When former Cincinnati Reds pitcher unloaded on Ryan Braun for not owning up to steroid use
Former Brewers star Ryan Braun lived inside a shell for the longest time of his PED use, living in denial and convincing himself that he'd done nothing wrong and was in the clear.
He even famously dismissed the league's drug protocols and said the system was flawed when he came under scrutiny for a failed testosterone in 2011.
"For a long time, I was in denial," Braun said, "and convinced myself that I had not done anything wrong. ... There is no excuse for any of this."
Braun, however, came clean in August 2013, begging pardon for both his PED use and for all the lies that followed.
Ryan Braun tests positive for PED. espn.go.com/espn/otl/story…
"Ryan Braun tests positive for PED." - Buster Olney, Twitter
While his apology primarily fell on deaf ears, one thing was very clear. There was no room for liars in the MLB! Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey lashed out at the tainted Brewers star, berating him for lying to those who had his back.
"Once a liar always a liar," Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey told the Dayton Daily News. "When you lie to people who backed you the whole way, you're in bad territory."
New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer also echoed Bailey's sentiment, lambasting Braun for never being honest with anybody and defending the player's outrage being directed towards him.
"I thought this whole thing has been despicable on his part," Max Scherzer said. "When he did get caught, he never came clean. He tried to question the ability of the collector when he was caught red-handed. So that's why the whole Braun situation, there is so much player outrage toward him."
Braun finally accepted a suspension of 50 games for the drug infraction and 15 games for his conduct at the time of the grievance on July 22nd, 2013.
Ryan Braun was the perfect 5-tool player
Former baseball left fielder Ryan Braun played his entire life with the Milwaukee Brewers. They picked him up in the first round and fifth overall in the 2005 MLB draft. Braun made his MLB debut on September 2, 2006.
Known particularly for his ability to hit for power and average, his baserunning speed, and his excellent fielding and arm strength, Braun was considered a very, very good five-tool player in the league.
Braun was a six-time All-Star and a five-time Silver Slugger awardee. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2007 and won the NL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2011.