Ryan Braun: MVP Makes Last-Minute Plea to Avoid 50-Game Suspension

The curious case of MVP Ryan Braun and a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs took a potentially final turn on Thursday. Braun made a desperate plea to avoid what could be a devastating suspension.

The New York Daily News reports Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun stated his case before a three-member panel on Thursday.

The panel could meet on Friday, but no decision is expected prior to what will be an awkward Saturday night. That is when Braun is expected to accept his MVP award at a New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s dinner.

At the heart of Braun's contention is that extremely high levels of testosterone call into question the accuracy of the results. A source told the NY Daily News the following.

"

(Braun tested) insanely high, the highest ever for anyone who has ever taken a test, twice the level of the highest test ever taken.

"

Braun's lawyer David Cornwell spoke out against what he calls utter lies that Braun took any performance-enhancing drugs stating, "He did not take performance-enhancing drugs and anyone who writes that is wrong."

What we have here is a he said/they said situation. For Braun, "they" happen to be a panel that has never been proved wrong.

No player has ever successfully overturned a suspension. There is no reason to think they will at this point.

The general rule seems to is innocent until proven guilty. However, since the despicable steroid era, players seem to be more guilty by association.

There is no reason to believe a player when that player is in a sport muddied by drugs and steroids—what fans consider the ultimate in cheating.

The hope is that Braun is telling the truth. If so, we can only cross our fingers that the panel will get the call correct. Nothing short of the man's legacy is at stake.

Braun will either be vilified or vindicated from this moment forward. This is the biggest battle of his career, and it is a losing one.

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