Skip Schumaker says Ryan Braun should be suspended for life

One of the most encouraging things to come out of the Ryan Braun suspension is not the indignation from the media and fans, but the players.

There’s some real outrage out there from players and they’re speaking up louder than ever. The clean guys are fed up. They want an even playing field.

Braun made it easier for them with his lies and accusations against Dino Laurenzi Jr., whose great crime was collecting a vial of Braun’s urine during his first infamous go-round with steroids.

Hopefully this is a tipping point for baseball -- those playing by the rules take to the forefront, take control of the issue and lead baseball to where it needs to be.

Clearly steroids are much too rampant in the game, but if it is to ever truly be cleaned up as much as possible, it will be up to the players to demand it.

No player was more disgusted by Monday’s news of Braun accepting his suspension than the Dodgers’ Skip Schumaker. Here is the raw, unfiltered Schumaker on the news and steroids in baseball:

“I can’t stand it. It needs to be eliminated from the game. I have an autographed Braun jersey in my baseball room that I’ll be taking down. I don’t want my son identifying what I’ve worked so hard to get to and work so hard to have -- I don’t want him comparing Braun to me.

“In my opinion, he should be suspended, lifetime ban. One strike, you’re out. It’s enough. It’s ridiculous. You’re still doing this? This guy is one of the main guys that are the face of the franchise and the face of baseball. For him to do this and maybe get caught twice already is ridiculous. A guy loses his job because of it. Hopefully, he gets that back. He lied. He lied to a lot of people. I was convinced, after that MVP, that he didn’t do it. I think he should hand over that MVP to Matt Kemp.

“Suspend them all. It needs to get out of baseball, so how are you going to do it? I know we have an agreement; we all agreed upon the agreement -- 50, 100. I thought that was enough at the beginning of it. But apparently not. Watching him talk right now makes me sick.”