Ryan Braun, the 2011 National League Most important player and the cornerstone of the Milwaukee Brewers' franchise, experienced optimistic for a performance-enhancing drug and could face a 50-game postponement to start 2012, a blow for the Brewers and a sport that seemed to put the most horrible of its steroid era behind it.
Braun, however, plans a vigorous protection of the positive test. He will submit petition any postponement and on Saturday night told USA TODAY of the result: "It's BS."
Sport channel first reported that Braun had tested positive, and that he'd provided a urine sample during the 2011 playoffs, then was up to date of the positive result in late October. A source told sport channel the positive result came about from elevated levels of testosterone in Braun's system, and a ensuing test exposed the testosterone was synthetic.
Braun, 28, who was aware of sport channel forthcoming report, published a statement via his agency: "There are extremely strange circumstances nearby this case which will support Ryan's complete blamelessness and demonstrate there was totally no intentional violation of the program. While Ryan has faultless character and no previous history, unfortunately, because of the process we have to maintain privacy and are not able to discuss it any further, but we are positive he will ultimately be exonerated."
Braun topped the Dodgers' Matt Kemp in NL MVP balloting, after he hit .332 with 33 homers and 111 RBI. During the season, the Brewers signed Braun to a five-year, $105 million addition that would keep him in Milwaukee through 2020.
In his first five main league seasons, Braun has averaged 36 homers, 118 RBI and a .563 slugging percentage.
He becomes the first reigning MVP to test positive for performance-enhancing medicines, though numerous award-winners through the early part of this century -- Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi, to name a few -- either tested positive for steroids or were strongly connected to them through legal events or investigations.
Other than Los Angeles Dodger slugger Manny Ramirez's first performance-enhancing medicines ban, in early 2009, baseball's drug suspensions had been limited mainly to fringe players since the sport tightened its PED policy after the 2005 season.
Ramirez, in fact, was the lone player on an active major league roster suspended during the 2011 season.
In the wake of slugger Mark McGuire’s January 2010 admission that he used performance-enhancing medicines, Commissioner Bud Sleigh all but stated the game's steroid era over in a statement.