Ryan Braun tests positive for PED's

[VA Sox Fan]

Ryan Braun tests positive for PEDs

 

Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn ESPN.com

 

 

National League MVP Ryan Braun, who last season led the Milwaukee Brewers to their first division title in nearly three decades, has tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug and faces a 50-game suspension if the initial finding is upheld, two sources familiar with the case told "Outside the Lines."

 

Major League Baseball has not announced the positive test because Braun is disputing the result through arbitration.

 

A spokesman for Braun issued a statement Saturday: "There are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program. While Ryan has impeccable character and no previous history, unfortunately, because of the process we have to maintain confidentiality and are not able to discuss it any further, but we are confident he will ultimately be exonerated."

 

The 28-year-old Braun had to provide a urine sample for testing during the playoffs, and he was notified of the positive test sometime in late October -- about a month before he was named the National League's most valuable player.

 

The positive result was triggered by elevated levels of testosterone in Braun's system, the sources also told "Outside the Lines." A subsequent, more comprehensive test revealed the testosterone was synthetic -- not produced by Braun's body.

 

Every individual naturally produces testosterone and a substance called epitestosterone, typically at a ratio of 1-to-1. In Major League Baseball, if the ratio comes in at 4-to-1 or higher during testing, a player is deemed to have tested positive. The sources did not indicate how high above the threshold Braun's sample tested.

 

Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun carried the team to its first division title in nearly three decades last season, leading the league in slugging percentage at .597, with a .332 batting average, 33 home runs and 111 runs batted in.

To affirm the results and strengthen its case, MLB asked the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Montreal, which conducts its testing, to perform a secondary test to determine whether the testosterone spike resulted from natural variations within Braun's body or from an artificial source. The test indicated the testosterone was exogenous, meaning it came from outside his body.

 

Milwaukee Brewers spokesman Tyler Barnes said Saturday that the team had not been contacted by the commissioner's office and the team had no knowledge of a failed test. Messages left for MLB officials were not returned. Greg Bouris, spokesman for the Major League Baseball Players Association, declined comment.

 

 

Since being informed of the results, Braun has been disputing his case. The outfielder has told those around him that he did not knowingly take any banned substances and hoped to prove that during the arbitration process, said one of the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case. No major league player has ever successfully appealed a positive test.

 

MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Policy calls for strict liability among players, meaning if a player tests positive, the league is "not required to otherwise establish intent, fault, negligence or knowing use of a Prohibited Substance on the Player's part to establish such a violation."

 

Even if a player can establish he did not knowingly take a banned substance, he must show he was not in any way negligent to appeal successfully. For example, taking a dietary supplement that contains an unlabeled performance-enhancing drug would not be sufficient grounds for appeal, but if he were to show that he ingested something that was either tampered with or no player reasonably could have assumed to have been contaminated, the appeal might succeed.

 

Once criticized for protecting its biggest stars from scandal, the league is now faced with the possibility of suspending one of the game's best and most-admired players.

 

Braun had never been linked to PEDs previously; in fact, at the 2009 All-Star Game in St. Louis, when commissioner Bud Selig addressed efforts by Albert Pujols to tamp down questions about steroid use, he invoked Braun as a shining example of the sport's tough testing policy.

 

"Albert Pujols is absolutely right. He has been tested since he started playing," Selig said. "So has Ryan Howard. So has Ryan Braun, Ryan Zimmerman. Since they were in the minors."

 

About a month before that, Selig was quoted in The Arizona Republic as saying, "Our minor league testing program is in its ninth year, and that means all the great young players in baseball, from Ryan Howard to Ryan Braun, have all been tested for nine years. There's a system in place, and it's working. We know we have the toughest testing program in major league sports."

 

Earlier that spring, after Alex Rodriguez was exposed for using steroids, Braun spoke to MLB.com about the "mistakes" made by the superstar. Braun said he met Rodriguez in 2001 during a recruiting trip to the University of Miami.

 

Asked if he were surprised that Rodriguez had been exposed as a steroid user, Braun was quoted saying, "I don't know if I would say I was surprised. I feel like it was so rampant, so prevalent, in baseball during that time period that not much surprises me anymore. If anything, I was surprised he got caught, that it came out this long after he supposedly did it."

 

On whether he had ever been tempted to try performance-enhancing drugs, Braun said, "It's never something that I sought."

