The Brewers of Milwaukee now one of the most disliked team in baseball
I have decided that I now have a least favorite baseball team, taking over from the Yankees. Back when the Boss was in charge they were the Evil Empire. Sure they spent a tonne of money this past off season but because there are other teams and more TV money available to them the gap between NYY and everyone else is much closer than ever. Now the new King of the Castle in terms of dislike are the Milwaukee Brewers. They are a smaller market team and have no reason to top my list but they now do. Sadly it is not even the whole team, it is just 2 players that has cast a dark shadow over this squad. Ryan Braun is the first. This is a guy who is what is wrong with both sports and society. After he managed to avoid an initial suspension for PED's (performance enhancing drugs) via a technicality and destroying the collector of his sample. in the media.He then repeatedly pleaded that it was all a mistake and he never did anything wrong, the test was flawed and/or tampered with. He implored friends, family, other athletes, fans and teammates to believe it was all a conspiracy, that he was set up and he was a good guy. He held a press conference to claim his innocence. That presser made him look sleazy and greasy, like a used car salesman who was trying to spin the story to make him look like the victim. He just looked so smug with his finely quaffed hair and double pocket shirt. When he stated that if he had 'done this intentionally or unintentionally I'd be the first one to step up and say, I did it' and followed that up with saying if he had ever made a mistake he'd taken responsibility for his actions. He stated that his name was dragged through the mud and that he was the one who was wronged.
So after all that he was eventually found to have been involved with exactly what he was accused of initially before getting it overturned. After being suspended for the remainder of last season he was proven to be a fraud, a liar and in the minds of a lot of people outside of Milwaukee a dirt bag
and all that was wrong with PED's in baseball. What is one of the worst things was that he was never stripped of his MVP award the year he got his suspension overturned. Matt Kemp by all accounts should be the rightful MVP.
That brings me to the second player on the Brewers that has solidified that teams position as the worst. Carlos Gomez. This is a very talented player with all the tools, just apparently does not have the tool box yet. Maybe it is a matter of maturity or maybe it is just cockyness but when he keeps showing up opposition teams. After hitting a home run and standing and admiring it like he did last year versus Atlanta is one example. He was chirped all around the bases as he eventually hit his home run trot until of course he approached home plate and ran into a very large and very upset Brian McCann who stood at the cu-out and did not let Gomez pass to touch the plate. A small melee ensued and many angry words were exchanged by McCann and Gomez.
This year he hit a homer vs the Braves and tries to go anti-show-off and sprints around the bases in another form of cockiness but nearly as disrespectful. Clearly it was a bit of gamesmanship on his part but still not cool.
Now once again this year Gomez decides he is going to be a primadonna again and big-time his opponents. This time he hit a ball that he thought was going to leave the ballpark. So after standing and slowly leaving the box he finally realized that it was going to stay in play. He then began to run and managed to wind up at third....where he was less than well received. Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole did not seem too take Gomez's hot dogging well and began to "chat" with him. Basically told him that maybe make sure If you are going to big-time your opponent make sure the ball goes out of the park. If you are going to act like a child and a douche you deserve to be treated like a child. He is a talented ballplayer but needs to grow up, fast or someone is going to go headhunting on him and buzz the tower a few times. Maybe it will be a Pirates pitcher or maybe it will be someone from another club that decides that he needs to learn a lesson. Carlos, make sure not to wink at any pitchers and watch out for in your ear. Thankfully he was suspended for 3 games for his role in the benches clearing. Too bad he did not get more to smarten him up but 3 is better then nothing.
And that my friends is how 2 mere ballplayers can cast such a disparaging light upon an entire franchise. It is too bad too because talent wise they have a pretty good team and now their teammates have to deal with all that comes with having two bad apples.
