Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was forced to leave Monday night's game against the Giants in the 11th inning because of tightness in his right groin.

During spring training, Braun was limited by the same condition, and back in 2008 he was day-to-day with groin soreness at one point.

Earlier Monday night, Braun had hit a clutch, eighth-inning homer to tie the game at 3-3. He was 2-for-5 with two RBI at the time of his injury.


(cbssports.com)

Out with the asterisk, in with the hyphen.

You'd have to look closely, but a slight tweak was made to Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Braun's restaurant name last week.

8-twelve, a joint dining venture between the dual MVP's set to open in Brookfield this summer, now has a hyphen in its name and logo as opposed to a star. The star had been interpreted as an asterisk by some members of the media and public — a potentially sensitive topic for Braun, who was recently embroiled in controversy over an overturned Major League Baseball drug suspension. An asterisk has a negative sports connotation because of its placement next to tainted records.

Regarding the change, SURG Restaurant Group co-owner Omar Shaikh told Milwaukee Magazine that he "just wanted to avoid the negativity." SURG also works with Braun at his downtown Milwaukee restaurant, Graffito.

Oh, and in case you were wondering why Braun gets top billing on the restaurant marquee, the Milwaukee Brewers slugger told OnMilwaukee .com that, "I came up with the idea, so eight had to come first."

"We actually went both ways but I think eight-12 sounds better than 12-eight. So, I think it just sounded better, so we went with it that way."


(greenbaypressgazette.com)

HOUSTON -- Ryan Braun said he isn't reading into the number of times he's been hit with a pitch this season. The Brewers right fielder has been hit five times this season, already equaling his total for all of last season.

Braun leads the National League with nine homers since April 21.

"The better the hitter, usually you have to pitch him inside," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "But you're going to hit guys when you pitch inside. The ball gets away from a guy and you're going to hit him. It's just one of those things."

Braun said that he gives no thought to the possibility that pitchers are throwing at him.

"I don't think about it in any way," Braun said. "It's completely irrelevant. It does happen. All good hitters have to be pitched inside. It's something I've always said. It's a part of the game."

Roenicke is more concerned about injury to his slugging outfielder.

"But what it does is, where it hits you, you're not going to be the same," Roenicke said. "I don't care what kind of padding you have on, it still hurts. There's still swelling there. He's getting hit in the elbow, he's getting hit in the back. So physically, it definitely affects you.

"Look at Rickie [Weeks]. Rickie gets hit on the hand -- Rickie's about as tough as it comes -- and he missed three games because of it."


(mlb.com)

NEW YORK -- The prognosticators who suggested Ryan Braun had no chance of winning his big banned-substance arbitration case aren't looking any better with their predictions of a certain on-field demise for Braun.

They figured he wouldn't be able to take the pressure that would come with many, if not most, folks presuming his guilt in the banned-substance case, never mind that he won the case.

They figured he'd wilt with all the boos that were sure to come on the road, never mind that the reaction has been fairly muted with the exception of Atlanta. (Braun's hometown of Los Angeles later this month is expected to be the worst as most Dodgers fans figure Matt Kemp should have won the 2011 MVP.)

They figured he'd wilt with Prince Fielder no longer in the lineup.

And, of course, they figured he wouldn't be able to perform as before without the alleged substances he'd obviously have to do without now.

Well thus far, Braun is having about as a good a year this year as last. With 10 home runs and 21 RBI so far, he's on pace for 45 home runs, 95 RBI and a .305 batting average compared to last year's totals of 33, 111 and .332. His OPS is up slightly, from a league-leading .994 last year to 1.002 this year, which is good for sixth place so far.

As for Braun, well, true to form he figures he was just warming up last year. Ultimately, he suggests he will blow away last year.

"I feel better this year,'' Braun said. "As long as I stay relatively healthy, I'll do better this year than last year. Last year was good. But I could do better.''

Braun isn't anxious to discuss anything to do with failed test or winning case, and that apparently includes the road reactions he's hearing. "It's not bad, it's really not bad,'' he said at one point. Later, he twice answered questions about the response of fans on the road with one word: "irrelevant.'' He's clearly not dwelling on the whole unwanted episode.

No surprise, he didn't want to touch MLB's decision to fire the arbtrator Shyam Das over his decision to clear Braun. "I don't know enough about it,'' Braun said. "Bud (Selig) doesn't consult with me before he makes decisions like that.'' (Ahem, no. No he doesn't.)

As for the preferred subject of baseball, well, it's one thing to hope to repeat an MVP performance. But to predict bettering one's MVP's output, that takes some serious stones.

To beat his numbers is one thing, too, but to win another MVP is yet another, as it takes a team effort he isn't seeing yet. Braun got the nod last year over Kemp because his Brewers won the N.L. Central while Kemp played for an also-ran Dodgers team, an improving also-ran but an also-ran nonetheless.

This year, the story could be reversed. But Braun expressed confidence his Brewers would turn it around after their disappointing 16-20 start.

"I think we will be all right,'' he said. "If guys put up their career numbers, we'll go on a prolonged run of success.''

The issue with the Brewers is, of course, the loss of three players to injury for the season -- shortstop Alex Gonzaalez, first baseman Mat Gamel and starting pitcher Chris Narvesen -- in such short oder they are all wondering whether they broke some kind of record for bad luck. The loss of Gonzalez, who had stabilizied the shortstop position after the upand-down ways of Yuniesky Betancourt, hit especially hard, people in their clubhouse say.

"It's not the way we would have drawn it up,'' Braun said. "But you just move forward.''

That very outlook has worked wonders for him.


(cbssports.com)

First things first: What's in a name?

8-twelve.

There was no arm-wrestling match, no money exchanged hands, like having to buy a number off an established teammate, and there was no comparison as to whose Most Valuable Player trophy was bigger.

So how did Ryan Braun's number appear first on the marquee of his new restaurant venture with Aaron Rodgers?

"I came up with the idea, so eight had to come first," Braun joked in an exclusive interview with OnMilwaukee.com. "We actually went both ways but I think eight-12 sounds better than 12-eight. So, I think it just sounded better, so we went with it that way."

Rodgers and Braun joined together with SURG Restaurant Group co-owners Omar Shaikh and Mike Polaski to come up with the concept for the restaurant that will be located at 17800 W. Bluemound Road

It was about a year in the making between the two longtime friends.

"This is an excellent opportunity for me to work with Ryan on a project that will create something for fans of the Packers, Brewers and sports in general, to take part in and enjoy," Rodgers said in a statement.

It was a natural for Braun to recommend Shaikh and Polaski, as Rodgers has seen first-hand how the SURG Group and Braun have worked together at Ryan Braun's Graffito in Downtown Milwaukee. The pair have entered into a similar licensing agreement with SURG.

"I was able to vouch for them," Braun said. "Because whenever you put your name on something – or I guess in this case, technically, our numbers – your reputation is on the line, so you want to know that you're dealing with good people who know what they're doing. Ultimately, neither of us knows much about the restaurant industry, so we're relying on their expertise."

The idea may have taken hold for Braun and Rodgers a year ago, but it took some time to develop into reality. The SURG Group was busy not only maintaining its own restaurants in Milwaukee, but opening up a high-end version of Graffito in Florida.

Braun said it was just this past winter, when his and Rodgers' offseasons overlapped, when the idea really gained momentum.

"If anyone knows these guys they're focused on their sport – you can't talk too much other business with them – and I'm not going to distract them," Shaikh said. "We have our share of challenges because you're working with two different parties, two different legal teams, two different agents and things like that, but it wasn't that difficult because they share a lot of the same vision. In many ways they're the same guy. I don't say this because of who they are, but honestly those guys are some of the classiest guys you'll ever meet. They say all the right things, they do all the right things.

"It was challenging of course, because it has to be, but not as challenging as people might think because they're just great guys and they wanted to do it, wanted to give back."

The restaurant, which is scheduled to open sometimes in the summer, will offer American cuisine with ingredients supplied by Hidden Creek Farms in New London, prepared in a wood fire grill. The group already owned a location there, and Braun and Rodgers like how it was accessible to a multitude of counties.

Naturally, memorabilia from both the Milwaukee Brewers' left fielder and Green Bay Packers quarterback will adorn the facility, and the pair are expected to make scheduled – and unscheduled – appearances.

"Their names alone and their reputations will bring people through the doors - it's up to us to execute," Shaikh said. "That's why we're bringing in a really strong team. We're excited and we're up for the challenge. We really are. It's an honor to do business with these guys. These guys are not only elite athletes, but they're great people. They really are.

While the SURG Group will own and operate 8-twelve, getting Braun and Rodgers as involved as possible is something all feel is important to the success of the venture.

"(Shaikh) asked us for our opinion on everything and it kind of gives us an opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process," Braun said. "But again, he's the expert so we kind of rely on his expertise. But yeah, he kind of throws everything by us and gets our input on basically everything."

Braun also acknowledged that 8-twelve may not be it for his partnership with Rodgers, as two native Californians realize how important Wisconsin and its fans are to them.

"Hopefully this is just a first step for us," the Brewers left-fielder said. "We both realized how fortunate we are to end up spending, hopefully, our entire professional careers in the state of Wisconsin. Just incredibly passionate fan bases, incredibly supportive. Both of us have thoroughly enjoyed our time here and I think we both want to make an effort to continue to be involved in the community and continue to do as many local businesses as possible."


(onmilawaukee.com)

After a failed drug test called his character into question during a tumultuous offseason, Ryan Braun is the one doing most of the bashing these days - looking every bit like the reigning National League MVP during a recent hot streak.

At home, he is cheered wildly during every at-bat by big crowds filled with No. 8 jerseys and T-shirts. He is opening a second restaurant in the Milwaukee area later this year, a joint venture with his pal Aaron Rodgers - the latest step in what is becoming a full-on, co-MVP Wisconsin sports bromance.

Watching a Milwaukee Brewers game at Miller Park, there would be almost no way to tell that Braun spent the offseason defending himself against leaked details of a positive test for an elevated testosterone level. An arbitrator overturned a 50-game suspension after Braun and his representatives questioned the methods used to collect his urine sample.

That hasn't bought Braun much slack on the road, where some opposing fans have made it clear that they don't believe his innocence and aren't going to let him forget about it.

"That's a true professional," Brewers centre-fielder Nyjer Morgan said. "Words don't explain what he's gone through, just with the offseason and this year when we go on the road and how he's handling it all. It just shows he's well-mannered, well-spoken and he's all about business. You can see that he's definitely got a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. So he's doing a wonderful job with that."

Speaking to reporters before the Brewers' home opener last month, Braun acknowledged he was out to prove something.

"Of course," Braun said April 6. "It's not so much about proving anybody wrong as it much as it is proving the people who all believed in me and supported me right. So I'm definitely excited. Very motivated."

Braun might still feel that way, but he's less inclined to talk about it now. Asked last week whether he felt like he was putting everything behind him, Braun said only: "That's irrelevant."

"I don't think there's really much talk about it now," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. "And I think that's a credit to him, how he has handled it. There's been obviously a few cities where he's run into a few boos or jeers, but he hasn't let it affect him."

Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said Braun's production is the main indication that he is handling the scrutiny.

"He's second in the National League in home runs, right? He's got like a .980 OPS (on-base plus slugging)," Attanasio said last week. "I think he's handled it pretty well. And the same way we say the bar has been raised here, the bar has been raised so high for Ryan Braun that second in the league in home runs, people are still saying: 'Well, jeez, you're not quite back yet.' He's doing just fine."

Braun rebounded from a slow start that included an 0-for-16 skid in April. More recently, he has been playing through a nagging Achilles tendon injury.

Through Saturday, Braun was batting .305 with 10 home runs and 21 RBIs.

Statistically, his home and away splits aren't significantly different.

PAGEBREAK
"I've admired Ryan Braun from the moment I met him, his first day he had that press conference," Brewers infielder Travis Ishikawa said. "I didn't know the whole situation, but to be able to handle all the questions, everything that's gone on all of spring training. We haven't been to a place on the road yet where he hasn't been booed. This guy wasn't even convicted of anything, he was found innocent. But because of what happened he has to deal with it everywhere he goes, and he carries himself so professionally."

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke acknowledged at the beginning of the season that dealing with opposing fans could be a challenge for Braun.
"Some are a little harsher than others," Roenicke said recently. "Whenever we go to Chicago he gets booed. It's because he's a really good player. I think all the great players, they get booed. I think he's used to that. If it happens everywhere it's probably a little different. As you guys know, he's very strong mentally. He's got a lot of confidence. I think sometimes it drives him to do better, to try harder. Sometimes that's really good and sometimes you press a little too much."

Morgan, a polarizing figure who attracts his fair share of criticism from opposing fans, acknowledged that players can't completely tune it out.

"You can feed off of it or shake it off, one of the two," Morgan said. "However you get it going. That's just how it is, the nature of the beast. You know, everything is handled just fine. We're doing it right out there. We're not letting the fans get to us, and especially he's not letting it get to him. Because I've heard some nasty things out there."


(ottawacitizen.com)

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball management has fired Shyam Das, the arbitrator who overturned Ryan Braun’s drug suspension in February.

MLB informed Das and the players’ association of its decision last week. Das had been baseball’s permanent arbitrator since 1999, part of what technically is a three-man panel that also includes a representative of management and labor.

“Shyam is the longest-tenured panel chair in our bargaining relationship,” union head Michael Weiner said. “For 13 years, from the beginning to the end of his tenure, he served the parties with professionalism and distinction.”

Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement says the arbitrator can be removed by the players’ association or management at any time with written notice.

“I had the distinct privilege to serve as chair of the MLB-MLBPA arbitration panel for almost 13 years,” Das wrote in an email to The Associated Press. “I have the greatest respect for the representatives of both parties I worked with during that period, and I wish the parties well in their ongoing relationship.”

