Ryan Braun: Brewers MVP Deserves Benefit of a Doubt Until Appeal Is Heard

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder and reigning National League MVP Ryan Braun has denied any wrongdoing after testing positive for elevated testosterone levels. So elevated, in fact, that they might have even set a new MLB record, according to David Epstein of SI.com.

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Braun, who has vigorously denied guilt—"It's BS," he told USA Today on Saturday night—is entitled to the arbitration process through which players have a right to dispute a positive test and of which Braun will avail himself.

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Until he gets his chance to explain possible reasons for the shocking results, the 28-year-old superstar deserves more respect. He's been dragged through the ringer since the news broke, with people even suggesting there should be an MVP re-vote.

That's lunacy. Everybody has a right to prove allegations brought against them to be false, no matter if they are one of the league's marquee talents or the 25th man on a roster.

After passing all previously administered tests, Braun took another one after he learned of his tainted sample and it came back normal as well.

While that doesn't guarantee a faulty test by any means, it certainly gives him a starting point for his defense. To go from no problems since testing started to extraordinary levels and then back to a normal level would seem to raise some red flags about the positive test.

Braun produced the best season of his career in 2011. He posted an on-base percentage of .397 with 33 home runs to lead Milwaukee to an NL Central crown.

He's always been a terrific offensive threat, though. So anybody who cites a jump in numbers as confirmation of the reports is off base. Especially since it isn't known exactly how many other tests Braun was forced to take throughout the season.

In the court of public opinion, it's common for somebody to be found guilty before given a valid opportunity to clear their name. That doesn't make it any more acceptable with Braun, who has had an otherwise squeaky clean record prior to this story.

By coming out with such a quick, harsh response to the reports, Braun is putting himself out on a limb should it be determined the result is correct. At that point he would be deserving of all the criticism thrown his way.

Instead, he's undergone an immediate vilification process and will never fully recover from the incident, even if the slugger is eventually cleared.

Unfortunately, that is standard operating procedure now a days.