Nearly a century ago a little boy looked at Shoeless Joe Jackson, who had been accused of being part of a conspiracy to fix the World Series, and said in a forlorn little voice, "Say it ain’t so, Joe. Say it ain’t so."

This summer, 94 years after Shoeless Joe, some young boy might look up and see his favorite player walk by and say, "Say it ain’t so, Ryan. Say it ain’t so."

For the second time in a year Ryan Braun’s name has been linked to the use of performance enhancing drugs. Braun, as special as he is, joins a long line of baseball players who have been involved in the use of illegal substances.

With each of them the story has been very similar. They deny. The hold news conferences and deny some more. They claim they are being persecuted. The get outraged at the persecution. They act like the world is out to get them. They create a house of cards to hide behind.

And for most of them, their house of cards eventually begins to fall apart. Ace by Jack by nine of clubs they are soon left with a truth that is uncomfortable and problematic for everyone.

Braun and his lawyers are out in front on this one. They claim they lawyers consulted with a sleazy operator of a pill factory during Braun’s battle against his 50-game suspension last year. The fact that an explanation like that strains credibility falls in line with the denials from the previous violators.

Braun has high powered, well financed lawyers and they don’t need to consult someone like this guy.

I’ve got kind of a sick feeling in my stomach about all this.

Say it ain’t so, Ryan. Prove it ain’t so.