 

MLB.com wrote that Braun then showed "a flash of his sense of humor and his well-documented self-confidence" by adding, "I would never do it because if I took steroids, I would hit 60 or 70 home runs."

 

Braun was speaking to the website prior to the news conference at which Rodriguez admitted his use.

 

"... The best thing he can do is come out, admit to everything and be completely honest," Braun said. "The situation will die a lot faster if he tells the whole truth."

 

Since breaking into the majors in 2007 at 23, Braun has emerged as one of the sport's top young players. He won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2007 and was an All-Star each of the past four seasons.

 

In his rookie season, Braun hit 34 homers and drove in 97 runs, while amassing a .634 slugging percentage in just 113 games. He had 37 home runs and 106 RBI the following year, then saw his power numbers decline modestly over the next two seasons. He still hit 25 home run runs and had a .501 slugging percentage in 2010.

 

In April, Braun signed a five-year contract extension worth $105 million. He then went out and had his best season ever, carrying the Brewers to their first division title in nearly three decades. He led the league in slugging percentage at .597, with a .332 batting average, 33 home runs, 111 runs batted in, 109 runs scored and 33 stolen bases.

 

Braun turned 28 on Nov. 17 and five days later was named the NL MVP. Now, though, he's looking at a 50-game suspension to open the 2012 season, and, of course, all sorts of questions about what role steroids have played in his success.

 

Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn are investigative reporters with ESPN's enterprise unit. Fainaru-Wada can be reached at markfwespn@gmail.com. Quinn can be reached at tjquinn31@yahoo.com.

[Emmz]

Bummer to see these people go down, you always hope they don't get caught but you keep the idea of them being on PEDs open in your mind. My opinion on steroids is sort of changing all the time. Part of me feels like it's just taking advantage of what's out there to get an edge. The other half realizes it's not fair to those who didn't use PEDs. About a year ago I would've said PEDs are just bad, I still sort of lose my respect for numbers inflated by PEDs, but I try to keep an open mind about it. I'd say I lean towards still being against it, but I've heard some pretty convincing arguments.

[jacksonianmarch]

It's understandable from a health standpoint, but the "integrity of the game" debate is ridiculous. Players are always one step ahead of testing and players were taking amphetamines for decades without being deemed cheaters.

[Spudboy]

Bummer to see these people go down' date=' you always hope they don't get caught but you keep the idea of them being on PEDs open in your mind. My opinion on steroids is sort of changing all the time. Part of me feels like it's just taking advantage of what's out there to get an edge. The other half realizes it's not fair to those who didn't use PEDs. About a year ago I would've said PEDs are just bad, I still sort of lose my respect for numbers inflated by PEDs, but I try to keep an open mind about it. I'd say I lean towards still being against it, but I've heard some pretty convincing arguments.[/quote']

 

What convincing arguments? Cheating is cheating. Breaking the law is breaking the law. And misuse of Anabolic Steroids is very dangerous and almost always has dire physiological consequences. So yeah, the only argument in support of their use is a player can make more money. I guess greed is good. Right?

[Emmz]

I agree with the cheating standpoint, idk I guess? ._.

[Reck]

Just when you thought the Steroid era was about gone, you have cases like these popping up.

 

At this point what can Baseball do to keep this at bay without violating privacy rights and such?

 

Its just getting ridiculous.

[Palodios]

Poor Milwaukee. Really crummy, and utterly terrible timing

[example1]

Weird. Bummer. Etc., I hope it isn't what it seems, but I'm pretty jaded at this point.

[Spudboy]

Weird. Bummer. Etc.' date=' I hope it isn't what it seems, but I'm pretty jaded at this point.[/quote']

 

Yeah, no s***. I hope that you are not jaded. That would be just awful. You understand what is right and what is wrong. I must quote Howard Cosell (as much as it pains me to do so) from the cover of Jim Bouton's Ball Four ......"Baseball is a sacred cow and the only milk that it emits is pure". Baseball has looked the other way for far too long. All to gain market share, ratings, make money. At what point will the public decide enough is enough? Sadly, probably never. We have all been too dumbed-down.

[a700hitter]

It's understandable from a health standpoint' date=' but the "integrity of the game" debate is ridiculous. Players are always one step ahead of testing and players were taking amphetamines for decades without being deemed cheaters.[/quote']The old saying among the players before anyone heard of PEDs was "if you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin." Cheating is nothing new in baseball.