The sides will now try to select a successor. If they cannot agree, baseball’s collective bargaining agreement calls for them to ask the American Arbitration Association for a list of “prominent, professional arbitrators.” The sides would then alternate striking names from the list until one remains.

Das, a graduate of Harvard and Yale University Law School, also has been an arbitrator for the NFL since 2004 and is scheduled to hear a grievance in the New Orleans Saints bounty case on Wednesday.

The baseball situation, “does not impact his role at an arbitrator for our CBA,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Following a grievance hearing, Das decided in February to overturn the 50-game suspension of Braun for a positive drug test. Lawyers for the Milwaukee outfielder, the reigning NL MVP, argued that the collection procedures specified in baseball’s drug agreement for the urine sample were not followed with Braun’s sample last Oct. 1 because it was not immediately left at a Federal Express office.

The collector testified that because the sample was taken on a Saturday and could not have been shipped that day to the testing laboratory outside Montreal, he concluded the sample would be more secure at his home. He then took it to a FedEx office on the following Monday.

Baseball’s drug agreement states that “absent unusual circumstances, the specimens should be sent by FedEx to the laboratory on the same day they are collected.”

Management loudly and publicly disagreed with his decision.

The sides asked Das to hold off on issuing a written decision while they negotiated changes to the drug agreement.

The 100-game suspension of Colorado Rockies catcher Eliezer Alfonzo for a second positive test, announced last Sept. 14, has been dropped because of the same procedural issues that came up in the Ryan Braun case. At the time the ban was announced, Alfonzo issued a statement saying he was surprised and had not taken any prohibited substances since 2008, when he served a 50-game ban while with San Francisco.

Alfonzo was designated for assignment by the Rockies on May 7 and sent outright to Triple-A Colorado Springs in the Pacific Coast League two days later.

Das took over as baseball’s permanent arbitrator from Cornell professor Dana Eischen, who was hired in December 1997 but quit after ruling the following May against J.D. Drew’s grievance seeking free agency.

Many of baseball’s grievance arbitrators have had brief tenures, with the list including Lewis Gill (1970-72), Gabriel Alexander (1972-74), Peter Seitz (1974-75), Alexander Porter (1977-79), Raymond Goetz (1979-83), Richard Bloch (1983-85), Thomas Roberts (1985-86), George Nicolau (1986-95), Nicholas Zumas (1995-97) and Eischen (1997-98).

Joseph Sickles heard one case in 1976, and temporary arbitrators were used between Eischen and Das.

Seitz was fired after he ruled against owners in the Andy Messersmith-Dave McNally reserve clause case that led to free agency. Roberts was fired after deciding management colluded against free agents between the 1985 and 1986 seasons.


(suntimes.com)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — After a failed drug test called his character into question during a tumultuous offseason, Ryan Braun is the one doing most of the bashing these days — looking every bit like the reigning NL MVP during a recent hot streak.

At home, he is cheered wildly during every at-bat by big crowds filled with No. 8 jerseys and T-shirts. He is opening a second restaurant in the Milwaukee area later this year, a joint venture with his pal Aaron Rodgers — the latest step in what is becoming a full-on, co-MVP Wisconsin sports bromance.

Watching a Milwaukee Brewers game at Miller Park, there would be almost no way to tell that Braun spent the offseason defending himself against leaked details of a positive test for an elevated testosterone level. An arbitrator overturned a 50-game suspension after Braun and his representatives questioned the methods used to collect his urine sample.

That hasn't bought Braun much slack on the road, where some opposing fans have made it clear that they don't believe his innocence and aren't going to let him forget about it.

"That's a true professional," Brewers centerfielder Nyjer Morgan said. "Words don't explain what he's gone through, just with the offseason and this year when we go on the road and how he's handling it all. It just shows he's well-mannered, well-spoken and he's all about business. You can see that he's definitely got a chip on his shoulder and something to prove. So he's doing a wonderful job with that."

Speaking to reporters before the Brewers' home opener last month, Braun acknowledged he was out to prove something.

"Of course," Braun said April 6th. "It's not so much about proving anybody wrong as it much as it is proving the people who all believed in me and supported me right. So I'm definitely excited. Very motivated."

Braun might still feel that way, but he's less inclined to talk about it now. Asked this week whether he felt like he was putting everything behind him, Braun said only, "That's irrelevant."

"I don't think there's really much talk about it now," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said. "And I think that's a credit to him, how he has handled it. There's been obviously a few cities where he's run into a few boos or jeers, but he hasn't let it affect him."

Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said Braun's production is the main indication that he is handling the scrutiny.

"He's second in the National League in home runs, right? He's got like a .980 OPS," Attanasio said this past week. "I think he's handled it pretty well. And the same way we say the bar has been raised here, the bar has been raised so high for Ryan Braun that second in the league in home runs, people are still saying, 'Well, jeez, you're not quite back yet.' He's doing just fine."

Braun rebounded from a slow start that included an 0-for-16 skid in April. More recently, he has been playing through a nagging Achilles tendon injury.

After homering in the ninth inning of a loss on Wednesday, Braun was batting .313 with 10 home runs and 21 RBIs.

Statistically, his home and away splits aren't significantly different.

"I've admired Ryan Braun from the moment I met him, his first day he had that press conference," Brewers infielder Travis Ishikawa said. "I didn't know the whole situation, but to be able to handle all the questions, everything that's gone on all of spring training. We haven't been to a place on the road yet where he hasn't been booed. This guy wasn't even convicted of anything, he was found innocent. But because of what happened he has to deal with it everywhere he goes, and he carries himself so professionally."

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke acknowledged at the beginning of the season that dealing with opposing fans could be a challenge for Braun.
"Some are a little harsher than others," Roenicke said recently. "Whenever we go to Chicago he gets booed. It's because he's a really good player. I think all the great players, they get booed. I think he's used to that. If it happens everywhere it's probably a little different. As you guys know, he's very strong mentally. He's got a lot of confidence. I think sometimes it drives him to do better, to try harder. Sometimes that's really good and sometimes you press a little too much."

Morgan, a polarizing figure who attracts his fair share of criticism from opposing fans, acknowledged that players can't completely tune it out.

"You can feed off of it or shake it off, one of the two," Morgan said. "However you get it going. That's just how it is, the nature of the beast. You know, everything is handled just fine. We're doing it right out there. We're not letting the fans get to us, and especially he's not letting it get to him. Because I've heard some nasty things out there. Sometimes those things, you hear that. It's not like you don't hear it."

While Braun seems to be back, the Brewers are struggling to regain the form that won them an NL Central title and a spot in the NL championship series last season.

Prince Fielder is gone, and much of the remaining lineup is struggling. Milwaukee's pitching hasn't been as good as it was last season. And the Brewers have lost a pair of everyday players, first baseman Mat Gamel and shortstop Alex Gonzalez, to knee injuries that are expected to keep them out for the rest of the season.

"Trust me, we'll be all right," Braun said. "I mean, you can only say 'it's early' for so long. We don't view it like it's early any more. We just view it like we haven't played consistently yet. But it's there. It's all there. We'll be all right."


(washingtonexaminer.com)

Ryan Braun stayed hot Monday, singling and blasting a solo homer in a loss to the Reds.

With Rickie Weeks, Aramis Ramirez and Corey Hart all struggling, Braun is essentially a one-man wrecking crew right now. He's homered five times over the last six games and now has nine longballs and 19 RBI on the year.


(rotoworld.com)

Eau Claire (WQOW) - Two of the state's top athletes are teaming up for a new restaurant venture.  

Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Milwaukee Brewers Outfielder Ryan Braun have signed a licensing agreement for a new restaurant bearing their names. The 8*twelve restaurant is expected to open in late June in Brookfield -- and will feature American classics on a wood-fire grill.  it will be operated by the same group that operates Ryan Braun's graffito restaurant in Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE (Press Release) – On Monday Milwaukee Brewers All-Star and Major League Baseball MVP, Ryan Braun and Green Bay Packer Pro-Bowl and National Football League MVP Aaron Rodgers announced they will open a new restaurant called 8*twelve. The restaurant will be located in Brookfield and owned and operated by SURG; making this the second Braun-SURG partnership and the first for Rodgers.

"Wisconsin has the greatest fans in the country," said Rodgers. "This is an excellent opportunity for me to work with Ryan on a project that will create something for fans of the Packers, Brewers and sports in general, to take part in and enjoy."

Located at 17800 W. Bluemound Rd., 8*twelve will offer American cuisine including many family favorites as well as steaks and seafood. Executive Chef Aaron Patin designed the menu, creating items that will offer an extra zest of flavor by being prepared in the wood fire grill, a center point of the kitchen. Fans of both players will see memorabilia in the bar area, which will also include numerous big-screen televisions to catch sporting events.

"Aaron and I are not only great friends, but we both have whole-heartedly made long-term commitments to the sports fans of Wisconsin," said Braun. "We wanted to give them a home base to celebrate their favorite teams and enjoy some great food and service."

Both Braun and Rodgers had a hand in developing the concept for 8*twelve, which is scheduled to open to the public in June. Guests of the restaurant can expect to see both players make scheduled and unscheduled appearances throughout the year.

"Ryan's involvement with Graffito has been such a positive experience for both sides, so when another opportunity presented itself in Brookfield, we all agreed to move forward," said SURG co-owner Omar Shaikh. "Aaron had expressed interest in the business after visiting Graffito a few times and with his friendship with Ryan, 8*twelve just fell into place. This will be great for the Brookfield area"

Mike Polaski, CEO and co-owner of SURG, feels the combination of two great players and amazing cuisine and staff will prove to be a winner. Plans for additional locations are being considered.


(wqow.com)

Ryan Braun (Achilles) returned to the Brewers lineup on Saturday and blasted his eighth home run of the season in a losing effort against the Giants.
Braun finished the game 1-for-4. After getting off to a slow start, he has really hit his stride as of late and is now batting .281 with eight homers and 18 RBI on the season. The 28-year-old should be able to continue playing through his Achilles tendon soreness.


(rotoworld.com)

SAN DIEGO -- The Brewers, already reeling from losing first baseman Mat Gamel to a significant knee injury, now are monitoring reigning National League Most Valuable Player Ryan Braun's sore Achilles tendon.

Braun exited Wednesday's 5-0 loss to the Padres here in the sixth inning with a sore right Achilles. He said he suffered the injury sliding while stealing second base during Tuesday night's game.

"It's just a little sore," Braun said.

The Brewers are off on Thursday before opening a series in San Francisco on Friday night. Braun's status?

"We'll see how it feels tomorrow," he said.

A Los Angeles native, Braun planned to spend Thursday's off-day at home in Southern California before joining the Giants in San Francisco on Friday.

Brewers manager Ron Roenicke, who now has watched his team fail to score a run for 18 consecutive innings, called Braun's injury a "tight" Achilles but does not view it as an overriding concern.

"I don't think so," Roenicke said.

Braun, whose MVP award became clouded in controversy last winter when he failed a performance-enhancing drug test and subsequently had Major League Baseball's attempt to suspend him overturned by an arbiter on a technicality, left following a sixth-inning at-bat in which he flied to left field.

He leads the Brewers with seven homers and 17 RBI and was just two days removed from a monster game to start this series, becoming the first player ever to belt three home runs in a game in Petco Park on Monday. He also added a triple that night.


(cbssports.com)

SAN DIEGO -- Ryan Braun does not consider himself the superstitious type, but he made a few exceptions on Tuesday.

Braun said he wore the same T-shirt to the ballpark and repeated his routine the day after his historic Monday night, when the Brewers outfielder became the first player ever to belt three home runs at cavernous Petco Park. It was his first career three-homer game, and he was the first player since Fred Lynn in 1975 to hit three homers and a triple in the same game. Braun set a Brewers record with 15 total bases.

"I try not to be superstitious," Braun said, "but it's hard not to."

According to some local news outlets, including 10News.com, his day-after routine included a stop at a snack shop in the Gaslamp Quarter. Crunchtime Popcorn received some nice publicity by spreading the word, complete with a photo, that Braun and his girlfriend had stopped in Monday afternoon for a strawberry-banana smoothie. They were waiting outside Tuesday morning before the store opened to place the same order.

Brewers teammates benefited from Braun's brand loyalty. Bags of popcorn were waiting for them in the clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon.

Braun said he didn't keep any souvenirs from his big night, though he might have, had his ninth-inning at-bat gone differently. He batted with a chance to become the 16th player in Major League history to hit four home runs in a game. Braun hit a line drive to right-center field -- Brewers manager Ron Roenicke believes it would have been a homer at Miller Park -- and "settled" for a two-run triple.

Was Braun thinking "home run" going into that at-bat? You bet he was.

"I've never had an opportunity in my career to attempt a fourth homer, and there's no guarantee I'll ever have that opportunity again, so of course the thought crossed my mind," Braun said.

Did he consider blowing past third base and trying for an inside-the-park homer?

Yep.

"If I would have just kept running, it's not an error, right, if they relay the ball to third and I just keep running home," he said. "I thought about it. There was just no chance. Maybe if [the outfielder] dove for it or something like that."

Braun reached a different milestone Tuesday night. With his stolen base in the sixth inning, Braun became the fourth player in Brewers history with 100 steals and 100 home runs. Robin Yount, Paul Molitor and Rickie Weeks are the others.


(mlb.com)

SAN DIEGO — Petco Park caved in to Ryan Braun.

Braun had his first three-homer game and added a two-run triple to tie his career high with six RBIs, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.

"It's definitely special," Braun said. "It's an extremely challenging game we play. You're going to deal with a lot of failure, a lot of adversity, and when you have a special night like that you try to enjoy it and it's that much more fun and enjoyable when your team wins the game. It was definitely a pretty cool night."

The reigning NL MVP became the first player to hit three home runs in a game at spacious Petco Park since it opened in 2004. It came several days after the Padres said they are studying bringing in the fences at the downtown ballpark to make it more fair.

