February 11
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Had the date of Ryan Braun's appeal hearing not leaked to the media, one would have no way of knowing that the recommended deadline for rendering a verdict is near. But, just as the positive drug test of the Milwaukee Brewers' star leftfielder leaked, so did the hearing dates. Braun appealed that result and pending 50-game suspension before a three-man arbitration panel in New York City on Jan. 19-20. Major League Baseball's drug policy states that the panel chair, in this case Shyam Das, "shall make all reasonable efforts" to render a verdict within 25 days following the opening of the hearing. The 25th day after the hearing opened would be Monday. That recommendation is not rigid,"
February 3
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
columnist David O'Brien
"
When a reporter mentioned this week that Jason Heyward had dropped about 20 pounds during the offseason and asked Chipper Jones if he'd noticed a difference in Heyward's physique and how it affected his swing, Jones smiled and pretty much scoffed. For the record, the nearly 6-foot-5 right fielder has gone from an imposing, chiseled 256 pounds to a chiseled, imposing 235. In terms to which some of our readers may better relate, Heyward's gone from D-1 defensive end to D-1 tight end."
February 1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Bob Wolfley
"
NBC broadcaster Bob Costas sounded a call about the Ryan Braun episode that more observers will repeat if the Brewers' leftfielder fails to win his appeal for reportedly testing positive for a banned substance. Costas was interviewed by Dan Patrick Tuesday morning in Indianapolis on Patrick's radio show. Both broadcasters are at Super Bowl XLVI as part of NBC's coverage of the event. Both are part of NBC's "Football Night in America" show on Sunday nights in the regular season. Patrick asked Costas, who also works for the MLB Network, what was going to happen with Braun's case. "No one has ever won an appeal," Costas said. "The thing is set up and it's made clear that even if you by your"
January 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Though not specifically referencing the drug testing controversy that has enveloped him for most of the off-season, Ryan Braun did not ignore it as many expected when accepting his National League most valuable player award Saturday night. The Milwaukee Brewers' star leftfielder, who awaits the verdict from an arbitration panel on whether he'll be suspended for the first 50 games of the 2012 season, talked about facing "adversity" and "challenge" during his speech at the annual Baseball Writers Association of America awards banquet at the New York Hilton. "Sometimes in life we all deal with challenges we never expected to endure," said Braun, making his first public appearance since a"
January 21
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
And now Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers wait for the verdict. Assuming Braun's arbitration hearing concluded Friday as expected in New York, major-league baseball's Basic Agreement calls for a decision to be rendered within 25 days as the Brewers' all-star leftfielder seeks to avoid a 50-game suspension for a reported positive test for a banned substance in October. While 25 days are allotted if necessary, everyone involved is hoping for a shorter timetable for the important verdict. The three-man panel is allowed to announce its decision in advance of the required written opinion. The New York Daily News reported that Braun's arbitration hearing began Thursday in front of a panel"
January 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
National League most valuable player Ryan Braun is among the players listed to attend the Milwaukee Brewers' "On Deck" fan fest in an announcement by the club Wednesday. "Brewers On Deck" is scheduled for Jan. 29 at the Frontier Airlines Center. Braun and the Brewers might know by that date whether he will be suspended for 50 games for a reported positive test for a banned substance in October. Braun's confidential arbitration hearing is expected to take place later this month, but it might not be held until the end of January, with the verdict possibly coming in the first week of February."
