Skip Schumaker discusses Ryan Braun and Mark McGwire.

Ryan Braun

Dodgers utilityman Skip Schumaker believes Ryan Braun should be suspended from Major League Baseball for life. (Getty Images)

Dodgers utilityman Skip Schumaker was among the most outspoken players on the topic of Ryan Braun‘s recent suspension. Here’s what he said:

“Watching him talk right now makes me sick,” Schumaker said. “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,” Schumaker added. “He lied to a lot of people. I was convinced, after that MVP, that he didn’t do it.”

A number of people pointed out that Mark McGwire, Schumaker’s hitting coach both with the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals (from 2010-12), was a steroid user during his playing career. That led some to wonder where was Schumaker’s outrage toward McGwire.

A sampling of sentiments:

So today I asked Schumaker if he ever discussed the topic with McGwire.

“That was a long time ago. He dealt with that a long time ago,” Schumaker said. He politely declined further comment.

Schumaker elaborated a bit in an interview with Dan Patrick earlier in the week:

“Mark’s never lied. That’s the thing with Braun. He had this heartfelt conversation with fans and players. I was backing him with all my non-baseball friends back home. I believed him. In Mark’s era, it was a different time. I wasn’t involved in that time period, of when everybody felt like everybody was using it in baseball.”

Does time indeed heal all wounds? Is this good news for Ryan Braun?

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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.