Kirk Gibson Rips Brewers’ Ryan Braun

Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Kirk Gibson, the outspoken manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, had some harsh words for Brewers’ outfielder Ryan Braun. Gibson feels that his team deserved to move on from the NLDS after it was discovered that Braun was in fact guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. Even though the embattled outfielder intends to apologize to everyone he feels he’s wronged, Gibson doesn’t think that’s enough.

Gibson wants more than just an apology from Braun but if he wants the 2011 season back, he’s dreaming. Here’s what he had to say, courtesy of Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic:

"“I said this a long time ago: I think that people should have an opportunity to ask him some questions and have him answer them unrehearsed. Something tells me he’s getting really prepared for just about anything that they could throw at him.“I’m not surprised he hasn’t addressed people. He probably doesn’t give a (expletive) about me. He’s got it really good. I was one of the guys who went through many things – work stoppages, etc. – so that he could do that. I would hope that he respects me and everybody who stood up for him before he played the game. Everybody looks at it differently, but if he thinks he’s giving back to the game, he has a different idea of how to give back than I do.”“Everybody listened to his line of (expletive), so you take him at face value,” Gibson said, referring to Braun’s press conference in spring training of 2012. “All things considered, we should have won [Game 5 of the 2011 NLDS]. All things considered, the last game, we tied it up and we had a chance to win it. There were other times in my career when I did overcome cheaters. We had our chance.”"

Basically, Gibson thinks that Ryan Braun alone beat them in the NLDS. So I guess Braun not Nyjer Morgan had the walk-off single in Game 5 and I guess Braun pitched in every game as well. I understand where Gibson is coming from but let’s be honest, the Brewers were a better team in 2011 and in all likelihood would have beaten the Diamondbacks even if Braun was clean.