January 8
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
The Milwaukee Brewers will know before the start of spring training whether all-star leftfielder Ryan Braun will be in their lineup on opening day. People familiar with the history of the Major League Baseball drug testing program and arbitration process indicate the Brewers and Braun will not be kept guessing about his status until the team opens its spring camp Feb. 18 in Phoenix. An arbitration hearing will take place this month to give Braun an opportunity to overturn a reported positive drug test in October for a banned substance that could result in a 50-game suspension. Delaying the verdict beyond a reasonable period would not be fair to either Braun or the Brewers, under the"
January 2
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
An MLB official told me there are only two ways for Braun to win his appeal: Prove there was a lab error with the testing or say the Brewers signed off on the treatment. I was told to forget proving a lab error because the system is designed to prevent such an occurrence. Each player's urine sample is divided into two samples. The first is tested and if it's positive for any banned substance, the second sample is put through a more rigorous, comprehensive testing regimen to assure the result is valid. The MLB official also told me that the Brewers did not sign off on whatever substance Braun took. So, it's unlikely that excuse would be used during the appeal process. Braun's problem is"
December 19
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
The executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, Michael Weiner, was interviewed Friday (Dec. 16) on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM. Hosts Casey Stern and Jim Bowden asked Weiner to comment on the news of a positive test for a banned substance by Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun. That news was leaked to the press before Braun had a chance to complete an appeal. This is what Weiner had to say during the exchange: Stern: "I know without specifically talking about the player, and I know you don't want to comment on the situation, is the process flawed if we even sit here in the media and are able to have people rushing to judgment knowing things before the"
December 15
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Milwaukee Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun is facing not only a 50-game suspension but also irreparable harm to his reputation both on and off the field because of a reported positive test for a performance-enhancing drug in October. Recognizing what's at stake, Braun's representatives at Creative Artists Agency hired David Cornwell, a sports attorney who has represented NFL and NBA stars facing various legal entanglements, to appeal Braun's case in January. Less than 24 hours after the news broke Saturday evening, Cornwell already was working on Braun's behalf, telling the Journal Sentinel that "any report that Ryan ingested a performance-enhancing drug is wrong," and USA Today that "this"
December 13
Toronto Star
columnist Richard Griffin
"
Every time Major League Baseball seems set to stage a revival among its most skeptical fans, the ones that swore off the game after the strike of '94, the muscular shadow of steroids comes along to rain on its parade. This time, it's one of the game's most beloved young stars, the reigning NL MVP, playing in the commissioner of baseball's own home town, Milwaukee. Outfielder Ryan Braun, after failing a PED test, now finds himself in the crosshairs of suspension and disgrace. The sport is staggered. Braun, just 20 days ago on Nov. 22, was named NL MVP for his season of 33 homers, 33 steals and a .994 OPS, leading the Brewers to the NL Central crown, hitting ahead of teammate Prince Fielder."
December 13
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
While Milwaukee Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun and his lawyer prepare their defense that he is innocent of violating baseball's antidrug policy, doping in sports operates under a strict standard. "In the world of doping, we use the principle of strict liability," said Gary I. Wadler, professor of medicine at Hofstra North Shores LIJ School of Medicine and former chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List and Method subcommittee. "So if you knew how it got there or not, if it's in your body, you are held accountable." Nor is it a legal issue, Wadler said. "What is legal in the United States may not be permitted in the sport of baseball." As part of Major League Baseball's"
December 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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An MLB source just confirmed to me that no player ever has had a positive drug test overturned on appeal. So, if Ryan Braun is going to beat the rap he is facing, he would be the first. Doesn't sound good, does it? Beginning with the appeal by Rafael Palmeiro, 12 players on major-league 40-man rosters have taken their cases to arbitration and none have won. The suspensions of each player were upheld under the Major League Drug Prevention and Violation program."
December 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Before Saturday night, when ESPN released a report claiming Ryan Braun tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in October, no Milwaukee Brewers player had been accused publicly of such a transgression. Though it might be a new experience for Brewers fans with regard to one of their own, Braun isn't the first star to face scrutiny for running afoul of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, which was rolled out after the 2003 season. The two highest-profile players suspended for PEDs under the program have been Rafael Palmeiro and Manny Ramirez, who tested positive not once but twice, in 2009 and again this year. And while both denied knowingly taking a"
December 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Ryan Braun's agency is not messing around in its attempt to help him overturn a positive drug test by MLB that threatens to levy a 50-game suspension on him to start next season. Reps for the Brewers' all-star left fielder have hired famed professional athletes' attorney David Cornwell, who has defended the likes of Reggie Bush, Randy Moss and Gilbert Arenas in their various legal entanglements. Cornwell put out one statement, simply saying, "Any report that Ryan ingested a performance-enhancing drug is wrong." And that element will be part of Braun's defense. His side is adamant that the prohibited substance he took was not a PED or steroid of any kind. MLB's position will be that a"
December 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
No matter how convincingly Ryan Braun's representatives argue his case after a reported positive drug test, the Milwaukee Brewers' star leftfielder faces tremendously long odds in his attempt to avoid a 50-game suspension in 2012. A Major League Baseball source confirmed Sunday that no player has successfully overturned a positive test since the current drug program began in 2004. Beginning with Rafael Palmeiro in '05, 12 cases have gone before an arbitration panel and each time the player was ordered to serve his suspension. Braun has protested his innocence since an ESPN report surfaced Saturday indicating he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. A first offense in the MLB"
December 11
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Michael Hunt
"
I'm not sure what it was like around here when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was traded years ago, but at least there were early distant warning signs that howitzer blast of a news item would occur. But this Ryan Braun blockbuster? It is one of the biggest shockers to hit our corner of the sporting scene in a long, long time and potentially one of the most damaging to its reputation as a fairly clean repository of games if it is true. It also came out of left field, figuratively. A guy wins the National League MVP and, just a few weeks later, is charged with testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug? How potentially bad is that? Very, very bad."
