St. Louis twice in the first 50. Tough call.

If you take WAR, Braun missing 1/3 of the season should cost us 2 games in that span. You gave that All-Star break stat, so that seems to note we'd be right around .500ish.

Throw in an extra 2 or whatever for Prince but improvement of the team not having their poor defense (you could argue Braun has improved), and I'd once again say we should hover around .500 without Braun.

Who knows, though. I think there are some ways that this team could really thrive with and without Braun and also really fall apart in the same scenarios. It's going to be an interesting season, to say the least.

[WEFFPIM]

I really feel those who say the season is lost if Braun is out the first 50 are ignoring how solid this team is everywhere else.

[Kerb Hohl]

I really feel those who say the season is lost if Braun is out the first 50 are ignoring how solid this team is everywhere else.

I don't think it is lost.

There are wild cards like Gamel (I'm bullish), Ramirez not regressing/playing horrible defense, Hart/Weeks staying healthy, Momez still being a very good platoon, K-Rod pitching well and Ronny not botching bullpen decisions, Greinke throwing less softballs to the plate, and Marcum not falling off a cliff (this is my biggest worry).

Everyone has their wild cards, but that is what makes it harder to predict for me than Braun being out 50. I think this team is quite solid outside of Braun but there are a lot of question marks.

[coolhandluke121]

and Marcum not falling off a cliff (this is my biggest worry).

Unfortunately I don't have much confidence in Marcum or Wolf being able to duplicate their success. I hope I'm wrong, but something tells me they will struggle. They just seem vulnerable, for lack of a better word.

I also have serious misgivings about the teams ability to hit right-handed starters. This aspect of replacing Prince with A-Ram has flown under the radar for some reason, but I think it's a legitimate concern. I sure hope Gamel is productive, because they need to mix a good lefty into the heart of the order.

Finally, the bullpen was an absolute steel curtain after the AS break last year. I expect some regression to the mean there, because Hawkins and Saito were a big part of their success.

[Hatchins]

and Marcum not falling off a cliff (this is my biggest worry).

Unfortunately I don't have much confidence in Marcum or Wolf being able to duplicate their success. I hope I'm wrong, but something tells me they will struggle. They just seem vulnerable, for lack of a better word.

I also have serious misgivings about the teams ability to hit right-handed starters. This aspect of replacing Prince with A-Ram has flown under the radar for some reason, but I think it's a legitimate concern. I sure hope Gamel is productive, because they need to mix a good lefty into the heart of the order.

Finally, the bullpen was an absolute steel curtain after the AS break last year. I expect some regression to the mean there, because Hawkins and Saito were a big part of their success.

Marcum and Wolf will do what they've done every year of their career. Be solid. They won't pitch the roof off the place, but they will be solid 3-5's.

And as for the bullpen, no matter what you will have the setup and closer role locked up, and at somepoint in the season we could get a lot for k-rod if some team comes calling for a closer midway through the season.

The upgrade at 3rd base is enough for me to not care as much about going from Prince to Gamel.

All in all, i'm not really worried, but they don't play the game on paper.

[BUCKnation]

The upgrade at 3B and defensively at SS should make up for the loss of prince, if gamel plays at least average

[coolhandluke121]

Marcum and Wolf will do what they've done every year of their career. Be solid. They won't pitch the roof off the place, but they will be solid 3-5's.

Right. But for much of last season they pitched like borderline all-stars. And you could make the case that Marcum should have been one. Wolf had extended stretches of brilliance. I didn't say they would be bad, just said it would be hard to duplicate that success.

[Kerb Hohl]

I don't know why, but I have a feeling that Wolf won't be THAT bad.

Marcum, on the other hand, I just hate watching. I know he's a good pitcher but the analogy I used when he's facing good offenses is that your two children are standing at home plate with a 1 foot by 1 foot opening between them (they have their arms and legs over the plate) and you have to throw an axe through it.

It's painful. There's like a 1x1 inch spot the guy has to hit every time to be successful.

[Aaron It Out]

I don't know why, but I have a feeling that Wolf won't be THAT bad.

Marcum, on the other hand, I just hate watching. I know he's a good pitcher but the analogy I used when he's facing good offenses is that your two children are standing at home plate with a 1 foot by 1 foot opening between them (they have their arms and legs over the plate) and you have to throw an axe through it.

It's painful. There's like a 1x1 inch spot the guy has to hit every time to be successful.

I agree on Wolf, but I really don't mind Marcum in the third spot either. That is assuming when the season comes he pitches like he did in the regular season and not like a dead horse in the playoffs of course.

But you are right. I would not like him even as our second pitcher. If Greinke doesn't get extended but Marcum does I will not be happy.

[BUCKnation]

We just need to hope that marcums playoff performance was just fatigue. Its a legit excuse considering he had tommy john. Im not worried about wolf either, isnt it a contract year for him, so he should be fine

[LUKE23]

The pitching will be awesome, IMO. We have Greinke and K-Rod for the entire year, and that is huge. I expect Wolf and Marcum to be around their career norms, which will be without question the top third or better of #3 and #4 pitchers in the NL. We have Narveson at #5 and Peralta likely ready to go as well should there be an injury. Then K-Rod/Axford back end of pen. I'm not worried at all about the staff.

Now, if Braun is suspended, I'm very worried about the offense heading in, especially since Ramirez is historically a slow starter. We're going to really have to cobble some crap together there and hopefully be around .500 when Braun gets back. I don't see any team blowing the doors off the division this year, really.

[trwi7]

Ramirez doesn't really concern me with a slow start. He played games in April in Chicago with the wind usually blowing in from left field.

[DrTobiasFunke]

Ramirez doesn't really concern me with a slow start. He played games in April in Chicago with the wind usually blowing in from left field.

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this way. I can't remember where I saw it, but I saw a graph showing where Ramirez Wrigley home runs landed last year, and since some of them would not have cleared the wall at Miller Park, this person was worried that Ramirez would flop in Milwaukee. But without the terrible outdoor elements of Wrigley (mostly the wind) Ramirez could have a very good season.

[MickeyDavis]

I think it's pretty clear now that there are at least some extenuating circumstances with Braun. Otherwise the decision would have come down. Whether it's enough to overturn the suspension remains to be seen. IMO it would take a hell of a lot for them to let him off.

[DrTobiasFunke]

my friend has a theory that they're trying to keep the integrity of the drug testing, but also let Braun play. Which would explain why its taking so long I guess.

[Captain Erv]

my friend has a theory that they're trying to keep the integrity of the drug testing, but also let Braun play. Which would explain why its taking so long I guess.

I was listening to Bill Michaels on the radio today (why, you ask? I don't have the answer) and he had apparently heard from someone close to the situation that, as you say, MLB is trying to figure out a way out of this without compromising the current drug testing system. It is Bill Michaels though, so take it for what it's worth.

[jimmybones]

Interesting way to look at it, hope it's true. They should just man the **** up and say our system had a hitch and this is a rare case that exposed it. Now that this was brought to our attention the system will be improved and better than ever. Everything has flaws and I doubt people will be outraged if they are just up front about it.

But again, this is on the media that got ahead of themselves and branded Braun a cheater. Cases like this happen that we never hear about, we should have never heard about this one.