"It was just one night," Braun said. "There's no doubt this is one of the more challenging if not the most challenging place to hit home runs in the league. I think for fans, you want to see offense. Offense is exciting when teams are scoring runs. It's a lot of fun for the fans to watch. So I think if they did do that, it would make it more of a neutral ballpark. As of right now it certainly favors pitchers pretty substantially."

Petco Park's deep outfield, particularly in right and right-center, swallows fly balls that would be homers in other yards, particularly on cool nights like Monday.

Not on this one, though.

Braun hit a solo homer deep into the sandy play area beyond the right-center fence - one of the deepest parts of the park - with one out in the fourth. That homer was in the area where the Padres are considering bringing in the fences.

He drove a two-run shot onto the balcony on the fourth level of the Western Metal Supply Co. brick warehouse in the left-field corner with one out in the fifth. Both were off rookie Joe Wieland (0-4). Rickie Weeks was aboard on a walk before Braun's second homer.

"He put some good swings on pitches. He's strong. You're talking about the MVP of the league," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He's got big power and he showed it. After the first, he really locked in after that."

Braun's third shot, to left, came on the first pitch he saw from Ernesto Frieri with two outs in the seventh.

Braun came up again with two on and two outs in the ninth and nearly equaled the major league record of four home runs in a game when he hit a triple that short-hopped the right-center fence. The slugger has seven homers and 17 RBIs.

Shortly after he won the MVP award last year, ESPN reported that Braun failed a drug test in October with a high testosterone level. But he won his appeal and avoided a 50-game suspension. Then he made his case to fans upon his arrival in spring training, saying that chain of custody issues with his urine sample cast doubt on the validity of the test.

That didn't end the controversy; baseball officials were unhappy with the arbitrator's decision, and a urine sample collector issued a statement saying he followed proper protocols and that there was no evidence of tampering. Braun also has hinted that there's more to the story than he's letting on, refusing to share those details.

Braun began the night batting .263.

"You know these nights are few and far between," he said. "It's a moment you try to embrace, you try to enjoy. It's been a challenge for me and for us this year, and I think we got a couple breaks, a few things really went our way and you hope something like this turns our luck around, turns our momentum around."

Randy Wolf (2-2) got the win after allowing three runs and nine hits in five innings.

Wieland became the third Padres pitcher to start a season 0-4 in his first four starts. He allowed five runs - three earned - and five hits in five innings, struck out eight and walked two.

San Diego took a 1-0 lead on Yonder Alonso's RBI single with two outs in the second and was poised to add on when it got runners to second and third with no outs in the third. Wieland singled for his first big league hit and advanced on Chris Denorfia's double to center. But Wolf struck out Jesus Guzman and retired Chase Headley and Nick Hundley to end the threat.

After Braun's solo shot in the fourth, Aramis Ramirez reached on second baseman Orlando Hudson's error, Mat Gamel singled with two outs and Alex Gonzalez doubled them both in for a 3-1 lead.

Braun's second homer made it 5-2. San Diego added a run on Jason Bartlett's double-play ball in the sixth before Braun homered again.


(seattletimes.com)

A baseball source confirmed an Associated Press report Monday that management and the players' union requested arbitrator Shyam Das to withhold his written report on Ryan Braun's successful appeal of a positive drug test while they continue to work on changes to the collection process.

Under the Major League Baseball drug policy, the arbitrator is supposed to submit a written opinion within 30 days of awarding an appeal. Das ruled on Feb. 23 in favor of the Milwaukee Brewers all-star leftfielder, who appealed a pending 50-game suspension for a positive test for a banned substance at the start of the playoffs last fall.

Das ruled in favor because of a 40-hour delay by collector Dino Laurenzi Jr. in shipping Braun's urine sample to the testing lab in Montreal. That ruling prompted management and the players' union to begin tightening rules in the drug agreement for shipping samples.

The AP report said once an agreement is reached on the changes, Das' decision could be allowed to stand without a written explanation. The baseball source said it had not yet been determined if that would be the case.

Under the MLB drug agreement, an arbitrator's written report is not made public so whether Das submits one or not, his further explanation would remain confidential. The entire process was supposed to be confidential, but news of Braun's positive test result leaked to the media and the entire episode played out publicly.

AP reported that changes already have been made to the collection process to avoid another dispute such as the one with Braun. After collecting Braun's sample last Oct. 1, Laurenzi took it home because there were no FedEx offices within 50 miles of Miller Park that shipped on Saturday. Laurenzi did not ship the sample until the following Monday, a delay that became the crux of Braun's successful appeal.

Das heard two days of testimony in New York in late January and eventually ruled in Braun's favor primarily because of the 40-hour delay in shipping, which he considered questionable.


(jsonline.com)

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Ryan Braun broke out of his slump with a homer and three hits, Zack Greinke remained unbeaten at Miller Park the Milwaukee Brewers held off the Houston Astros 6-5 on Monday night.

Braun also singled in a run and doubled to end a 2-for-20 slide. Greinke struck out a season-high nine in six solid innings to improve to 13-0 at home with Milwaukee, which won its 10th straight against the Astros.

Greinke handed Jose Veras a 6-2 lead to start the seventh, but five of the next six Astros batters reached base. Houston scored three runs on four hits, including Brian Bogusevic's two-run triple, before Veras struck out Jose Altuve and got pinch-hitter Matt Downs to ground out to end the inning.


(usatoday.com)

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- The Milwaukee Brewers plan to honor Ryan Braun on Sunday for becoming the National League's most valuable player.

A ceremony will be held before their home game against the Colorado Rockies to honor his award for last season.

The slugger helped power the Brewers to the NL championship series.

Braun's achievements came under suspicion when ESPN reported that he failed a drug test with a high testosterone level. Braun went on to win his appeal and avoid a 50-game suspension.


(620wtmj.com)

WASHINGTON – The prosecution in the Roger Clemens perjury retrial has filed a motion that could lead to additional major league players being called to testify about the prevalence of performance enhancing drugs in the game.

National League MVP Ryan Braun, recently-retired Yankees catcher Jorge Posada and Clemens' former Yankees' teammate Paul O'Neill are among the names already on the court's list of possible witnesses. But the scope could broaden.

The motion before U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton was filed late Wednesday night in response to the defense's five-page memorandum challenging the authority of the 2008 congressional investigation into the use of performance enhancing drugs in baseball. It is during that investigation that Clemens, according to the prosecution, deliberately lied to Congress about his use of PEDs.

The defense motion argues that the government must show that the hearings were a "competent tribunal" and that Congress went beyond its powers to investigate." The prosecution motion argues that Congress was investigating a matter of "national impact because of the widespread problem of steroid use and other performance enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball."

The prosecution's motion states:

"If defendant intends to contest … the government's proof on the 'competent tribunal' element of the perjury count by suggesting that Congress's purpose was illegitimate, the government must – of necessity – be permitted to show the 'broader context' surrounding this congressional inquiry. … This, in turn, may well mean the United States should be permitted to elicit testimony about, for example, drug use, by other Major League players."

Walton is expected to rule on the motions before opening arguments are presented Monday morning.


(usatoday.com)

CHICAGO — Ryan Braun can thank ESPN later.

Because the network had the game moved to 6:05 p.m. from its original start an hour later, Wrigley Field was about half full Monday night when the Brewers slugger came to bat in the top of the first.

From my perch in the left-field bleachers, overrated as one of the black holes of baseball, the reaction was positively . . . benign.

The booing, predicted to cause tidal action a few blocks away on Lake Michigan for Braun’s first road game, was loud at times. But mostly it was sort of like former Cub Tyler Colvin’s swing last year. Kind of weak.

I couldn’t see some of the signs being held aloft near center, so an usher closer to the small protest faction filled us in on some of the words.

"Cheater," he said. "Nothing too clever."

How Chicago . . . straight up, nothing embellished.

By the less-than-over-the-top reaction, Braun has far, far less of a public-relations problem than Ozzie Guillen, the former south-side manager who has whipped up some kind of a political firestorm in south Florida.

Then, somebody in the bleachers sort of surprised me. "Testoster-Braun," he chanted a time or two. That got a couple of chuckles from a handful of hecklers who weren’t busy socializing, but they were soon drowned out by four Brewers fans who got the "MVP" thing going.

Braun doubled, and the bleacher creatures went back to their beer.

So, I’m thinking, the negative vibe has to pick up for Aramis Ramirez, the former Cub, right?

Actually, there was a smattering of . . . applause.

I get the whole Wrigley scene, generally more about in-stand schmoozing than the on-field proceedings. I also understand that the Brewers are not No. 1 on the Cubs’ public-enemy list. But this was Braun’s first appearance outside the warm embrace of Miller Park following his acquittal on the positive drug test.

Then Braun took his position in left. From out there in the bleachers, it’s easy to see how lonely the position can be. His closest human contact was Cubs fans, and beyond a few "cheater" catcalls and a solitary one-finger salute, they pretty much left the guy alone until the crowd began filling in.
"The crowd is always going to be on him," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "That’s because he’s a great player."

After Braun picked up a hot-dog wrapper and stuck it in his back pocket, he turned to face the crowd for a second and flashed something approaching a smile.

"MVP, MVP," the four Brewers fans responded to Braun’s brief recognition of the crowd. To that, a Cubs fan asked the Brewers contingent if professional basketball were played in Milwaukee anymore. Apparently, the verbal arsenal from the bleachers had been exhausted, so I moved to behind the Brewers’ dugout to assess the up-close-and-personal reaction.

Braun was on-deck in the top of the third as the ancient stadium began to fill with people who were either unaware of the early start time or just had a really hard time reaching the corner of Addison and Clark, an intersection that is maddening to access even in off-peak traffic.

Still, Braun was not verbally assaulted with anything approaching a zealot’s enthusiasm. The boos were much more audible because many of the crowd of 38,136 had settled into their seats, but it was far from the level that would cause a mentally tough guy like Braun to glance over his shoulder.

"MVP, MVP," four or five Brewers fans from behind the backstop screen chanted as Braun walked and then stole second.

"Being the kind of player he is, he’s always going to get some razzing by the fans," said Brewers closer John Axford, who finished the too-close-for-comfort victory against the Cubs. "That’s just the way it is. But here, it’s always going to be a little different."

Different, but not that bad, as it turned out.

"I have no expectations at all," Braun said afterward. "It’s all about the team."

He got in the last word Monday.

He struck out in the top of the ninth and what was left of the Wrigley crowd cheered, but by then it was too late. The Brewers won, 7-5, and Braun is batting .375 after four games.


(boston.com)

Ryan Braun said he didn’t notice that oversized picture of his head with the two big muscle-bound arms coming out of either side that a fan held in the stands Monday night. Or any of the other signs in the bleachers directed at him.

The Milwaukee Brewers left fielder said he didn’t notice the constant boos and chants of “cheater!’’ and “MVP! HGH! PEDs!’’ the first two nights of this week’s series his Brewers played at Wrigley Field — the first road games he experienced since his positive drug test and subsequent, successful appeal over the winter.

But he knows this: The blustery, harsh reception he got from Cub fans prepares him better for the hostile road environments he’ll face than any other place could have gone for a first road series.

“Without a doubt, it’s probably the most, or one of the most, challenging environments to play in regardless of any extracurricular circumstances,’’ he said. “It’s never an easy place to play as a visiting player. They’re always loud, they’re always into the game, supporting their team, and they’re pretty creative.’’

Braun, who sat out Wednesday’s game because of tightness on the left side of his chest, seemed to do well tuning out the extracurricular “creativity’’ Monday and Tuesday nights — going 3-for-8 with a double, RBI and walk in a pair of Brewers’ wins.

“My focus has nothing to do with fans’ reaction. It’s about playing the games,’’ said Braun, who expects to return to the lineup Thursday as the Brewers try to complete a first-ever four-game sweep of the Cubs.

“People ask about it, but I’ve never come to Chicago and had them cheer for me. I don’t think any good player’s ever gone to a rival [ballpark] and had them cheer for him. So it’s not really too much different than what I’ve experienced before.’’

The intent, persistence and volume certainly were different. “To be completely honest with you, I don’t really notice it. Sometimes on defense I do, but while I’m hitting I don’t really hear much.

“When I do hear it, it’s certainly motivating, but it’s not something I think about. It’s about our team, playing to win. It’s not about the fans’ reaction to me.’’


(suntimes.com)

Update: Braun is sitting out Wednesday due to minor tightness in his chest/ribs, MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports.

Recommendation: Teammate Jonathan Lucroy will not play for the same reason, so it's possible both are dealing with an illness. Regardless of the diagnosis, the setback does not sound serious, and manager Ron Roenicke does not think it is either, so hopefully it does not cost Braun more than the lone game. Expect another update on his status before Thursday's series finale.


(rotowire.com)

It's amazing how quickly time can fly.

This evening is already game number four of the 162-game Major League Baseball season. Opening Day at Miller Park is in the rear view mirror with the Milwaukee Brewers on the road until April 17.

At that point, 10 games will be in the books.

It does seem like forever ago when I wondered about the appeal of Opening Day, but Brewers fans did not disappoint in making that game unlike any other I've attended with the way they welcomed their MVP home. (Watch the at-bat here).

Of course, I didn't expect anything less. You cheer for your guy.

But this ovation was something different.

The sound was unique to me. Maybe it was because it was indoors, I don't know. But it had a feel to it, an energy, which made me look up, look around, and think "now this is something."

After the game, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke played it cool.

"Well, that's what I expected it to be," he said. "People like him here, and there's a reason they like him. He's a classy guy. He's a great ballplayer. He goes out of his way to sign autographs. He goes out of his way for the community. So I understand why they feel the way they do about him."
But the man who it was intended for genuinely seemed moved by it.