December 11
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
I just talked to someone familiar with Ryan Braun's positive drug test and he insisted that the Brewers' star left fielder will be cleared on the appeal process and that this information never should have come out. The ESPN report said Braun tested positive for an abnormally high level of testosterone in his system. No player ever has had a positive drug test overturned in appeal. If Braun's suspension is upheld, it would start at the beginning of the 2012 regular season. Brewers spokesman Tyler Barnes said the club had not been informed by the commissioner's office that Braun tested positive for a banned substance and faced a suspension."
December 11
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
The Milwaukee Brewers early Sunday morning released a statement from team principal owner Mark Attanasio regarding the ESPN report that Ryan Braun has tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Here it is in its entirety: "Ryan Braun has been a model citizen in every sense of the word, both in the Milwaukee community and for the Brewers. Since joining our organization in 2005, he has been a person of character and integrity."
December 11
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Did Ryan Braun cheat to become the 2011 National League most valuable player or is he the innocent victim of a premature report? That was the question being asked across the baseball world Saturday with the stunning news that the Milwaukee Brewers' star leftfielder tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug and faced a 50-game suspension, according to a report by ESPN's "Outside the Lines." No one associated with Braun, Major League Baseball or the Brewers would comment publicly on the report because the positive test is being appealed through an arbitration process that is ongoing. It was unknown how long that process could take. In a late-night text message, Braun said he wanted to"
November 23
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
columnist Michael Hunt
"
With the exception of a Joey Votto here or a Justin Morneau there, players from small-market baseball teams typically do not win most valuable player awards because they cannot be paid to stay long enough for MVP-type circumstances to come together as they did this season for Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers. That's what makes Braun's selection as the National League's MVP on Tuesday so important to a franchise like the Brewers, while underscoring Braun's sensible approach to the game's economics. Although Braun's status as one of baseball's most complete players was confirmed with the award, he chose long ago to leave money on the table in his unusual desire to be a Brewer for the"
November 22
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
For just the fourth time ever and the first time in 22 years, the Milwaukee Brewers can claim the league's most valuable player. Leftfielder Ryan Braun was named the top player in the National League by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday, beating out Los Angeles Dodgers centerfielder Matt Kemp, who finished second. Braun's Brewers teammate, first baseman Prince Fielder, finished third. The pair hit third and fourth for the Brewers, who won a team-record 96 games en route to their first-ever NL Central Division title. Braun earned 20 of 32 first-place votes and finished second on the other 12 ballots en route to a total of 388 points. Kemp, who made a run at the triple"
November 3
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
For the second consecutive season, the Milwaukee Brewers have a pair of Silver Sluggers. Leftfielder Ryan Braun and first baseman Prince Fielder each earned the honor from Louisville Slugger on Wednesday. The award is presented to the top offensive player at each position in both the National and American Leagues. Braun hit .332 with 33 home runs and 111 runs batted in, while leading the NL with a .597 slugging percentage, .994 OPS and 77 extra-base hits. He finished in the top six in the NL in 11 different offensive categories. Los Angeles Dodgers centerfielder Matt Kemp and Arizona Diamondbacks rightfielder Justin Upton were the other NL winners in the outfield. "It's always a tremendous"
November 2
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
The Milwaukee Brewers' Gold Glove-less streak continues. Leftfielder Ryan Braun had a shot at becoming the first Brewers player since Robin Yount in 1982 to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove Award on Tuesday night, but he was beaten by Gerardo Parra of Arizona. For the first time, Gold Gloves were awarded to outfielders in left, center and right rather than to the top three outfielders overall regardless of position. Previously, centerfielders often would claim all three Gold Gloves. This season, Braun committed just one error in 150 games (1,250 innings) in left to lead the NL in fielding percentage at the position. His eight assists ranked second behind Parra's 12."
