Ryan Braun, the reigning MVP of baseball's National League, is having a rough offseason. On December 12, ESPN reported that Braun had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug (PED) after a league-mandated drug test revealed elevated levels of testosterone in his system. That Ryan Braun is Jewish is probably irrelevant—but it certainly makes the story a whole lot more interesting.
The test results are disappointing for a number of reasons. Braun was supposed to be one of the good guys, a leader of the new generation of ballplayers who have begun to rehabilitate professional baseball after years of rampant drug abuse. He's a consummate professional, a community leader, and, by all accounts, a genuinely nice guy. Also, did I mention that he's Jewish? By default, Braun inherited the mantle of Koufax, Greenberg, and Rosen as the Great Jewish Athlete, living out the dreams of middle-aged lawyers and doctors across the country. With this positive test, Braun has crushed the hopes of Jewish mothers and sons everywhere.
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