"From the bottom of my heart, it meant a lot to me," Braun said. "It was definitely much appreciated."

He tipped his cap. Then waited. And waited some more. He tried to get in the batter's box, and get things going, but couldn't quite follow his traditional pre-at-bat routine.

That ovation was powerful enough that a major league baseball player, a professional, a superstar, couldn't quite figure out how to get in the batter's box.

"It was certainly something that I appreciated, but it's a little uncomfortable, because you don't want to take away from the game, you never want to be disrespectful to an opponent or anything like that," he admitted after the game. "It's not really something you can be prepared for or know what to do. So I just kind of wanted to get the at-bat under way."

For lack of a better word, it was unbelievable.

Now, we're on to more important things: Will Yovani Gallardo find his rhythm at a cold Wrigley Field? Which Shaun Marcum will we see? How long will Corey Hart stay hot? Will the middle relief improve?

All are legitimate questions, and all will be answered in due time.

And as the season, and especially the years, go on – all will be forgotten, replaced by new concerns. There is always a new "something" to talk about.

One question that will never go away, and one Ryan Braun will always be glad to answer, about that ovation, that at-bat, on Opening Day of 2012. And he'll always remember.

Now that is something.


(onmilwaukee.com)

MILWAUKEE — For Ryan Braun, winning an appeal of a 50-game suspension was only his first step toward redemption.

Now the Milwaukee Brewers slugger is out to show fans that he can shake off what became a tumultuous offseason after a failed drug test that tarnished his reputation, and regain the form that made him the NL’s MVP last season.

Speaking Friday before the Brewers’ opener against the St. Louis Cardinals, Braun said he’s looking forward to the chance to prove he can handle what transpired.

"Of course," Braun said. "It’s not so much about proving anybody wrong as it much as it is proving the people who all believed in me and supported me right. So I’m definitely excited. Very motivated."

Fans gave Braun a rousing ovation in pregame introductions and were even louder during his first few trips to the plate, cheering and chanting "M-V-P!"

After helping power the Brewers to the NL championship series and winning the league’s MVP award, Braun’s achievements came under suspicion when ESPN reported that he failed a drug test with a high testosterone level.

Braun went on to win his appeal and avoid a 50-game suspension. Then he made his case to the fans upon his arrival in spring training, saying that chain of custody issues with his urine sample cast doubt on the validity of the test.

That didn’t end the controversy; baseball officials were unhappy with the arbitrator’s decision, and a urine sample collector issued a statement saying he followed proper protocols and that there was no evidence of tampering. Braun also has hinted that there’s more to the story than he’s letting on, refusing to share those details.

And Braun struggled for much of spring training.

But with the regular season set to start, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke likes what he has seen and heard from Braun.

"Right now, he’s in a really good place," Roenicke said. "First couple weeks of spring? A little difficult. He’s back to the guy he was, I saw last year. He’s very confident. He knows he had a tough offseason mentally, and I think he’s in a place right now where his focus is on having another repeat year and even better - which is hard to believe, but that’s the way he talks. And it’s hard to say that he wouldn’t."

But Roenicke acknowledged that Braun is likely to face adversity from opposing fans when he goes on the road.

"I think there’ll be challenges," Roenicke said. "I think it’s just not going to be comfortable going to some different places. But I don’t think with his personality, I don’t think that’s going to affect the way that he goes about his job. It may not be quite as fun and relaxing as he usually is and when he goes to different cities and opposing (fans) that for whatever reason are going to get on him. What I’ve seen, especially the last couple weeks, there’s not any effects of what I thought ... could be there mentally with him. And so he really is in a good place now."

Braun has the support of Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio.

"I’ll be giving him a standing ovation," Attanasio said before the game. "I hope others will stand and cheer for him. It’s obviously huge for our club. Ryan does so many things well. Obviously, we really didn’t want to talk about it, but it would have been a big loss to have him out for 50 games."
Now that he’s able to play a full season, Braun thinks the Brewers can contend again.

Even without Prince Fielder, who signed a free agent deal with Detroit in the offseason, Braun said this year’s team is the best he has been a part of.

"As an opposing pitcher, when you look at a lineup and you see the name Prince Fielder, it’s intimidating," Braun said. "You know that’s a guy that can hit a home run at any point, that alters the way you approach the hitters before him and the hitters after him. So you don’t replace him with a single guy, but I think collectively, as a unit, we’re honestly better than we were last year."


(boston.com)

MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has kept to himself this spring training. While fans have either loved or hated him since his charge of using a banned substance was overturned, Braun has rarely spoke to the media.

But on the day before the Brewers season opener at Miller Park, Braun sat down with Big 12 Sports' Dario Melendez.

Braun said that he was frustrated with the offseason.

"To be completely honest with you, I went through the whole process," Braun said of his battle with Major League Baseball. "I didn't enjoy it in any way."

But he was quick to credit Brewer fans for helping him through one of the most challenging experiences of his life.

"It meant the world, it really did. It was an extremely difficult situation, but having everyone's support was truly meaningful to me and really meant a lot," Braun said.

Braun's drug test was overturned due to inconsistencies in how the sample was handled before it arrived at the laboratory. Braun maintained his innocence throughout.

"Like I stated from the beginning, I never thought about it, considered it or gave any thought to doing something like that," he said.

As for his speech in Maryvale after the decision was announced, Braun said he spoke largely off the cuff.

"Honestly, I didn't know what I was going to say," he said. "The only things I had written down were the things I wasn't allowed to talk about."

Melendez asked Braun if he is excited to be playing in front of the home crowd a little more this year because of some of the booing he dealt with in Arizona.

"I kind of look forward to that. I don't know. It's motivating. I'm excited to have an opportunity to obviously to play here in front of our fans and to play on the road. T be in that atmosphere and that environment, that motivates me," Braun said.


(wisn.com)

The Brewers open the season Friday. Along with the usual festivities, St. Louis pitchers are going to pound Ryan Braun inside with impunity unless the leadoff hitters can do a little something about it by getting on base.

Then the Brewers are going to Wrigley Field, where Braun will hear the first of many times just how much opposing fans object to him being free to swing a bat and stand out there in left.

This is just the beginning of the trial by fire that 2012 is going to be for Braun, so you've got to wonder:

Why is the guy making it harder on himself from the start?

Just the other day, after the Los Angeles Dodgers and their supporters were doing their best to simulate regular-season conditions for him, Braun was given yet another chance to explain his side of the story regarding Major League Baseball's only positive-drug-test overturn.

"It's over, man," he said. "I'm not going to back into it. It's not good for baseball, it's not good for us, it's not good for me, it's not good for anybody."
And that would have been an ideal way for Braun to have ended that portion of the interview.

Instead, he went on for another couple of hundred words, revisiting the shadowy tones with which he occasionally tints his speech whenever the topic arises. Such as . . . "The people that are close to me - my friends, my family - know the truth."

You can appreciate that Braun is willing take questions, however repetitive and occasionally pointless they have become. Yet, how it is helping him to respond in such a way is beyond me.

He will have enough problems besides not hitting in front of Prince Fielder anymore. Why compound the challenge to come by allowing his critics to jump all over his story as if it were a hanging curveball?

By being so actively evasive and coy about a story that somehow needs to be put to rest, Braun is only giving his detractors more ammunition to assume he's hiding something.

It is almost as if Braun wants "the real story" as he perceives it to emerge, but not from him. He has already floated the conspiracy theory, but so far nothing has stuck to the person who handled his urine sample. In fact, that line of defense is looking less relevant with the passage of time.

As well as Braun handled himself at his first news conference, in retrospect maybe he would have been better off by not mentioning others at all.
So unless a lawsuit is going to be filed by Braun, what harm would come from him telling the story as he sees it? It's true, no matter what he says, the verbal firestorms that are about to emanate from Wrigley and beyond won't be quelled, no matter what Braun says.

Still, he's down to two choices with this episode. Say nothing at all or completely open up in an effort to explain there was more to his exoneration than a third arbitrator allowing him to avoid a 50-game suspension on a technicality.

Braun said he was "tempted" to reveal more, but he is not doing so for concern that it would cause an even bigger story. He also said that full disclosure on his part "really wouldn't do any good."

Unless he's got something to rival alien autopsies at Area 51, I'm not sure how the story could get bigger than it will be next Monday in Chicago, where the ears of baseball will be gathered to hear the reaction from one of the Brewers' biggest rivals.

A simple explanation from Braun might even help.

As for no good coming from Braun opening up, Brewers fans, who, for the most part are prepared to support him unconditionally, would still like to hear what he has to substantively say on the matter. It is possible some good could come from that.


(jsonline.com)

One of prominent themes of the 2012 Major League Baseball season is change. And Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun would love to change the subject that is now his shadow. Did he or did he not take performance-enhancing drugs?

Only Braun knows for sure, and he’s not saying.

Actually, he has sworn up and down that he didn’t. The fact his 50-game suspension was overturned is proof enough. But it came on a technicality only a Tour de France winner could love. Until Braun tells “the real story,” his exoneration will smell like the original O.J. verdict.

“What a joke,” one player told the New York Daily News.

Braun’s appeal was based on a chain-of-custody delay. The collector took the sealed urine sample home over the weekend instead of immediately dispatching it to the lab.He said there weren’t any FedEx offices open within 50 miles. Braun’s lawyers said at least five offices within 5 miles were open.

Whatever the case, it’s impossible to get past one thing: The doping control officer, Dino Laurenzi Jr., had collected more than 600 samples for MLB, as well as other organizations, apparently without incident.

The sample was in a tamper-proof vial. The lab chief in Montreal testified that there were no signs of tampering.

Braun’s ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone was 20-to-1. Anything above 4-to-1 triggers a positive test.

Explanation, please?

“We spoke to biochemists and scientists and asked them how difficult it would be for someone to taint the sample,” Braun, the reigning NL MVP, said in a news conference. “They said if they were motivated, it would be easy.”

But what would motivate Laurenzi to taint Braun’s sample? Is he a closet St. Louis Cardinals fan? Did Barry Bonds come over and inadvertently fill a beaker for old times’ sake? A week into spring training, Braun said people who know the “real story” support him. He then said that story would probably never come out.

Why not?


(sportingnews.com)

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Ryan Braun drove in two runs, doubling his spring training total, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cleveland Indians 6-5 Monday.

Norichika Aoki broke a 5-all tie in the ninth with an RBI triple for the Brewers.

Braun went 1 for 4. He’s hitting only .120 with four RBIs after an offseason in which shortly after he won the NL MVP he was suspended 50 games for a positive drug test, only to have it overturned last month.


(washingtonpost.com)

Phoenix- Ryan Braun is well aware that his results in exhibition games this spring have left something to be desired.

But, for those in Brewer Nation concerned that Braun won't be ready when the bell rings for the regular season, Milwaukee's all-star leftfielder had a firm message Wednesday.

"I'll be good on April 6," he said. "I'm ready."

Spring training results often mean little. Some players tear it up during exhibitions, then watch their bats go into an ice age when the season begins. Others can't buy a hit in the spring, then blister enemy pitching when the games count.

Braun's history suggests that he'll be in the latter group. He didn't play in the Brewers' exhibition game against Arizona at Maryvale Baseball Park, leaving him with a .143 batting average, .250 slugging percentage and .314 on-base percentage this spring.

The reigning National League most valuable player certainly had every reason to lose focus as spring training began. He had a tumultuous winter in which a positive drug test and successful appeal of a 50-game suspension played out publicly when news leaked to the media, airing the supposedly confidential process.

That saga led to an emotional press conference at the outset of camp in which Braun vigorously defended his innocence and verbally fought for his reputation and status in the game. Under those circumstances, it would be understandable for any player to get off to a poor start on the field.

Braun insisted that his head is in the right place, however, results be damned.

"For me, I'm always confident," he said. "It's not so much about my head."

Another thing to remember is that manager Ron Roenicke has brought Braun along slowly in camp. He has only 28 at-bats (four hits, one homer), while most of the other regulars have batted 40 to 50 times.

Roenicke followed a similar plan with Braun last spring, which worked to perfection when Braun locked in his swing almost immediately.

"Last year, he had a real good spring, but he didn't have many at-bats," said Roenicke. "He didn't need them. He'll play more this last week.

"I still think he's going to have enough at-bats here that he should be comfortable going into the season. I hope these last few days here are good and he carries it over.

"I think this next week you're going to see him hopefully get locked in a little better so he doesn't feel like he does have to flip the switch on opening day. If he can get going here a little bit, he'll be OK."

Despite his relaxed schedule to date and struggles at the plate, Braun let it be known that he's ready to break camp and get after it.

"I feel like spring training is way too long every year," he said. "It feels like we're here forever. The last two weeks, I think for all of us, when we get bored it becomes monotonous. The focus is solely on the season now.

"The starting pitchers need that additional time. But for us, three weeks would be plenty. Four weeks is pushing it. Anything beyond that is too long."
Though Braun has yet to start driving the ball consistently in games, Roenicke has noted for some time that his No. 3 hitter has looked sensational in batting practice.

The thinking is that at some point that work will carry over into games and Braun will look like the slugger who has terrorized NL pitching for five seasons.

"For me, my focus is on my bat path and my body, feeling my legs underneath my swing to have proper balance, that I'm on time and can hit the ball where it's pitched," said Braun. "I feel good."

Beyond the never-failing confidence in his ability, Braun believes another big year is in the offing for the Brewers. The preseason magazines are starting to hit the shelves, with Milwaukee being picked by many to finish third in the NL Central behind St. Louis and Cincinnati.

Braun said those prognostications mean absolutely zilch.

"I don't pay attention to any of that stuff," he said. "None of it is relevant in any way. It means nothing.

"That stuff doesn't factor into the way that we feel about ourselves or our preparation or anything else. It's not like we're going to go out there and say, 'We're supposed to finish third. Let's not try as hard.'