[a700hitter]

Yeah' date=' no s***. I hope that you are not jaded. That would be just awful. You understand what is right and what is wrong. I must quote Howard Cosell (as much as it pains me to do so) from the cover of Jim Bouton's Ball Four ......"Baseball is a sacred cow and the only milk that it emits is pure". Baseball has looked the other way for far too long. All to gain market share, ratings, make money. At what point will the public decide enough is enough? Sadly, probably never. We have all been too dumbed-down.[/quote']Too much money is involved. After the baseball strike, the owners and the Commish looked the other way and allowed the inflated power numbers resulting from PEDs, because they needed to get the fans back. The game grew and the money became huge and they continued to look the other way forever tainting the game's statistics so that they could no longer be used to compare players across generations.

[Flynnatic10]

I'm really surprised by this. They should give Kemp the MVP, or at least take away the award. But then again they didn't take it from all the previous juicers.

[Divinity]

Yeah it wouldn't be fair if they took his and no one else's, besides the award isn't even given out by MLB.

 

Must suck to be a Brewers fan right now, Fielder is leaving and your lone young Star player is forever tainted.

 

I'm pretty shocked it was Braun, if someone was gonna be caught this year I figured it would be Bautista

[jete02fan]

WTF???...even our MVP's are suspect?..

[Emmz]

Anyone who is surprised is naive. Sorry, but no successful player will ever surprise me if they're busted. Wouldn't be shocked if Pujols was juicing either, but innocent until proven guilty or at least obviously guilty. I think Bonds is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt even though he's never been proven guilty.

 

I will be pissed of a juicer makes it into the HOF before Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, that's all I know.

[Flynnatic10]

Anyone who is surprised is naive. Sorry, but no successful player will ever surprise me if they're busted. Wouldn't be shocked if Pujols was juicing either, but innocent until proven guilty or at least obviously guilty. I think Bonds is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt even though he's never been proven guilty.

 

I will be pissed of a juicer makes it into the HOF before Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, that's all I know.

 

I think I remember reading that Jose Consenco said there was a juicer in the Hall of Famer already. He didn't say who it was...

[Emmz]

If you believe Jose Canseco (or completely discredit the possibility of a juicer being in the HOF) you are naive too though.

[Emmz]

Jose Canseco got hit in the head with a fly ball, which then went over the fence for a home run. Don't trust that guy.

[Flynnatic10]

If you believe Jose Canseco (or completely discredit the possibility of a juicer being in the HOF) you are naive too though.

 

That's why I'm a casual baseball fan, I guess. :/

[Reck]

Yeah it wouldn't be fair if they took his and no one else's, besides the award isn't even given out by MLB.

 

Must suck to be a Brewers fan right now, Fielder is leaving and your lone young Star player is forever tainted.

 

I'm pretty shocked it was Braun, if someone was gonna be caught this year I figured it would be Bautista

 

They should start penalizing players heavily. If that means taking meaninful awards away so let that be a lesson.

 

These players just get a slap on the wrist. As long as MLB doesn't step up these players will keep using PEDs and sit easy serving 50 game suspension which is just laughable.

[User Name]

Recent Reports On Braun Will Likely Not Stave Off Suspension

 

By Jim Breen

 

Since ESPN first broke the story that Ryan Braun tested positive under the MLB Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Policy during the 2011 Postseason, myriads of crazy rumors have floated around as to why and how Braun tested positive for elevated testosterone levels.

 

The latest one -- and the one that has gotten the most attention -- comes from TMZ. The report cites an anonymous source “directly connected” with Major League Baseball and states that Braun’s positive test was caused by medication that he is taking for a private medical issue and is unequivocally not performance-enhancing drugs. That seemingly coincides an earlier report that argued Braun never tested positive for PEDs, instead he tested positive for a “prohibited substance,” which resulted in the positive test.

 

Whether the newest report from TMZ is true is unimportant in many ways. If the report is true and Braun was taking prescribed medication and tested positive, he will be suspended 50 games. If the report is false and Braun was taking PEDs, he will be suspended for 50 games.

 

Perhaps the overall public image of Ryan Braun will be salvaged if he was not taking PEDs, but the result on the field for the Milwaukee Brewers will be the same. The team will (almost assuredly) be without the NL MVP for the first 50 games of the 2012 season, unless he can become the first player in the history of the current appeals process to emerge victorious.

 

Will Carroll of Sports Illustrated wrote a dense, yet informative article on the testing processes. Now, I do not pretend to be an expert in science -- my degree is in Early Christian History -- but Carroll outlines the testing procedures very well.

