Trevor Plouffe and Ryan Braun best friends

[darin617]

I read an article that they are best friends since high school and have been working out together in the off season for the last 7 years. I hate that when players are linked to each other. I feel bad for Plouffe who will be questioned and doubted that he never knew or had any involvement himself with PED's. It was great seeing him and Willingham challenge each other hitting HR's before Trevor got hit and missed time and never regained that pace.

[TRex]

Yeah, it's really unfair that workout buddies have to defend themselves against the slings-and-arrows surrounding the other.

 

It's not like just because Danny Valencia gets to hang with A-Roid that he will be involved in the Biogenesis scandal... oh wait, never mind. I mean it's not like just because Jason works out with his brother Jeremy Giambi that he is using the clear (or was it the cream?) .

[Winston Smith]

How do you know Plouffe is clean? Just because he plays for the Twins doesn't make that so.

[E. Andrew]

Interesting...

[diehardtwinsfan]

Last I checked he was innocent until proven guilty, and last I saw, his name wasn't associated with this at all. Perhaps when all this is done this will change, but right now he gets the benefit of the doubt.

[nicksaviking]

On his salary? Plouffe couldn't afford Biogenesis. He'd have to hope that Braun would comp him. Maybe next year when he's arbitration eligible.

[nicksaviking]

In all seriousness though. I wouldn't be surprised if Plouffe or another Twin got busted, but upon consideration, I think the relationship angle is a little off. They may be off-field pals, but they still spend much more time with teammates and have a vested interest to want teammates to excell. I think it more likely that other teammates would be turned to the dark side than I do a childhood friend.

[SpitefulRabbit617]

Michael Beasey and Kevin Durant are bestfriends too....... Talk amongst yourselves:th_alc: If only weed was performence enhancing drug.

[Winston Smith]

First: I do not know who did what.

Second: Plouffe and Braun are best friends, Braun is a known cheater.

Third: Last year Plouffe was hitting .135 with an ops of .548 when the Twins visited Braun in Mil.

Forth: In the next 35 games Plouffe hits 15 hrs (70 hr a year pace), raises his ave to .250 and ops to .897

Fifth: from that point on he has settled back down to earth 20 hr a yr pace like the rest of his career.

Proves nothing but does seem odd, imo.

[jm3319]

First: I do not know who did what.

Second: Plouffe and Braun are best friends, Braun is a known cheater.

Third: Last year Plouffe was hitting .135 with an ops of .548 when the Twins visited Braun in Mil.

Forth: In the next 35 games Plouffe hits 15 hrs (70 hr a year pace), raises his ave to .250 and ops to .897

Fifth: from that point on he has settled back down to earth 20 hr a yr pace like the rest of his career.

Proves nothing but does seem odd, imo.

 

So no one can go on a tear without being accused of steroids? Plus, why would he dope for only 35 games? Pretty pointless. And picking something up while visiting Braun wouldn't work over night to morph him into a different player.

[Monkeypaws]

If you are doing something and you know it is illegal, are you going to tell your friends, or keep it to yourself?

[AScheib50]

First: I do not know who did what.

Second: Plouffe and Braun are best friends, Braun is a known cheater.

Third: Last year Plouffe was hitting .135 with an ops of .548 when the Twins visited Braun in Mil.

Forth: In the next 35 games Plouffe hits 15 hrs (70 hr a year pace), raises his ave to .250 and ops to .897

Fifth: from that point on he has settled back down to earth 20 hr a yr pace like the rest of his career.

Proves nothing but does seem odd, imo.

 

Come on, now. That's really grasping at straws...steroids certainly aren't like taking an Advil...it doesn't just kick in...this thread is a bit ridiculous if you ask me. Just cuz one friend does something stupid doesn't mean an entire group of people associated with that person will.

[AROG]

If you are doing something and you know it is illegal, are you going to tell your friends, or keep it to yourself?

 

I agree, it is more likely that Braun wouldn't let his childhood best friend know that he was cheating, and that is why he is better then Plouffe. Plouffe has been a streaky hitter his whole career. Last year the streak lasted a longer time then most.

[Winston Smith]

So no one can go on a tear without being accused of steroids? Plus, why would he dope for only 35 games? Pretty pointless. And picking something up while visiting Braun wouldn't work over night to morph him into a different player.

 

I didn't accuse him of anything. As I said "Proves nothing but does seem odd, imo."

[AROG]

I didn't accuse him of anything. As I said "Proves nothing but does seem odd, imo."

 

Is that kind of like saying "no offense" after an offensive statement means it isn't offensive anymore?

[nicksaviking]

I didn't accuse him of anything. As I said "Proves nothing but does seem odd, imo."

 

It seems odd, but I agree with the previous poster, the timing doesn't seem to back up the theory. I'm no doctor I only play one to pick up college girls, but I don't think any of these PED's would be that effective the next day or likely even the next week.

[Nick Nelson]

If there's a point to be made, it's that Plouffe went from being a 10-HR guy in his first 6-7 years as a pro to being a 20-25 HR guy, and the transition happened pretty quickly.

 

But sometimes that happens when kids mature physically and mentally. I wouldn't assume anything beyond that.

[nicksaviking]

If there's a point to be made, it's that Plouffe went from being a 10-HR guy in his first 6-7 years as a pro to being a 20-25 HR guy, and the transition happened pretty quickly.

 

But sometimes that happens when kids mature physically and mentally. I wouldn't assume anything beyond that.