"We know we're going to be good. We know that we'll be in a position where we have a chance to be successful. It's a matter of staying healthy. There are a million things that factor into it.

"There's no doubt in my mind we're going to be good. What good means remains to be seen but we'll be good."


(jsonline.com)

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun was supposed to play back-to-back games for the first time this spring. Instead he was scratched about an hour before Tuesday's game against the Dodgers because of groin tightness.

The injury has quietly bothered Braun for weeks, manager Ron Roenicke said.

"He's had it, but he's been able to play with it," Roenicke said. "He hasn't been running, and that's why. It's something that's aggravated him. ... Hopefully, we can get rid of it."

Braun will sit again on Wednesday, when the Brewers face the D-backs, and the entire team is off on Thursday. That means Braun won't play before Friday's home game against the Angels, two weeks before the Brewers' regular-season opener.

Braun is 1-for-17 so far this spring with a home run.


(mlb.com)

For the most part the Brewers have limited Ryan Braun‘s exposure to unfriendly spring training crowds by playing him almost exclusively at their home ballpark, but he’s still been booed at times there and got a harsh reaction Saturday when he played a rare road game against the Angels.

In addition to downplaying the worries about his 1-for-15 performance at the plate Braun also downplayed the booing, telling Adam McCalvy of MLB.com: “I don’t think anything of it. That’s a story for you guys.”

Braun certainly isn’t the first superstar player to get booed regularly on the road, but it’ll be interesting to see how long that lasts and whether there will be any booing in Milwaukee as well. Maybe if the booing gets loud enough Braun will just decide to pull a Hulk Hogan, add “Hollywood” to his name, and turn heel.


(hardballtalk.com)

Tempe, Ariz. -- It was a change of scenery for Ryan Braun on Saturday afternoon, as he took part in his first Cactus League road game when the Milwaukee Brewers traveled to face the L.A. Angels in Tempe.

The results, though, were much the same as they have been for the reigning National League Most Valuable Player, as he went 0 for 2 with a walk before departing following his third plate appearance in the top of the fifth inning.

Braun is now hitting .067 (1 for 15), with a home run accounting for his lone hit and two runs batted in. He's also walked three times, been hit by a pitch and struck out five times.

Regardless of how ugly the numbers might seem, Braun insists he's not losing any sleep over his early struggles.

"There’s never a quantity of at-bats in spring training that would concern me, ever," he said. "Spring training’s never been result-oriented. It’s always been process-oriented. The process is certainly a little different this year, it’s an adjustment I’ll have to make.

"Beyond that, I’ve never put any value into stats in spring training."

Braun flied out to right in his first at-bat in the first inning off Jered Weaver, walked his next time up against Weaver and then fouled out to first base off Rich Thompson.

"If I go 0 for 50 in spring training, I’m 100 percent confident I’ll have success in the season," he said. "I’m serious. It’s just different. It’s a different intensity, it’s a different focus. It’s a different energy, enthusiam when you play regular-season games. It just is.

"Of course I want to have success. You always want to have success. But it’s just different. When the regular season starts, it’s different."
Manager Ron Roenicke seemed encouraged by Braun's plate appearances.

"I think he saw the ball better today," he said. "I thought a couple pitches were probably tough pitches for him to hit in the counts that he had, which he usually wouldn't do. But he usually also doesn't get to those counts because he doesn't miss the pitches that he gets.

"He's a little off, but I think he's seeing the ball better."

Braun also made a nice sliding catch in foul territory to end the fourth inning.

The boos were clearly amped up at Tempe Diablo Stadium each time Braun came to the plate, with a sellout crowd of 9,641 in attendance. It was nothing like he's going to experience once the regular season starts, but Braun said he isn't concerned about outside distractions.

"I don’t think anything of it. It’s a story for you guys," he said. "For me, my focus is just on preparing for the start of the season. That’s it."
Braun said he plans on taking Sunday off, then playing back-to-back games Monday and Tuesday. When asked about facing Texas' Yu Darvish in \

Surprise on Monday, Braun said that was the first he'd been informed Darvish was pitching.

"I don’t know," he said."I have no idea who we’re playing or where we’re playing."


(jsonline.com)

PHOENIX -- I don't remember the last time I walked into the Brewers clubhouse and didn't get a warm greeting from Ryan Braun.

There was no greeting at all Sunday morning.

Braun, as I'm told he has been doing most of the spring, didn't appear in the clubhouse at all during the time the media was allowed in. On a rainy morning where the Brewers did all their work inside (and on a day where Braun didn't play in the game), I saw Braun only once, far away down a hallway.

People close to Braun say he's doing fine, that he will be fine, and that his slow start to the spring (he's 1-for-15) is of no real concern. Braun said as much on Saturday, when he spoke to Milwaukee writers after a game in Tempe.

But Brewers manager Ron Roenicke admitted Sunday morning that Braun is going through a spring unlike any he has ever had before, and that he's about to begin a season unlike any before.

"He had a tough winter," Roenicke said. "It's going to be a hard season to go through."

Roenicke expressed confidence that Braun will still be the player he has been, the player who won the National League's Most Valuable Player award and led the Brewers to a 96-win season in 2011.

"When he's taking [batting practice], there is no difference from last year," Roenicke said. "He hits balls where I'm amazed. Here in a week or so, I picture Ryan getting locked in, and being where he needs to be."

That could well happen. Fifteen at-bats wouldn't be enough to make a judgment during the regular season, let alone during spring training.

And Braun certainly doesn't need to talk to me or anyone else if he chooses not to.

You wonder, though, how much all that has happened is still weighing on him. You wonder when a guy who likes to talk and likes to smile feels such a need to stay away. You know -- and he has to know -- that if he does struggle during the season, some people will see the drug issue as the reason, in one way or another.

You get the idea that Roenicke is right, that this is going to be a difficult season for Braun.

And how will that affect how he plays? We'll just have to wait and see.


(cbssports.com)

PHOENIX – There were two roster sheets on the bulletin board in the Milwaukee Brewers’ clubhouse Thursday. One was the travel list for a charity game in Tucson, the other the travel list for a game in Surprise, Ariz. The players traveling were highlighted in yellow. Ryan Braun’s name was not highlighted at all.

Braun, who is 1 for 13 with a homer this spring, has not played a road game. That day will come, of course, and although spring crowds are generally tame, Braun will probably hear about his positive drug test – even though he won his appeal and was not suspended.

“I think it’ll be difficult for him,” catcher Jonathon Lucroy said. “If people knew the real story, what really happened, they wouldn’t be saying that or feeling that way. But that story might not ever come out; it’s not up to me.

“Honestly, I think he will get booed on the road because that’s just the way people are. They’re going to call him a cheater, even though he didn’t do anything. But knowing Braunie the way I do, he likes that challenge and he accepts it, and he’ll just get better from it.”

This is my column on Braun and the Brewers, but don’t look for insights from Braun. The home fans cheered him Thursday, but Braun had nothing to say, never appearing in the clubhouse when reporters were there and declining an interview request through a team spokesman.

Braun’s retreat, if it keeps up, will be unfortunate, because until now he has been one of the more engaging and accessible stars in baseball — not quite in the Torii Hunter/Johnny Damon class, but close.

Braun’s story changed drastically after the positive test, which, of course, never should have been leaked in the first place. Braun’s defense drama should have played out in private, and he has a right to feel betrayed by whoever broke that confidence.

But while Braun has talked about his problems with the collection process of his urine test, he has also chosen to hold back some details – to not share the “real story,” as Lucroy called it, in public. That is his right, of course, and Braun has his reasons.

Whatever Braun has told teammates and his inner circle apparently is more convincing of his innocence than what he has told the public. But without the knowledge of what really caused the positive test, the story feels incomplete, impossible to untangle. Maybe we never will.

The Brewers have moved on, and they retain a strong team, even without Prince Fielder. Having Braun for the full season gives them a chance to build on the momentum of their 2011 N.L. Central title, and leaves open their window as contenders. Given all the excitement in Milwaukee last season, when baseball’s smallest market set a franchise attendance record, that feels like a good thing.

“They’re definitely going to be excited, especially our opening day, playing against the Cardinals, they’re going to be tailgating pretty early,” closer John Axford said. “The vibe is always great in Milwaukee, and Braunie’s going to get a warm reception — so is everybody on the team. They thoroughly enjoyed last season, just like we did. Hopefully we can push a little bit farther this year.”


(nytimes.com)

PHOENIX – The voice of one fan pierced through the air at Maryvale Baseball Park while Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun stood at the plate.

“Ster-oids. Ster-oids. Ster-oids.”

A few fellow fans started booing, trying to silence him, with one yelling, “You trying to start something buddy?”

Braun took matters in his own hands.

He hit the next pitch over the center-field wall for a monstrous home run off Cincinnati Reds left-handed reliever Sean Marshall. It was not only Braun’s first homer of the spring, but his first hit.

The crowd at Maryvale Baseball Park erupted in cheers.

Braun, who won his appeal after testing positive for a banned substance in October, realizes he’ll be hearing a lot of chants when the Brewers hit the road. Yet, if he answers back like that often enough, he could be celebrating his second successive National League MVP award.

“I just said I would hit it into fair territory. I didn’t (predict) a hit or anything like that,” he said in the clubhouse after exiting.

“We’re making progress. Spring training is always a process, and for me, I’m just trying to keep the same approach that I’ve always had in getting myself prepared for the season.”

The timing couldn't have been better from Braun's perspective. No more than 30 seconds earlier, a lone Reds fan in the crowd began chanting "steroids" as he stood in the batter's box.

He took the high road when asked if he heard the heckler.

"I try not to pay attention to anything," he said. "Sometimes it's entertaining. Sometimes there's a little chuckle. But I try not to pay attention to it."
Braun has been starting every other day early on in Cactus League play, but said he’ll play Friday as well when the Brewers host the Cleveland Indians. Milwaukee has an off-day on Monday, and Braun doesn’t want to miss consecutive games.

“But typically for another week and a half or so, I’ll go every other day other than the off-day,” he said.


(tucsoncitizen.com)

Phoenix - After socking his first spring homer Thursday against Cincinnati -- which also was his first hit -- Ryan Braun was asked by visiting reporters what he hears from other players about his drug-test saga over the winter.

Braun says he gets support from players who he has told "the real story."

Braun was asked if the real story ever would be told -- giving him another chance to do so -- but all he said is "I highly doubt it. They're probably not going to know too much more than they know now." 

"People are going to have different opinions," added Braun. "Most of them don't know the real story. It's tough sometime to base your opinion or fomulate a decision when you don't know what happened. Overall, everybody has been real supportive."

So, no new information on that front. As for the "real story," I guess we'll all have to wait to see if it ever comes out, from Braun or anyone else. 


(jsonline.com)

Braun received a rousing ovation from the pro-Brewers crowd, a decided change from Saturday when he was heckled loudly by visiting San Francisco Giants fans. Braun was caught up in a drug case during the offseason and recently won his appeal, overturning a 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.



(boston.com)

Ryan Braun didn't let his second fruitless day at the plate this spring affect his sense of humor.

After striking out and fouling out Tuesday in an exhibition game against Oakland, Braun said, "I can only head in one direction from here. The overwhelming odds are that I'm going to put one in fair territory one of these days."

In his first two spring games, Braun is 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. While it might seem that Braun is out of whack after his tumultuous winter, including his appeal of a positive drug test and exoneration, he said that's not the case.

"I feel good; my timing and rhythm is starting to come," he said. "The goal is just to see some different pitches; see different pitchers and try to see the ball and find timing and rhythm.

"I think I'm seeing the ball really well. I think timing and rhythm are the two biggest things. For all hitters, early on, it's just finding your timing, trying to see the ball out of the timing and rhythm."

Asked if his offseason preparation was impacted by the drug testing turmoil, Braun said, "I don't think anything was really impacted."

Braun isn't the only Brewers regular off to a slow start. Through the first three games, only catcher Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez are swinging the bat well but Braun said that will change with more at-bats.

"For the most part, pitching is normally ahead of hitting in spring training," he said. "They've been here a little longer; they've been throwing bullpens. For us, this is the first time we've seen live pitching in a couple of months."

Manager Ron Roenicke said he will let Braun determine the number of at-bats he wants this spring, going at his own pace. Braun said he didn't need a ton of action to get ready.

"That's the plan for at least the first week or two,' he said. "It's a long spring training this year. We have five more days than we had last year. The goal is to get your work in and to build towards the regular season but not exhaust yourself before the season starts.

"I don't really need a lot of at-bats. Normally, if I get 30 to 40 at-bats, I don't really need too many more than that. Every year is a little bit different. Sometimes I feel locked in sooner than later. Other years, I need more at-bats.

"He trusts all of us. As veteran guys, we appreciate that. As a manager, he has enough trust in us to allow us to dictate our schedule and how many at-bats we want and how many innings we play. The goal is getting in shape for the start of the season."


(jsonline.com)

PHOENIX -- Ryan Braun struck out and fouled out in his second Spring Training game on Tuesday and figures he has better days ahead of him.

"I can only head in one direction from here," Braun quipped after exiting the Brewers-A's game at Maryvale Baseball Park.

Braun struck out in both trips to the plate against the Giants on Sunday, then whiffed again against A's left-hander Tom Milone on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. He snapped his strikeout streak in the fourth inning with a foul pop to the first baseman.

It's too early to call it a spring slump.

"The overwhelming odds," Braun said with a smile, "are that I'm going to put one in fair territory one of these days." That's probably true, considering he's the reigning National League MVP. Braun made offseason headlines by successfully appealing a drug suspension but said that issue did not impact his usual array of winter workouts and hitting. His quiet start is atypical; Braun usually needs only a handful of Spring Training at-bats to feel ready for Opening Day.