 

Here is a quick breakdown:

 

(1) The original sample is separated into an “A” and a “B” sample.

 

(2) The “A” sample undergoes full testing, which includes a test that measures the ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone. If the ratio registers above the 4:1 mark, a second test becomes mandatory.

 

This is not yet a positive test that would result in a 50-game suspension. This is simply a trigger.

 

(3) The “B” sample then undergoes a more comprehensive battery of tests, which seeks to determine if exogenous (non-natural) testosterone has been introduced into the system of the individual.

 

Under the MLB rules, any presence of exogenous testosterone, in any amount, results in a positive test.

 

According to the original ESPN report, Ryan Braun did test positive for exogenous testosterone. That would indicate that he violated the MLB rules and would ultimately then be subjected to a 50-game suspension, regardless of any possible medication that Braun could be taking for his supposed “private” medical ailment.

 

Some athletes can and sometimes do take prohibited substances without fear of getting suspended, though. David Epstein of Sports Illustrated explains:

 

[A] valid defense would be that Braun had an appropriate medical prescription for testosterone that earned him a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) from Major League Baseball. But multiple sources tell SI that Braun did not have a TUE, and a TUE cannot be applied retroactively. If Braun had a TUE, his test would not have been considered a positive by MLB in the first place.

 

Two other sources that I spoke to this week also confirmed that Braun does not have a TUE for any personal medical prescription for testosterone.

 

Let us assume the TMZ report is completely accurate for a moment. The supposed medication that caused the positive test would not be a valid excuse to avoid the 50-game suspension. Major League Baseball does not distinguish between those who actively seek to circumvent the rules and those who do so accidentally. It is absolute. Does the player test positive for exogenous testosterone? If that answer is yes and no TUE is in place, the player violates the rules. End of story.

 

The fan base has recently clung to the story of former Brewers prospect Brendan Katin, who won an appeal of his 2007 test that registered too high for testosterone. In fact, Todd Rosiak of the Journal Sentinel wrote about it yesterday.

 

Unfortunately, the two scenarios are not parallels. When Katin tested positive in 2007, only the “A” sample was tested, and the “B” sample did not undergo the in-depth battery of tests until after the appeal had been filed. Katin never tested positive for exogenous testosterone, as Braun reportedly did during the postseason. Under the current system in which both the "A" and "B" samples are tested before reaching a conclusion, Katin would have never tested positive in the first place.

 

So, as nice as it to point out that someone in the Brewers organization has successfully appealed a positive test for PEDs, it’s not a comparable situation and should not be utilized as evidence for a possible Braun exoneration.

 

That is not to say Milwaukee will absolutely be without Braun for the first 50 games of the 2012 season. Other legitimate avenues exist to clear him.

 

When I asked Will Carroll via email about the defense Braun’s lawyers will be preparing, he responded, “I honestly don’t know, though it seems like they’re heading towards a defense on the validity of the test, or that the original ratio was tested improperly. If it’s the latter, they would argue that the more accurate test [the “B” sample] is irrelevant despite the presence of testosterone, which has never before been argued.”

 

The "fruit of the poisonous tree" defense.

 

The argument that the original ratio was tested improperly seems to closely tie into the New York Daily report that chain-of-custody issues existed with Braun’s test. If the report is accurate, the results could be deemed invalid due to procedural error and no suspension would be doled out.

 

This is all extreme speculation at this point. No one knows what avenue Braun and his lawyers will take. What is clear, though, is that this rumor about Braun testing positive due to a legitimate medication is not going to exonerate him in the appeals process. Without a TUE, there is no excuse -- in the eyes of Major League Baseball -- for exogenous testosterone to be in his system, and there is no such thing as a false positive when referring to IRMS testing.

 

Everyone wants Ryan Braun to be cleared of the performance-enhancing drugs charges. Everyone wants the MVP to still possess the purity it had just a month ago. Everyone wants Ryan Braun to play for the first 50 games of the season.

 

Arguing that Braun tested positive due to a legal medication, however, is not going to accomplish any of those things.

[Spudboy]

Too much money is involved. After the baseball strike' date=' the owners and the Commish looked the other way and allowed the inflated power numbers resulting from PEDs, because they needed to get the fans back. The game grew and the money became huge and they continued to look the other way forever tainting the game's statistics so that they could no longer be used to compare players across generations.[/quote']

 

^ This.