 

After the JJ Hardy hitting-to-all-fields kerfuffle, the Twins brought in Josh Willingham and let him pull the ball all he wanted. The Twins seemed to come to see Hardy may have been right, at least as far as Target Field is concerned. At that point they also seemed comfortable letting Plouffe take the Willingham approach. I assumed the Twins relenting on what seemed to be a previously strict hitting policy is what benefitted Plouffe.

 

But it could be PEDs though I hope not.

[TheLeviathan]

I doubt Plouffe did, his binge seemed to be more fluke than PED. But if I was going to make a list of guys who might have used....I think Plouffe would top it.

[Oldgoat_MN]

Have none of you noticed what the Twins have been doing the last couple of years?

 

If anyone on this team is taking PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS they will get away with it. There is certainly no evidence.

[nicksaviking]

Have none of you noticed what the Twins have been doing the last couple of years?

 

If anyone on this team is taking PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS they will get away with it. There is certainly no evidence.

 

Ha, so the Twins surely aren't taking PEDs. Just perhaps Ds.

 

The Logan Morrison theory applies to the Twins just as easily:

 

Logan Morrison: "You know we're clean. We haven't scored a run in 37 innings." #marlins #braun

[adjacent]

I think this throwing of innuendo without having any evidence of anything is pretty low, and is not worth of this site. I despise the cheaters, but if we are going to start making suggestion of any guy that have a power streak, because he knows somebody, well, we end up accusing everybody. It is not the right thing to do.

[Tcrose3636]

I have to qualify my statement and question by saying that I like Trevor Plouffe and I really hope that he is clean. In this day of baseball, it is hard to know who did and who didn't and that is why everyone is very suspicious of players that do amazing things.

 

What makes me question and wonder about Plouffe and his association with Braun is that I believe Plouffe was up and down, up and down, and eventually out of options...I believe. Then it seemed like the talk was DFA-ing him. The next week it seemed like he went on his home run streak. I could see the temptation if he was about to lose his spot on the roster...I also don't think Roids work that quickly but if he was back and forth a few times and decided to take them so he would eventually remain in the big leagues...I don't know.

 

I hope there will come a time in baseball where we don't have to question the guys doing amazing things like Davis, Braun, and Cabrera...and now Plouffe because of his association with Braun.

[ThePuck]

I like what Denis Leary and Letterman said about Steroid Use in sports...

 

Leary: "But you know here's the thing. I'm sick of the thing in baseball, too, for steroids. We have the drugs, let's just give 'em all the drugs and let them get as big as they wanna get. I'd like to have huge, giantmongous athletes ... biggest people ever, you know. So what if you can throw a shot put 25 yards. I wanna see you throw an actual Olympic official from Athens to downtown Paris. That's what I want."

 

Letterman: "A thousand home runs a season is what I'm looking for."

 

Leary: "Yeah, imagine Babe Ruth on steroids, man. We're talking 150 home runs a week. You know? Not to mention the hookers."

 

Letterman: "Hey, don't mention the hookers."

 

Cracked me up...

[diehardtwinsfan]

There isn't a person on this planet who can say they've never done anything wrong. To imply guilt because you are friends with someone who'se admited to doing something wrong is pretty low.

 

I've been let down by friends before. I had a friend/former neighbor that liked to do Coke. I had no idea until he died of an anurism. Based on this logic, I should be under suspicion for drug use. I don't see much good from this type of speculation. It's certainly unfair to Plouffe, and unless he's been implicated in the biogenesis scandal, there's really no room for it.

[Guest USAFChief]

I didn't accuse him of anything. As I said "Proves nothing but does seem odd, imo."

This reminds me of Fox "News":

 

"We're not saying Obama is the antichrist. But have they ever been photographed in the same room, at the same time?

 

Proves nothing, of course, but it seems odd."

[Brock Beauchamp]

First: I do not know who did what.

Second: Plouffe and Braun are best friends, Braun is a known cheater.

Third: Last year Plouffe was hitting .135 with an ops of .548 when the Twins visited Braun in Mil.

Forth: In the next 35 games Plouffe hits 15 hrs (70 hr a year pace), raises his ave to .250 and ops to .897

Fifth: from that point on he has settled back down to earth 20 hr a yr pace like the rest of his career.

Proves nothing but does seem odd, imo.

 

I'm no expert on steroids but I'm pretty sure they don't work like Popeye eating a can of spinach.

[Riverbrian]

I'm no expert on steroids but I'm pretty sure they don't work like Popeye eating a can of spinach.

 

I don't know either but that's funny.

[Monkeypaws]

I'm no expert on steroids but I'm pretty sure they don't work like Popeye eating a can of spinach.

 

 

Or Underdog and his "super energy pill."

[AROG]

I have to qualify my statement and question by saying that I like Trevor Plouffe and I really hope that he is clean. In this day of baseball, it is hard to know who did and who didn't and that is why everyone is very suspicious of players that do amazing things.

 

What makes me question and wonder about Plouffe and his association with Braun is that I believe Plouffe was up and down, up and down, and eventually out of options...I believe. Then it seemed like the talk was DFA-ing him. The next week it seemed like he went on his home run streak. I could see the temptation if he was about to lose his spot on the roster...I also don't think Roids work that quickly but if he was back and forth a few times and decided to take them so he would eventually remain in the big leagues...I don't know.

 

I hope there will come a time in baseball where we don't have to question the guys doing amazing things like Davis, Braun, and Cabrera...and now Plouffe because of his association with Braun.

 

There are a meriod of reasons someone can start hitting better. That was the first time Plouffe got an extended shot at the position. The Twins lineup was starting to hit well, including, Mauer, Willingham, Morneau, Domit, they were all hitting well so by the time it got down to Plouffe he is going get some fat pitches.