CHICAGO – Max Scherzer, one of the union representatives for the Detroit Tigers, said Ryan Braun's 65-game suspension "doesn't fit the crime," and called Braun's actions in the wake of a 2011 positive drug test "despicable."

Scherzer, the starting pitcher for the American League in the All-Star Game, said many of his peers are upset with Braun's behavior, and that he'd favor the Brewers having the ability to terminate his contract.

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Monday, Braun agreed to a season-ending 65-game suspension from Major League Baseball, apparently for his connection to the Biogenesis clinic in Florida.

"With the Braun case, I think it's absolutely despicable how he handled it," Scherzer said before Tuesday's game at U.S. Cellular Field. "I'm glad he got caught. He went out of his way to try to bring people down and cover up his lies and now he looks like Lance Armstrong."

Braun was suspended, but the specifics of his violation have not been revealed.

"There's so much player outrage towards him because of how brash he was against MLB and how brash he was in his defense," Scherzer said.

Scherzer said he thought the game would be cleaned up by 50-game suspensions being put in place. That alone hasn't been enough to deter people from using performance-enhancing drugs.

"I think you gotta commend MLB for doing its homework to find everything possible it needed to make the suspension stick and for him not to get off on a technicality," Scherzer said of Braun.

"I still don't think the punishment fits the crime. MLB hasn't closed the loophole to create the incentive to cheat. He still has his contract and he's still financially gaining from this."

The Brewers will still owe Braun $113 million after this year.

Scherzer said he'd be in favor of Braun's contract being voided.

"You gotta start cutting out contracts," Scherzer said. "I'm for that. The only problem with that is the difference between Ryan Braun and Freddy Galvis."


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Galvis, a second baseman for the Phillies, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for clostebol, but Scherzer says Galvis



Scherzer said those "who intentionally cheat this game by using PEDs, the punishment doesn't fit the crime yet.

"I don't think 50 games is enough. I feel you can still financially benefit from doing it."

Scherzer the game won't be rid of PEDs until that incentive to gain financially is taken away.

"We're fed up with that," Scherzer said. "We want to see either longer suspensions or whatever it takes to create that incentive, that financial gain away from players. Whether that's voiding contracts, whether that's longer contracts. You're seeing every player jump on board that the punishment doesn't fit the crime."

Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter said the system works.

"If you get caught, the system has to work," Hunter said. "(Braun) got caught. He's going to do his time. Move on from there.

"I don't think there's no black eye on baseball. You're going to always have somebody break the rules. When they get caught, they have to be punished for it."

"He did what he did. And I forgive him. It takes a man to forgive. I forgive him. Let me dig in your closet and see how many skeletons I pull up."

Sipple writes for the Detroit Free Press