(JS)...Ryan Braun may be an innocent man" and "may be exonerated."If this happens, obviously it would be tremendous news for the Brewers and Braun, who tested positive for a banned substance in October and appealed the finding before an arbitration panel in New York last week. It also would make it an even bigger atrocity that news of the positive test was leaked to ESPN, which reported it in early December.(Fox) Braun painted a plausible scenario in a late-morning news conference today, hinting strongly that his urine sample was tampered with before being shipped to a Montreal laboratory for analysis. But the unvarnished truth remained elusive, as Braun declined to answer specific questions about the collector who was in possession of his sample for nearly 48 hours.
Braun maintained his innocence, saying, “If I had done this intentionally or unintentionally, I would be the first to step up and say I did it … I would bet my life this substance never entered my body at any point.” Braun didn’t mention the “substance” by name, but ESPN previously reported that it was synthetic testosterone.
Parra said he’s disappointed that “a player’s privacy was not respected at all. Everybody has a right to privacy, to a certain extent. That’s what bothered me. … This is justice. He went through the process. You have these rights, and you have them for a reason. I respect the way it went. I’m extremely happy that he’s going to be with us.”
(Hipster Jew) It’s been 48 years since Tribesman, Sandy Koufax, was named MVP of the National League. Thankfully the Hebrews are getting back into the game and representing us well. Kevin Youkilis has a few championship rings. Ian Kinsler is a former all star and a World Series loser. Danny Valencia is a solid 3rd baseman. And Jason Marquis is… well.. forget I mentioned him.
But the man that gets all the praise today is Ryan Braun aka The Hebrew Hammer. The former Rookie of the Year and current NL MVP finished the 2011 season with 33 home runs (6th in the league) and a .332 batting average (2nd in the league). ...that was till he was accused of juicing....
(JS) Patrick
said he was told Sunday, again, by "somebody involved in the process"
that the MLB test might be at fault and that Braun could be found
innocent. The arbitration panel, with independent arbitrator Shyam Das
expected to cast the decisive vote, has 25 days to render a verdict but
it could come as soon as later this week. Some of Patrick's comments: "There
were whispers that this was a personal medical issue, that he was
taking something for that, that may have spiked his test. I since found
out (Sunday) that that is not the case. "Ryan Braun may be
exonerated here. He may be found innocent. And judging from all of the
information I was told, there's a good chance that he should be."Patrick
went on to say that MLB is "cut and dried" about what is allowed to be
in a player's system but said what Braun tested positive for "wasn't a
masking agent." "The bigger issue here is the testing and was Ryan
Braun a victim of the testing by Major League Baseball," added Patrick.
"Let's see how this plays out... The feeling I got (Sunday) from
somebody involved in the process in this, it's not as cut and dried as
people would think. And Ryan Braun may be an innocent man."