He is on an every-other-day spring schedule for now and will be off Wednesday when the Brewers go to Glendale, Ariz., to face the White Sox. Braun will go for that first Cactus League hit on Thursday against Mike Leake and the Reds.

Later in camp, Braun will play more regularly. He's aiming for 30-40 Arizona at-bats, but the plan could change based on feel.

"The timing and rhythm are starting to come," Braun said. "The goal is just to see different pitches, see different pitchers and try to see the ball."


(mlb.com)

NEW YORK — Ryan Braun's lawyer criticized the lengthy statement from the person who collected the slugger's drug sample, saying Thursday the NL MVP "was properly vindicated."

"Ryan Braun presented a winning defense in the forum that counted," attorney David Cornwell said in a statement. "The landmark decision in Ryan's favor was based on the evidence and the plain meaning of the words in baseball's joint drug program. The collector's attempt to re-litigate his conduct is inappropriate, and his efforts will only be persuasive to those who do not understand the evidence or the rules.

"Ryan Braun was properly vindicated. Both Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association should be applauded because their joint program worked."

Braun escaped a 50-game suspension last week when his positive test was overturned by arbitrator Shyam Das. The legal team for the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder argued in a grievance hearing that the drug collector, Dino Laurenzi Jr., did not follow the procedures specified in baseball's drug agreement, which states the urine sample should be taken to a Federal Express office on the day it is collected "absent unusual circumstances."

Laurenzi issued a statement Tuesday defending his actions, saying he never tampered with the urine sample. Laurenzi collected the sample on Oct. 1, a Saturday, and said he placed it in a Rubbermaid container in his basement office because "there was no FedEx office located within 50 miles of Miller Park that would ship packages that day or Sunday." Laurenzi took it to Federal Express on Monday.

"At no point did I tamper in any way with the samples. It is my understanding that the samples were received at the laboratory with all tamper-resistant seals intact," Laurenzi said in his statement.

Rob Manfred, MLB's executive vice president for labor relations, said last week the league "vehemently disagrees with the decision" and called the collector "extremely experienced," adding he "acted in a professional and appropriate manner."

Manfred declined comment on Cornwell's statement as did Boyd Johnson III of WilmerHale, the lawyer retained by Laurenzi.


(ajc.com)

(CBS/AP)  NEW YORK - The person who collected Ryan Braun's urine samples that tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone says he followed the collection program's protocol.

Dino Laurenzi Jr. issued a statement Tuesday confirming he handled the sample submitted following a playoff game on Oct. 1. He says he has been a collector for Comprehensive Drug Testing since 2005 and has taken more than 600 samples for Major League Baseball's drug-testing program.

Braun's 50-game suspension was overturned last week.

Laurenzi says he stored Braun's sample in his basement in accordance with drug-collecting procedure because there was "no FedEx office located within 50 miles of Miller Park that would ship packages that day or Sunday."

Braun, however, contends at least five FedEx locations within 5 miles were open until 9 p.m. and there also was a 24-hour location.

Laurenzi says protocol is to "safeguard" the samples at home until FedEx can ship the sample to the lab and that he didn't tamper with the package.

Laurenzi's full statement is below:

On February 24th, Ryan Braun stated during his press conference that "there were a lot of things that we learned about the collector, about the collection process, about the way that the entire thing worked that made us very concerned and very suspicious about what could have actually happened." Shortly thereafter, someone who had intimate knowledge of the facts of this case released my name to the media. I am issuing this statement to set the record straight.

I am a 1983 graduate of the University of Wisconsin and have received Master Degrees from the University of North Carolina and Loyola University of Chicago. My full-time job is the director of rehabilitation services at a health care facility. In the past, I have worked as a teacher and an athletic trainer, including performing volunteer work with Olympic athletes. I am a member of both the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the Wisconsin Athletic Trainers' Association.

I have been a drug collector for Comprehensive Drug Testing since 2005 and have been performing collections for Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program since that time. I have performed over 600 collections for MLB and also have performed collections for other professional sports leagues. I have performed post-season collections for MLB in four separate seasons involving five different clubs.

On October 1, 2011, I collected samples from Mr. Braun and two other players. The CDT collection team for that day, in addition to me, included three chaperones and a CDT coordinator. One of the chaperones was my son, Anthony. Chaperones do not have any role in the actual collection process, but rather escort the player to the collection area.

I followed the same procedure in collecting Mr. Braun's sample as I did in the hundreds of other samples I collected under the Program. I sealed the bottles containing Mr. Braun's A and B samples with specially-numbered, tamper-resistant seals, and Mr. Braun signed a form certifying, among other things, that the specimens were capped and sealed in his presence and that the specimen identification numbers on the top of the form matched those on the seals.

I placed the two bottles containing Mr. Braun's samples in a plastic bag and sealed the bag. I then placed the sealed bag in a standard cardboard Specimen Box which I also sealed with a tamper-resistant, correspondingly-numbered seal placed over the box opening. I then placed Mr. Braun's Specimen Box, and the Specimen Boxes containing the samples of the two other players, in a Federal Express Clinic Pack. None of the sealed Specimen Boxes identified the players. I completed my collections at Miller Park at approximately 5:00 p.m. Given the lateness of the hour that I completed my collections, there was no FedEx office located within 50 miles of Miller Park that would ship packages that day or Sunday.

Therefore, the earliest that the specimens could be shipped was Monday, October 3. In that circumstance, CDT has instructed collectors since I began in 2005 that they should safeguard the samples in their homes until FedEx is able to immediately ship the sample to the laboratory, rather than having the samples sit for one day or more at a local FedEx office. The protocol has been in place since 2005 when I started with CDT and there have been other occasions when I have had to store samples in my home for at least one day, all without incident.

The FedEx Clinic Pack containing Mr. Braun's samples never left my custody. Consistent with CDT's instructions, I brought the FedEx Clinic Pack containing the samples to my home. Immediately upon arriving home, I placed the FedEx Clinic Pack in a Rubbermaid container in my office which is located in my basement. My basement office is sufficiently cool to store urine samples. No one other than my wife was in my home during the period in which the samples were stored. The sealed Specimen Boxes were not removed from the FedEx Clinic Pack during the entire period in which they were in my home. On Monday, October 3, I delivered the FedEx Clinic Pack containing Mr. Braun's Specimen Box to a FedEx office for delivery to the laboratory on Tuesday, October 4. At no point did I tamper in any way with the samples. It is my understanding that the samples were received at the laboratory with all tamper-resistant seals intact.

This situation has caused great emotional distress for me and my family. I have worked hard my entire life, have performed my job duties with integrity and professionalism, and have done so with respect to this matter and all other collections in which I have participated. Neither I nor members of my family will make any further public comments on this matter. I request that members of the media, and baseball fans, whatever their views on this matter, respect our privacy. And I would like to sincerely thank my family and friends for their overwhelming support through this difficult time. Any future inquiries should be directed to my attorney Boyd Johnson of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.


(cbsnews.com)

INDIANAPOLIS -- In December, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers issued a passionate defense of Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, a close friend whom Major League Baseball had suspended 50 games for violating the game's substance-abuse policy. So when Braun won his appeal of the suspension Thursday, Rodgers vented via Twitter.

A sampling:

"MLB and cable sports tried to sully the reputation of an innocent man. Picked the wrong guy to mess with. Truth will set u free #exonerated"

"When its guilty until proven innocent, all u need are the facts. #howsthecrowmlb #exonerated"

The public portion of this story began in December when ESPN reported Braun's positive test. Rodgers implied he knew the full story during his initial defense in December, saying: "I am 100 percent supporting him and am behind him and believing everything that he says."

Responding Thursday to followers who suggested Braun was exonerated on a technicality, Rodgers tweeted: "I'll let my buddy take it from here. All u idiots talking about technicality open up for some crow too. See if Espn gets pressured not to let the people hear the truth. Should get interesting. #exonerated #shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

I don't want to wade into this issue on a football blog other than to say that this episode is fair warning for anyone who goes after one of Aaron Rodgers' friends. Yeesh.


(espn.com)

They say there's a first for everything.

And Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun has just become the first big leaguer to ever successfully win the public appeal of a suspension that was the result of a positive drug test. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was the first to report the news on Thursday afternoon.
Haudricourt reports that Braun won his appeal "not so much on contesting the result of the test but the testing process itself, some kind of technicality." The New York Daily News says Braun's team challenged the chain of custody that the urine sample from his October test went through.

UPDATE: According to the sources of Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan, Braun's urine sample sat in a FedEx shop over the weekend, challenging the integrity of the sample. Passan's sources also report that the chain-of-custody loophole will be closed in an amendment to the league's drug-testing program.

As a result, the reigning NL MVP won't be suspended 50 games to start the season and he'll report to the team's camp in Maryvale, Ariz., on Friday with the prospect of an uninterrupted season before him.

"It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation," Braun said in a statement. "We were able to get through this because I am innocent."
As you might imagine after reading Haudricourt's report, Major League Baseball isn't too happy with having its drug test system questioned and exposed. In the wake of the third-party arbitrator's decision, the league issued a release saying as much.

"As a part of our drug testing program, the Commissioner's Office and the Players Association agreed to a neutral third party review for instances that are under dispute," it read. " While we have always respected that process, Major League Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision rendered today by arbitrator Shyam Das."

Of course, if the process had been respected from the start, the results of Braun's original test would have never been leaked to ESPN back in December. His appeals process would have remained confidential and we never would have had two months of Braun maintaining his innocence while others debated if he should surrender his MVP award to Matt Kemp. Braun was not afforded the same confidential process that others who have tested positive have been afforded and that remains the injustice that was at the root of this story.

But what's done is done and thankfully that third party did its job properly and ignored whatever the court of public opinion was saying or was being led to believe. That sound you heard was fantasy draft boards being rearranged across the country ...


(sports.yahoo.com)

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp doesn't believe he should be given the National League Most Valuable Player Award if the actual winner of the award, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, loses his appeal of a 50-game suspension for a positive performance-enhancing drug test.

"I feel like that would be by default...I wish I would've won it just by them voting me and me being the MVP...That would be special," Kemp said Tuesday.

Kemp finished second to Braun in balloting for the award after batting .324 with 39 home runs and 126 RBIs last season.

"I know Braun. We have always been cool and we have been friends. He is one of my favorite players in the big leagues. I hope it's not true."

Braun is scheduled to report to Brewers training camp on Friday and is still awaiting word whether he'll be suspended for the first 50 games of the season.


(theindychannel.com)

PHOENIX -- Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said that left fielder Ryan Braun remains upbeat amid his long appeal of a drug suspension, and is planning to be in camp for the team's first full-squad workout on Saturday.

"He's been doing good all winter though this, and he's excited to get going in Spring Training," said Roenicke, who spoke with Braun several weeks ago and exchanged text messages in recent days. "Hopefully, the outcome will be the way we all want it.

"I know everybody thinks it's really hard, but it's not something that I dwell on. I know what happens during the course of a season when you lose players -- key players -- and it's part of baseball. You just deal with it."


(mlb.com)

PHOENIX (AP) - Ryan Braun's navy blue No. 8 uniform hangs in one of his corner lockers with a pair of perfectly crisp white pants. Four shoeboxes are stacked in his second space.

The wait for Milwaukee's NL MVP is on at Maryvale Baseball Park. The Brewers may hear this week whether arbitrator Shyam Das will uphold Braun's 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.

In the meantime, the team is moving forward in preparations for what manager Ron Roenicke expects to be a different formula for winning without departed slugger Prince Fielder and perhaps Braun, too. Outfielder Nyjer Morgan is among a large contingent of position players already in camp ahead of Saturday's first full-squad spring training workout.

"Yep, guys are just getting prepared,'' Morgan said while quickly heading outside to work.

Roenicke said Monday he expects Braun to arrive in time for that initial practice. They traded text messages a few days ago and Roenicke spoke to his star left fielder a couple of weeks back.

"He's doing good. He's been doing good all winter through this,'' Roenicke said as his pitchers and catchers took to the field for their first formal session in the Arizona desert. "He's excited to get going in spring training, and hopefully the outcome will be how we all want it.''

The Brewers are plenty confident at the start of spring that they can make another special playoff run even if they are without Braun early and big run producer, Fielder. Milwaukee won 96 games and the NL Central last season and got by Arizona in the first round before losing in the NL championship series to division rival and eventual World Series champion St. Louis.

Braun began the appeal process last month of his positive test in October, and many figured the Brewers would have an answer regarding his status by the start of spring training. Matthew Hiltzik, who has spoken on behalf of Braun's representative team, has said there was "absolutely no intentional violation of the program.'' Hiltzik did not return a phone message seeking comment Monday.

MLB spokesman Pat Courtney said Monday he has no indication when a ruling might be.

A lineup without both Braun and Fielder would leave a big power void. Fielder is off to Motown after the Detroit Tigers signed the free agent first baseman to a $214 million, nine-year contract in January.

Braun, the 28-year-old 2007 NL Rookie of the Year, hit .312 with 33 homers and 111 RBIs last season and beat out Dodgers star Matt Kemp for the MVP award.

Milwaukee signed third baseman Aramis Ramirez to a $36 million, three-year contract in December to add a key bat and help lessen the effects of losing Fielder. General manager Doug Melvin and assistant GM Gord Ash were committed to building another successful team for 2012 with a chance to repeat as division champions.

"Gord and Doug and (owner) Mark (Attanasio) did a great job this offseason acquiring pieces that we needed in case we were going to lose Fielder,'' closer John Axford said. "Obviously Aramis Ramirez was a huge pick up. He was a Silver Slugger award winner last year. I think that's going to be a great offensive pick up and also a great defensive pick up. You know, we might have some closer games, some tighter games this year. Maybe that bodes well for me down there in the ninth.''

With the very real likelihood that fewer balls will clear the fences without Fielder, Roenicke plans to get more creative with bunting baserunners over, hit and runs or whatever else it takes to score runs.