November 1
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
In what could be a foreshadowing of honors to come on a national scale, leftfielder Ryan Braun was voted the Milwaukee Brewers' most valuable player for 2011 by the Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Eight ballots were cast for each award, assigning three points for first place, two for second and one for third. Braun was a unanimous selection on all eight ballots (24 points). Finishing second was first baseman Prince Fielder (15 points), followed by closer John Axford (six), starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo (1), rightfielder Corey Hart (1) and outfielder Nyjer Morgan (1)."
October 4
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Ryan Braun was born to be a headliner, not a warm-up act. With the Milwaukee Brewers in the national spotlight during major-league baseball's postseason, folks around the country are witnessing what denizens of Brewer Nation have known for years: Braun is something special. "I've seen these stretches from him where you couldn't get any better," said manager Ron Roenicke, whose club will take a 2-0 advantage in the National League Division Series against Arizona into Game 3 on Tuesday night at Chase Field. "First month of the season, incredible. Hitting .380 and 10 homers. I don't know how many RBI but stealing bases, making great plays on defense (actually, .367 with 10 HRs and 23 RBI)."
September 29
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
On the surface, Milwaukee Brewers teammates Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder appear to be the Odd Couple of Clout, with little in common other than their propensity to launch baseballs to the nether regions of major-league ballparks. Braun is SoCal cool, with ownership stakes in trendy restaurants and a clothing line. He was cursed with GQ looks and the athletic ability to rope a double into either corner while falling out of bed in the dark. Fielder grew up around ballparks, the son of a major-leaguer, and there is nothing dapper about him. Built like a Soviet-era weightlifter, he looks perpetually disheveled in his baggy and often dirty uniform. His swing is violent, and when he squares up"
September 29
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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As if there weren't enough storylines heading into the Milwaukee Brewers' regular-season finale, the neck-and-neck race between Ryan Braun and the New York Mets' Jose Reyes for the National League batting title took a strange twist earlier Wednesday. Reyes entered his final game leading Braun, .336 to .335, and collected a hit in his first at-bat in the afternoon against the visiting Cincinnati Reds. That's where the story took a right-hand turn into controversy. Reyes' hit came on a bunt he dropped down the third-base line, which upped his average to .337. The shortstop then left the game in what turned out to be a pre-arranged move between Reyes and Mets manager Terry Collins, prompting"
September 25
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Ryan Braun strolled to the plate in the first inning of the Milwaukee Brewers' game against the Florida Marlins on Saturday just as he always does. The response from the Miller Park faithful, though, was anything but routine. Not after the way the leftfielder closed out Friday night. His three-run home run off the scoreboard in left-center field in the eighth inning was the difference in the 4-1 win that, along with the St. Louis Cardinals' loss, clinched the team's first division title in 29 years. It was a moment that further cemented Braun in franchise lore, as well as his status as one of the best clutch players in the major leagues. So with the buzz still resonating Saturday night,"
September 24
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Milwaukee, your wait for a division winner is over. Twenty-nine years after they clinched the American League East title behind Don Sutton in Baltimore, the Brewers wrapped up their first National League Central title Friday night with a 4-1 win over the Florida Marlins at Miller Park. A crowd of 44,584 rabid fans - the 33rd sellout of the season - was on hand to watch as the Brewers' stars took center stage with the lights at their brightest and a playoff berth on the brink. And boy, oh boy, did they ever deliver. There was Prince Fielder, who provided the early offense with a solo home run to right-center in the second inning - a shot that stood as the lone Milwaukee tally until the"
September 18
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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When Ryan Braun was hobbled in the middle of the season by an inflamed tendon behind his left knee, it was impossible to imagine him putting together a 30/30 season. "It wasn't just the running," said the Brewers' all-star leftfielder. "I wasn't able to work out. My workouts are such a big part of my routine. I feel like that's my home base. "For at least four or five weeks, I couldn't really work out. I was mostly doing rehab stuff. I was doing as much as I could to get on the field but nothing additionally because we didn't want to irritate it." With help from the club's medical and training staff, Braun was able to get through that period and get his legs back under him. The hitting"
September 17
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Individual accomplishments always are more satisfying in the context of an important victory for the team. Accordingly, Ryan Braun was all smiles Friday night in the visitor's clubhouse at Great American Ball Park. "The fact that it came in a win, in a big win for that matter, makes it that more enjoyable," said the Milwaukee Brewers all-star leftfielder. The "it" was Braun becoming only the second player in franchise history to accumulate 30 home runs and 30 steals in the same season. And the big win was a 6-3 decision over the Cincinnati Reds, thanks primarily to five home runs by the Brewers. The victory allowed the Brewers to lower their magic number for clinching the NL Central crown"
