Braun Receives Standing Ovation

[wilmyers]

 
If there were any questions as to how the fans at Miller Park would welcome back [/size]Ryan Braun, they were answered quickly on Monday.[/size]

Playing in his first regular-season game since his 65-game suspension, Braun received a standing ovation prior to his first at-bat from the 45,691 on hand. If anyone was booing it was hard to tell, as the cheers were so loud.

Braun swung and missed at two pitches and fouled off another before weakly flying out to left to end the bottom of the first inning inMilwaukee's 2-0 victory over Atlanta.

"It was special," Braun said. "It was an emotional moment for me. I kind of allowed the adrenaline and the emotion of the moment to take over and had a pretty horrendous at-bat. Swung at some pitches that I typically don't swing at. But something that I'm very thankful for and appreciative of."

While the positive response was largely expected -- especially after Braun was cheered each time he came to the plate during the two exhibition games at Miller Park this past weekend -- but a standing ovation could have come as a surprise to some.

The fans continued to applaud Braun each subsequent time he hit, as he went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base.

"I saw in Spring Training how the people who came down to watch us applauded for him," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "That's what I expected. The people here are great. I've said all along, we're a very forgiving people . . . and we should be."

Braun was making his first start since July 20 and his first appearance since July 21, as he accepted a 65-game suspension from Major League Baseball on July 22 for violations of the Basic Agreement and its Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
 
"It's special," third baseman Aramis Ramirez said. "We all know what he went through last year, and that's difficult for anybody. For the fans to do that, it was real special. It was nice to see."  Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig was on hand Monday to take in the game and was asked about the fans' reaction to Braun's return.  "Fans are fans," Selig said. "And that's the way it's supposed to be. He's their hometown player, and it was a wonderful reaction, and I wish everybody well."

 http://msn.foxsports.com/wisconsin/story/brewers-fans-embrace-braun-in-his-return-from-suspension-033114
 
So does this mean apology accepted?  
 
 

 

[Giantmetfan07]

Apology accepted in Milwaukee. The rest of the league? nah. 
 
Yankee fans still love A-Rod, Giants fans still love Bonds. Doesn't mean the rest of the league forgive them for what they did. I'll still never understand a fanbase backing their cheating athletes. If a player like Wright did that I'd be disgusted. 

 

[Pugz]

bonds is a good man imo

 

[Mexi]

Honestly, braun tested positive for something his mvp year and then the next year he was clean and had an even better year than his mvp one

Hes still a great player and i would cheer too if i was a brewer fan

But man am i still a little bitter about him stealing kemps mvp.......but because matty had a better year anyways positive test or not

 

[Thomas-Panda-Saxby]

I like it. Brewers fans moving on like most people (except dodgers or kemp fans) should.

 

[wilmyers]

I'm sympathetic to PED users in baseball b/c MLB created their own monster.  We know they looked the other way when the juicers chasing Hank's HR record brought back a ton of fan interest.  It wasn't until congress started sniffing around that MLB suddenly started to give a damn and by then it was too late...a precedent was set.  
 
If I was a guy struggling to get out of the minors and next to me is a guy making millions with the help of some PEDs...well, easy choice for me.  At the same time, a lot of these guys use PEDs to heal sooner and get back onto the field.  There's obviously a lot of pressure and I know I'd have anxiety about losing my spot in the lineup if gone for too long. 

 

[Mexi]

ped hate is overrated i know

 

[wilmyers]

ped hate is overrated i know

 
Taking speed in the 70's and 80's is okay...  
 
Using steroid creme to heal a hammy quicker in 2014 means blacklisted.

 

[Mexi]

Taking tissue from your leg and putting it in your arm is ok (tommy john surgery), peds arent

Hanley after he broke his rib in the playoffs took a ton of pain killers so he could play
Um isnt that a ped?

 

[snipezo]

Bonds is da goat

 

[elcheato]

Pain killers aren't performance "enhancing"

 

[Mexi]

F U C K

y o u

 

[Thomas-Panda-Saxby]

People used steroids to try to stay in the game

Ex. Manny Ramirez

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Braun has done a lot of work to repair his image in Milwaukee, too. I heard he was calling season ticket owners.