"Fortunately we have won those tight games because we're in a lot of them. Any time you have a great pitching staff, defensively we think we're going to be better this year - I thought we were fine last year but I think we're going to be better this year - I think when you have that you're going to play close ballgames,'' Roenicke said. "We're going to have to try to figure out even better than last year how we grind out runs in those close games, how we are able to get that run, because I think our bullpen will hold the other team down and give our offense an opportunity.''

Catcher Paul Phillips believes there are an ample number of talented players in Milwaukee's clubhouse prepared to take on bigger roles.

"When you take an A-plus player and lose him, you have to try to find another one because you're used to it,'' Phillips said. "When you don't, you have to try to find a way to get around that until you can find that, or until one develops.''


(cnnsi.com)

MILWAUKEE, WI (WHBL) - A three-person panel is expected to make its decision on MIlwaukee Brewer outfielder Ryan Braun’s possible 50-game suspension some time before Brewers position players report for spring training next Friday.  Of course, that panel was expected to release its final work on Braun’s status after 25 days, but it didn't.  That would have been last Tuesday.  Brewers pitchers and catchers are reporting today in Maryvale, Arizona.  They'll take their physicals tomorrow and have their first workout on Monday.  Even if Braun is suspended, he will be allowed to take part in spring training, then sit down for the first 50 games of the season.  If his appeal is allowed and the suspension not enforced, the Milwaukee outfielder would become the first player to prevail in the appeal process.


(whbl.com)

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported earlier this week that we would learn the fate of Ryan Braun‘s appeal before the outfielder reports to spring training, but Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports was told by a source “familiar with the appeal” that there’s a possibility a decision could take longer.

While there’s hope for a resolution on the matter by next week, Passan’s source says that it may not happen until the week after. Braun is scheduled to report to Brewers’ camp next Friday while the team’s first full-squad workout will take place the following day.

The 2011 National League MVP tested positive in early October for “insane levels” of synthetic testosterone and faces a possible 50-game suspension which would push his season debut back to May 31. If the suspension is upheld, Braun will still be eligible to play during Brewers’ spring training games.


(nbcsports.com)

On Thursday, a three-person panel heard Ryan Braun's appeal of a 50-game suspension stemming from a positive test for raised levels of testosterone, CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman has confirmed.

The three members of the panel were MLB Players Association executive director Michael Weiner, MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred and independent arbitrator Shyam Das, according to the New York Daily News, which first reported the story.

Braun is expected to make a short speech when he accepts his 2011 National League Most Valuable Player Award at Saturday's Baseball Writers' Association of America dinner in New York.

Braun's representatives have repeatedly denied allegations that the Brewers outfielder took performance-enhancing drugs.

According to Heyman, no major league player has successfully appealed a positive drug test.


(cbssports.com)

There’s usually a 25-day deadline between a drug test appeal and a decision, but that time frame has come and gone with respect to Ryan Braun.  Tom Haudricourt reports, however, that MLB’s decision on whether to suspend Braun for 50 games should come no later than February 24, which is Braun’s deadline to report to camp.

I have no idea what they’re gonna do and have zero insight into the process itself. But part of me wonders if they’re working hard to find a way to clear Braun in such a way as to not throw any future high-profile positive test into a situation where the zero-tolerance, automatic nature of it all is compromised.


(hardballtalk.com)

MILWAUKEE — Had the date of Ryan Braun’s appeal hearing not leaked to the media, one would have no way of knowing that the recommended deadline for rendering a verdict is near.

But, just as the positive drug test of the Milwaukee Brewers’ star left fielder leaked, so did the hearing dates. Braun appealed that result and pending 50-game suspension before a three-man arbitration panel in New York City on Jan. 19-20.

Major League Baseball’s drug policy states that the panel chair, in this case Shyam Das, “shall make all reasonable efforts” to render a verdict within 25 days following the opening of the hearing. The 25th day after the hearing opened would be today.

That recommendation is not rigid, however. Das could ask for an extension if necessary, which some familiar with the process say could happen. There has been no indication a verdict will come down as early as today.

The 25-day recommendation is geared more toward in-season hearings, when games are at stake. With Braun’s hearing taking place in the offseason, there isn’t as much urgency.

Das might consider the opening of spring training more of a de facto deadline for rendering a decision. It would not be fair to Braun or the Brewers to have him report to camp not knowing his fate.

Brewers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report in Phoenix on Saturday, but other players do not have to show until Feb. 24. Thus, Das could wait until just before that date to render his verdict if he needs the time. The other members of that panel are Rob Manfred, MLB vice president for labor relations, and Michael Weiner, executive director of the players association.

Because the process is designed to be confidential, the Commissioner’s Office would not make an announcement if Braun were exonerated. Rest assured that the players union and/or Braun’s representatives would announce the verdict, considering the damage already done to his reputation by the leaking of the positive test.

Even if suspended for 50 games, Braun would be allowed to participate in spring training, including exhibition games. He likely would leave the club before the start of the regular season.

With the start of camp only days away, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Friday that everyone involved would like a ruling as soon as possible.

“You’d like to see a decision, one way or the other,” said Melvin. “You get a little bit anxious about it. At some point, you want to know.”

Due to the supposedly confidential nature of the process, which has been violated on more than one occasion, Melvin said the club has been given no idea when to expect a ruling.

“We haven’t heard anything,” said Melvin, already in Phoenix to prepare for the opening of camp.

“We don’t know when it will happen. It doesn’t do us any good to think about it or worry about it at this point. We’re just going to get the guys ready to go. It’s out of our control, so there’s not anything we can do about it.”

Some have wondered if the longer the panel went without announcing a decision, the better the chance that Braun would become the first major league player to have a positive drug test overturned. Those familiar with the process, however, say the long wait favors neither side but merely indicates the sensitive and complex nature of the case and, in this situation, the absence of in-season expediency.

According to the original report by ESPN, Braun tested positive for an extremely high level of testosterone in early October at the outset of the playoffs. He immediately proclaimed his innocence and launched his appeal of the finding, including the hiring of prominent attorney David Cornwell to present his case to the panel.

Braun’s camp let it be known that he tested positive for a banned substance that was not technically a performance-enhancing drug and cited “highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan’s complete innocence and demonstrate there was no intentional violation (of the) program.”

To avoid suspension, the MLB drug policy states that “the player has the burden of establishing that his test result was not due to his fault or negligence. A player cannot satisfy his burden by merely denying that he intentionally used a prohibited substance; the player must provide objective evidence in support of his denial.”

When a suspension is announced for a major league player, the exact substance that triggered the positive result is not announced. MLB groups banned substances as “performance enhancing,” which results in a 50-game suspension, or a “stimulant,” with a penalty of a 25-game suspension. Braun did not test positive for a stimulant.

There is a lot at stake for both sides. For Braun, it is his reputation as well as his legacy as one of the top stars in the game. For MLB, it is the legitimacy of a drug-testing process already compromised somewhat by confidentiality being breached.

Accordingly, it should be no real surprise that three weeks have passed without a verdict being rendered, or that several more days could pass without one.


(superiortelegram.com)

Had the date of Ryan Braun's appeal hearing not leaked to the media, one would have no way of knowing that the recommended deadline for rendering a verdict is near.

But, just as the positive drug test of the Milwaukee Brewers' star leftfielder leaked, so did the hearing dates. Braun appealed that result and pending 50-game suspension before a three-man arbitration panel in New York City on Jan. 19-20.

Major League Baseball's drug policy states that the panel chair, in this case Shyam Das, "shall make all reasonable efforts" to render a verdict within 25 days following the opening of the hearing. The 25th day after the hearing opened would be Monday.

That recommendation is not rigid, however. Das could ask for an extension if necessary, which some familiar with the process say could happen. There has been no indication a verdict will come down as early as Monday.

The 25-day recommendation is geared more toward in-season hearings, when games are at stake. With Braun's hearing taking place in the off-season, there isn't as much urgency.

Das might consider the opening of spring training more of a de facto deadline for rendering a decision. It would not be fair to Braun or the Brewers to have him report to camp not knowing his fate.

Brewers pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report in Phoenix next Saturday but other players do not have to show until Feb. 24. Thus, Das could wait until just before that date to render his verdict if he needs the time. The other members of that panel are Rob Manfred, MLB vice president for labor relations, and Michael Weiner, executive director of the players association.

Because the process is designed to be confidential, the Commissioner's Office would not make an announcement if Braun were exonerated. Rest assured that the players union and/or Braun's representatives would announce the verdict, considering the damage already done to his reputation by the leaking of the positive test.

Even if suspended for 50 games, Braun would be allowed to participate in spring training, including exhibition games. He likely would leave the club before the start of the regular season.

With the start of camp only days away, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Friday that everyone involved would like a ruling as soon as possible.

"You'd like to see a decision, one way or the other," said Melvin. "You get a little bit anxious about it. At some point, you want to know."

Due to the supposed confidential nature of the process, which has been violated on more than one occasion, Melvin said the club has been given no idea when to expect a ruling.

"We haven't heard anything," said Melvin, already in Phoenix to prepare for the opening of camp.

"We don't know when it will happen. It doesn't do us any good to think about it or worry about it at this point. We're just going to get the guys ready to go. It's out of our control so there's not anything we can do about it."

Some have wondered if the longer the panel went without announcing a decision, the better the chance that Braun would become the first major-league player to have a positive drug test overturned. Those familiar with the process, however, say the long wait favors neither side but merely indicates the sensitive and complex nature of the case and, in this situation, the absence of in-season expediency.

According to the original report by ESPN, Braun tested positive for an extremely high level of testosterone in early October at the outset of the playoffs. He immediately proclaimed his innocence and launched his appeal of the finding, including the hiring of prominent attorney David Cornwell to present his case to the panel.

Braun's camp let it be known that he tested positive for a banned substance that was not technically a performance-enhancing drug and cited "highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate there was no intentional violation program."

To avoid suspension, the MLB drug policy states that "the player has the burden of establishing that his test result was not due to his fault or negligence. A player cannot satisfy his burden by merely denying that he intentionally used a prohibited substance; the player must provide objective evidence in support of his denial."

When a suspension is announced for a major-league player, the exact substance that triggered the positive result is not announced. MLB groups banned substances as "performance enhancing," which results in a 50-game suspension, or a "stimulant," with a penalty of a 25-game suspension. Braun did not test positive for a stimulant.

There is a lot at stake for both sides. For Braun, it is his reputation as well as his legacy as one of the top stars in the game. For MLB, it is the legitimacy of a drug testing process already compromised somewhat by confidentiality being breeched.

Accordingly, it should be no real surprise that three weeks have passed without a verdict being rendered, or that several more days could pass without one.


(jsonline.com)

Ryan Braun, the reigning NL MVP, has been conspicuously missing from the Brewers' marketing ads as the club waits to see if he will be suspended for the first 50 games of the 2012 season for a reported positive drug test. He appealed that ruling and we are 18 days into the prescribed 25-day period for the arbitration panel to render its verdict.

But the Brewers did release today a sneak peak at the cover of their 2012 media guide and Braun is featured, though from a back view as he and Carlos Gomez greet Nyjer Morgan after Morgan's game-winning hit in Game 5 of the NLDS vs. Arizona.

And, no, the three players did not carry their celebration into the parking lot outside of Miller Park. The ballpark was super-imposed behind the players to display the NL Central championship banner that was displayed after the Brewers claimed the division for the first time.

We usually have to wait for spring training to see who's on the cover so we thank the crack Brewers media relations staff for letting us get this sneak preview.

Pitchers and catchers report in 12 days!


(jsonline.com)

By the time Milwaukee Brewers pitchers and catchers take the field for their first spring training workout two weeks from today, they'll know how big a setback they'll have to overcome to repeat as NL Central Division champions.

Do they merely have to replace Prince Fielder's 38 home runs and 128 runs batted in, after the free agent signed with Detroit last month? Or do they also have to try to survive until Memorial Day without reigning NL Most Valuable Player Ryan Braun?

The Brewers could learn this week whether Braun wins his appeal of a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug during last October's playoffs. Braun's appeal was heard Jan. 19-20 in New York and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal reports MLB's Joint Drug Agreement specifies that a ruling is to be made within 25 days of the opening of the hearing. That would be next Sunday, Feb. 12.

A written opinion should come within 30 days of the hearing, so it's possible there'll no announcement until then. Either way, the Brewers should know before the start of spring training whether Braun must serve a 50-game suspension.

Braun originally was scheduled to attend the Brewers' fan convention Jan. 29, but the club decided to excuse him from the festivities a few days beforehand.

Brewer diehards remain excited about the season, as evidenced by the record crowd of 12,000-plus at the "On Deck" event at a downtown convention center. Offseason ticket sales are on a record pace, portending an all-time attendance record following last year's 3.071 million.

Replacing the two men who last year combined to provide 38% of the team's home runs (71 of the 185) and 33% of its runs batted in (231 of 693) could make the team's first 50 games a struggle.

There are no sure-fire replacements for either. The Brewers say they want to give prospect Mat Gamel a legitimate shot as Fielder's replacement at first. Once rated among the Brewers' top three prospects, Gamel struggled in three brief trials in Milwaukee. The left-hand hitter, originally a third baseman, batted just .222 with five homers in a total of 171 at-bats, but has hit consistently in the minors.

Right-fielder Corey Hart has agreed to work at first this spring to spell Gamel 30 games or so against tough left-handers. Former Giant Travis Ishikawa comes to camp as a non-roster invitee.

If Braun is suspended, there's a new uncertainty in left-field. Can newly-signed Japanese veteran Norichika Aoki, three-time Japan Central League batting champion, handle the job in his absence? If not, the effective center-field platoon of Nyjer Morgan and Carlos Gomez will be broken up and Morgan will play left every day.

