Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun Right to Speak at MLB Awards Dinner

Ryan Braun is set to accept his NL MVP Award at the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s annual awards dinner this Saturday, and after recently testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, speaking out publicly at this event is a good move for the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder.

According to the Washington Post, Braun will give a short speech once honored with the award. This will be his first time speaking to the public after the PED incident, and choosing to share his thoughts on the matter is the right thing to do here. 

Of course, he may keep it simple and stay away from what happened, but then again, I doubt it. There was a public outcry when news broke about Braun testing positive, and now this is a chance for him to set the record straight.

Braun is currently appealing a 50-game suspension, which is the punishment for the first time a MLB player tests positive for PED's. He told the USA Today that the results were "BS" and he plans to appeal.

TMZ reported back in December that a medication was to blame for the results, stating he was taking something for a private medical issue.

Now Braun gets a chance to give his real opinion on the matter in front of those who voted for him to win the NL MVP.

Choosing not to speak would add further speculation to this fiasco, but addressing the issue at hand at such a prestigious event is very wise. There will be very respectable people at this event, and they, along with the rest of the world, should want to hear what Braun has to say.

Sure, Braun is going to get heat wherever he goes and most likely for whatever he says. He's been added to the list of guys who abuse drugs to gain a competitive advantage in baseball and that doesn't sit well with people—especially since he's winning such a big award.

Some people believe Braun should say no the NL MVP, but if he truly didn't take a PED, then Braun has every right to stand up for himself.

With so much talk going on about Braun, it's only right that he speaks up and puts an end to everything. We don't know for sure what his short speech will consist of, but his best bet is to tell the truth.

If there is indeed a medication he took for private medical issues, then perhaps sharing that will help his situation. Of course, it's his personal life and he doesn't have to let us in, but simply saying thanks for the award and ignoring the PED issue would actually be worse for Braun.

Since it's now known Braun will speak, many are expecting he will include something about the positive test. Should he not deliver on that, it will do further damage to the Brewers star.

The baseball world eagerly awaits for what Braun has to say this weekend, and since this is his chance to help clear his name, it's smart for Braun to speak up about his name being in the news for what he believes is wrong.