Ryan Braun Deserves Some Credit

Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Braun has been bashed and beaten, chastised and ridiculed, for his performance-enhancing drug use. He’s paid the price.

So this isn’t another article attacking Braun. I’ve already had my share of that. This is an article complimenting the Brewers’ right fielder, giving kudos to him, because frankly, he deserves it.

Braun is making a position change for the second time in his seven-year career. He switched from third base to left field in 2008, and has  been planted there ever since. This season Braun is on the move again, going across the outfield to right field to take over for recently departed Norichika Aoki.

This move has been well-documented. But what hasn’t been talked about enough is Braun’s willingness to change positions. He hasn’t complained once. Everything that has come out of his mouth has been positive and his words have been full of excitement. He will truly do whatever the team needs him to do.

Braun is an All-Star and one of the best players in the game. He could have easily refused when the Brewers approached him about moving to right field. And the Brewers probably would have conceded. They are paying him $113 million over the next seven seasons and the last thing Milwaukee would want is their star player to be unhappy.

Fortunately, Braun didn’t make any waves and gracefully accepted his new role, something other players have failed to do. They let their egos get in the way.

For example, before the 2013 season, the Texas Rangers approached second baseman Ian Kinsler about moving positions to make room for top prospect Jurickson Profar. While Kinsler said all the right things to the media, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports claimed he wasn’t happy about the possibility of moving from second base.

No such report has surfaced about Braun.

The Brewers avoided potentially harmful drama because of the way Braun handled the situation. He has made monumental mistakes in the past but, at least in this regard, he deserves credit.