September 14
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
It was better late than never for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. Ryan Braun fouled off five straight pitches in a 10-pitch at-bat before hitting a home run to left-center to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning, lifting the Brewers to a dramatic 2-1 victory at Miller Park. "Tonight was not pretty game," said Braun. 'We didn't play well. I think I probably played my worst 10 innings of baseball of the year. It was nice to find a way to win. "I don't think we really deserved to win but good teams find a way to win games sometimes that they shouldn't. All the credit tonight goes to our bullpen, to (Zack) Greinke for battling through a horrendous defensive performance. "It's nice"
September 3
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
For the longest time Friday night, it appeared the Milwaukee Brewers might lose a Zack Greinke-Lucas Harrell pitching matchup. After dropping three in a row at home to St. Louis, you could almost feel the angst growing in Brewer Nation. Coming to life after Harrell left the game, the Brewers scored eight runs in the last three innings to pull away to an 8-2 victory at Minute Maid Park. Combined with the Cardinals' 11-8 home loss to Cincinnati, the Brewers boosted their lead in the NL Central to 8½ games with 23 games to play. Their magic number, which had stalled at 18 for three days, dropped to 16. "Things didn't go our way when we played the Cardinals," said closer John Axford, who"
August 20
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
While New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes has spent time on the disabled list with a hamstring injury, literally sitting on his league-leading .336 batting average, someone has been creeping up on him. With a .429 batting average during an eight-game hitting streak entering Friday, Milwaukee Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun raised his overall average to .329, jumping into the race for the National League crown. And it's not a challenge that intimidates him. "My biggest goal is to always be the best 'me' that I can be," said Braun. "I always feel I'm competing with myself to get better. It would be nice to finish with a higher batting average than I've ever had before." Braun batted .324 as"
August 12
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Although it may appear so, Ryan Braun still isn't completely recovered from the left upper calf/lower hamstring injury he's been battling for more than a month. Because of that, he was held out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale between the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mark Kotsay took Braun's spot both in the No.?3 spot in the lineup and in left field. "I'm good. Just a day off," Braun said. "We talked about it last night. It's still kind of part of our plan with this hamstring thing to just try to stay as close as possible to 100 percent." With regard to the timing - the Brewers eyeing a possible sweep of the St. Louis St. Cardinals, and the"
August 7
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Any doubt Ryan Braun isn't all the way back from the left lower hamstring/upper calf injury he suffered a little over a month ago was erased in the fourth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers' 8-1 win over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on Friday night. Braun stole second on a strikeout by Prince Fielder , his first steal since June 29. Braun had been under orders to keep the all-out running to a minimum whenever possible after he missed 10 games and played only parts of others in July in an attempt to keep the injury from worsening. "He's been telling me he's ready to go," manager Ron Roenicke said. "We've been trying to play it a little safe. Last night he said, 'No, I want"
July 20
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
The Brewers have a plan to ease all-star leftfielder Ryan Braun back into action from his leg injury. But it's sort of top secret. Braun was back in the lineup Tuesday night against Arizona after missing 10 of the previous 13 games with the ailing left leg. Before taking the field, he divulged that he wouldn't play the full nine innings but left it at that. Manager Ron Roenicke wouldn't spell out the exact plan because he didn't want to tip his hand to the other side. "We're trying to get him back to where we don't have any setbacks," said Roenicke. "We've got a plan for him. I don't really want to say what that is. I don't want the other side knowing what we have planned. It's a"
July 19
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
"
Ryan Braun was out of the Milwaukee Brewers' starting lineup for the 10th time in 13 games Monday night with a lingering leg injury, but manager Ron Roenicke said the hope is still to keep the all-star leftfielder off the disabled list. "Just talking to (trainer) Roger (Caplinger), I still don't think that's what it's going to be," Roenicke said of a possible DL stint. "But you always get concerned when an injury isn't healing up the way you want it to. "Roger thinks it's getting better. But if it doesn't (continue to improve), we're going to have to start talking about (a DL stint). If it's not progressing, then I would worry about it. But when Roger tells me it's getting better all the"