The sports winter has been depressing enough in Wisconsin, with the Packers' early exit from the NFL playoffs and the University of Wisconsin Badgers' loss in the Rose Bowl. Now comes the decision that could impact whether the blahs extend to spring.


(usatoday.com)

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune writes an overview of the Brewers.  He devotes much of it to arguing that the Ryan Braun contract was a terrible move by the Brewers, and even compares it unfavorably to Alex Rodriguez‘s original $250 million deal with the Rangers.

Yes, the contract that will never pay him more than $20 million in a season and, compared to lots of other superstar deals, actually seems somewhat reasonable on the cash even if the length carries some risk. Hey, it’s his column, he can write what he wants.

But the most interesting thing about it is that he seems to blame the contract for Ryan Braun’s positive drug test in October. And, unlike the folks who have reported on the test, does not believe that it was inadvertent or the result of a tainted supplement or something. No, Rogers believes that it was Braun “amping up” his game in order to justify what, in the grand scheme of things, pretty reasonable contract:

“Braun would have been a fool to say no to the deal, but it puts the onus on him to perform. So the guy who led the National League in slugging as a rookie amped up his game to again lead the NL in slugging and to compile a .994 OPS last season, earning an MVP award — and then he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.”

So great it is that Rogers can see past everything else being reported about Braun’s test, capture his true motivation — a desperate desire to justify his insane contract — and determine his specific transgression, which was to “amp up his game” and perform.

Thank you, Detective Rogers. Your services here are invaluable.


(hardballtalk.com)

Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio announced Wednesday that outfielder Ryan Braun, who is facing a 50-game suspension for a positive drug test, will not take part in the team's fan event this weekend.

"In working through the logistics of this weekend's Brewers On Deck event in Milwaukee with Ryan Braun -- and knowing how much he enjoys interacting candidly with Brewers fans -- we came to the conclusion that this is too sensitive of a time in the confidential process for him to attend this year," Attanasio said in a statement.

"I speak for everyone at the Brewers, including Ryan, in thanking our fans for their understanding and patience."

Braun accepted his NL MVP award in New York last Saturday and said "everything I have done in my career has been done with respect and appreciation for the game of baseball."

Although he never directly addressed the allegations against him -- that his MVP season was accomplished with the help of a banned substance -- it was clear Braun's remarks were pointed at the legal battle he is currently involved in.

"You know, sometimes in life, we all deal with challenges we never expected to endure," Braun said, while accepting his award at the annual dinner of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. "We have an opportunity to look at those challenges and view them either as obstacles or as opportunities, and I've chosen to view every challenge I've ever faced as an opportunity and this will be no different. I have always believed that a person's character is revealed through the way they deal with those moments of adversity."

Braun tested positive for an elevated level of testosterone in a urine test taken in October, a story first reported by ESPN's "Outside the Lines." There are conflicting reports about what caused the positive result, and the New York Times quoted a source as saying a later test showed Braun to have normal testosterone levels.

Braun began his appeal of his positive test before baseball arbitrator Shyam Das last Thursday, the New York Daily News and the Associated Press reported.

As Braun tries to avoid a 50-game suspension, the burden is a heavy one to overcome. A baseball arbitrator has never ordered a suspension overturned following a grievance hearing.

The AP's source did not know whether the hearing had concluded or whether it would extend into at least one more session. Typically in grievances, after the hearing the sides may submit written final arguments before the arbitrator rules.

MLB has not confirmed the positive test. Baseball's drug agreement says first positive tests are not made public until after the appeals process has been completed.

Technically, the arbitration is before a three-person panel that also includes a representative of management and the union. The independent member, Das, is the decisive vote in nearly all cases.

The 28-year-old, who was the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year, hit .312 with 33 homers and 111 RBIs last season and led Milwaukee to the NL Championship Series, where the Brewers lost to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.


(espn.com)

We’ll obviously have official word sometime soon, but yesterday Dan Patrick had something interesting to say on his radio show about the reigning NL MVP’s drug test and appeal: Braun may get off scott free.

There was nothing definitive in his comments — a lot of it was Patrick’s gut feeling based on a conversation he had with someone — but Patrick said “Ryan Braun a victim of the testing by Major League Baseball,” and that “the feeling I got 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.”

"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."

Interesting. Braun testing positive to begin with has caused no shortage of controversy here. Just imagine how much controversy would ensue if the whole affair led to serious questions about the entire testing process itself coming into question.


(hardballtalk.com)

Comments

MILWAUKEE -- A Brewers spokesman who was with Ryan Braun over the weekend described the outfielder as "upbeat" in the face of a possible suspension.

Braun spoke Saturday night in New York while accepting his National League Most Valuable Player Award from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, two days after beginning an appeal for a reported violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Braun spoke of adversity and "viewing every challenge I've ever faced as an opportunity."

"It's a tough position for him to be in because this is a confidential process," Brewers vice president of communications Tyler Barnes said on Monday. "He really can't say anything. I thought he did a terrific job. It was really a neat experience for everyone who was there, to see Ryan up there being recognized for his accomplishments in 2011."

Braun batted .332 with 33 home runs, 111 RBIs and 33 stolen bases, and the Brewers won the NL Central. They commemorated that crown on Monday morning by hanging a permanent championship banner inside Miller Park.

Because of the confidential nature of Braun's appeal, the Brewers have been given no indication from the Commissioner's Office that their star player, who signed a contract extension last April through at least 2020, faces any suspension. It's unclear when the three-member special panel that heard Braun's appeal will render its decision.

On his Monday morning radio show, commentator Dan Patrick said he'd learned from "somebody involved in this" that Braun may avoid suspension. Patrick was also told that Braun's test, reportedly for a very high level of testosterone, had nothing to do with a personal medical issue.
"Ryan Braun may be exonerated here," Patrick told his audience. "He may be found innocent. And judging from all of the information I was told, there's a good chance that he should be."

No known Major League player has ever taken his case to an appeal and won under the current testing program.

Barnes said Braun intends to be a full participant at "Brewers On Deck" in downtown Milwaukee on Sunday.

"He's excited about it," Barnes said. "We had a great opportunity to spend a little time with him at a reception before the dinner on Saturday. The guy is very upbeat and looking forward to the season."


(mlb.com)

Comments

Ryan Braun never specifically mentioned his positive drug test and possible 50-game suspension when he accepted his National League MVP award at a black-tie dinner Saturday night.

But no doubt everyone in the crowd of around 800 knew exactly what the Milwaukee Brewers left fielder was talking about when he thanked the Major League Baseball Players Assn. “especially for supporting me through everything I've went through over the last couple of months.”

Braun had more to say on the matter ... indirectly, of course.

“You know, sometimes in life, we all deal with challenges we never expected to endure,” he told the crowd Saturday in a New York hotel ballroom.

“We have an opportunity to look at those challenges and view them either as obstacles or as opportunities, and I've chosen to view every challenge I've ever faced as an opportunity and this will be no different. I have always believed that a person's character is revealed through the way they deal with those moments of adversity.”

"I've always loved and had so much respect for the game of baseball. Everything I've done in my career has been done with that respect and appreciation in mind. And that is why I'm so grateful and humbled to accept this award tonight."

Braun, who hit .312 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs in 2011, was found to have an abnormally high level of testosterone during a drug test in October. His grievance appeal to avoid a suspension began Thursday.

He did not take questions from reporters Saturday night.


(latimes.com)

The start of the National League MVP's appeal, first reported by the New York Daily News, was confirmed by a person familiar with the session who spoke on condition of anonymity because the proceeding was not to be made public.

Calls to Braun's agent, Nez Balelo, and Major League Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney were not returned.

When the positive drug test was first reported by ESPN.com last month, Braun had a spokesman issue a statement saying there were circumstances supporting "Ryan's complete innocence."

Under the joint drug agreement between baseball teams and the players' association, Braun will have to prove "the presence of a prohibited substance in his urine was not due to his fault or negligence."

As Braun tries to avoid a 50-game suspension, the burden is a heavy one to overcome. A baseball arbitrator has never ordered a suspension overturned following a grievance hearing.

The person did not know whether the hearing had concluded or whether it would extend into at least one more session. Typically in grievances, after the hearing the sides may submit written final arguments before the arbitrator rules.

MLB has not confirmed the positive test. Baseball's drug agreement says first positive tests are not made public until after the appeals process has been completed.

Technically, the arbitration is before a three-person panel that also includes a representative of management and the union. The independent member, Das, is the decisive vote in nearly all cases.

Braun is to receive his MVP Award on Saturday at the annual dinner of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. While he is expected to speak to the crowd from the dais in a hotel ballroom, he is not expected to take questions from reporters.

Braun has known about since the positive test since late October, people familiar with the appeals process said last month. If suspended, Braun wouldn't be eligible to play for the NL Central champions until May 31 at Dodger Stadium, barring any postponements. He would miss the first 57 days of the major league season, losing about $1.87 million of his $6 million salary.

The 28-year-old the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year, hit .312 with 33 homers and 111 RBIs last season and led Milwaukee to the NL championship series, where the Brewers lost to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals.


(usatoday.com)

Jon Jay spoke out in defense of fellow UM alum Ryan Braun, who plans to accept his National League Most Valuable Player award on Saturday despite a 50-game suspension he received after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

“It’s definitely a tough situation,” Jay said. “I’m a huge Ryan Braun supporter. He’s a guy who helped me out so much in my career. Since I stepped foot at UM we have had a special bond and we’re really good friends.

“It’s unfortunate, the situation, but hopefully he gets it cleared up. I know how hard he works and how much he loves the game. He’s really a big role model for everyone. He’s going to have his appeal process Hopefully, everything works out.”

A spokesman for Braun, a Milwaukee Brewers All Star, reportedly confirmed the positive test at the time, but said “there are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan’s complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation” of baseball’s drug-testing program…


(palmbeachpost.com)

After the news broke in December that Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun had tested positive for synthetic testosterone, his first public defense was, "It's b-------."

Braun also told a reporter that he "can't wait" to explain himself and that he's "completely innocent," but so far his actual defense remains private. The reigning National League MVP is expected to appear before an arbitrator this week, with union and legal representation and what is sure to be a more nuanced argument.

But whatever his explanation, history and MLB's drug policy suggest there is little he can argue to escape a 50-game suspension. No major league player has successfully appealed a positive test, and very few athletes around the world have ever done so.

Braun's case also has become both a test for MLB itself and a reflection of the dilemma faced by the sport. If Braun is suspended, it would show that MLB is committed to punishing even its most popular and successful players -- while at the same time undercutting commissioner Bud Selig's oft-declared pronouncement that the "steroid era" is over.

If Braun successfully argues that there was a flaw in either the testing or the policy, however, then his case could provide a precedent for players who test positive in the future.

"In this business, you frequently find yourself between a rock and hard place, and we've certainly found ourselves in that position frequently," says Travis Tygart, the senior managing director of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, who says he does not know details of Braun's case. "When we had to take back five medals from Marion Jones, it wasn't an easy thing, but you do the right thing for the integrity of sport."

It will all come down to the hearing, which has the hallmarks of a criminal trial.

Braun has been charged with the "crime" of doping. MLB will present its case before the arbitrator, citing the evidence of positive test results that reflect synthetic testosterone in the outfielder's system. The defense will present its own case. Braun's representatives have told reporters there are extenuating circumstances; for example, that his testosterone was so elevated that he couldn't have been intentionally doping.

Both sides can call witnesses and conduct cross-examination. The major difference, however, is the burden of proof: It's up to Braun to prove that he's innocent, not for MLB to prove that he's guilty.

A result could be announced within a week of the hearing, and a full report is usually issued after 30 days.

MLB officials would not comment or even confirm that Braun tested positive but in the past have said they were committed to punishing any player who runs afoul of the drug policy.

"I think one's heart gets involved because Braun is such an attractive guy, and we really don't see him having the need to have done what he did, which is why I could see that he took something that he didn't really understand, that contained the bad juice," says former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent, who also says he does not know the specifics of Braun's case. "But the fact is, it very well may have been steroids, testing was followed and he got caught. It's pretty hard to prove the negative; how can he prove that he didn't take the stuff?"

The standard is high: In order to reverse a positive test, Braun will have to argue that either the results were flawed or that there was no way he could have known that he ingested something that contained testosterone. Going after the test itself won't be easy. MLB uses a doping control lab in Montreal, which is accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and has an international reputation for professionalism.

Proving he wasn't negligent in taking a substance won't be easy, either. Baseball's policy, like any standard anti-doping policy, does not excuse someone for lack of intent. If Braun says he bought a diet supplement that was tainted, he'll get no mercy from the arbitrator. MLB and the union have warned players for years about supplements and have a hotline players can call if they have questions about a product.

If Braun drank organic milk or something equally wholesome, however, and can prove that somehow it was tainted, then he might have a case that he wasn't negligent.

Braun's attorney, David Cornwell, declined comment.

MLB's policy does not call for the sort of career-killing penalties Olympic athletes can incur with a positive test, but it also offers no flexibility: He's guilty or he's innocent. WADA, which oversees Olympic testing, has some leeway in imposing penalties. Zach Lund, an American skeleton racer, missed the 2006 Winter Olympics because he tested positive for finasteride, a drug banned as a masking agent. He argued that he took the anti-baldness drug Propecia and offered his retreating hairline as exhibit A.

The Court for Arbitration in Sport, the final arbiter for Olympic sports, agreed that Lund's positive test was accidental and reduced his suspension to one year, rather than the standard two. MLB doesn't offer that sort of flexibility, but a 50-game suspension for a first offense is far less damaging to a player's career (and the team that pays him) than a two-year ban.

WADA director general David Howman says athletes of Braun's stature present more than a public relations problem for their sports (although he, too, says he has no idea whether Braun is guilty of doping).

"Any sport that has a positive case from a prominent athlete worries about it. You have to," Howman says. "There's got to be some reason for that particular athlete succumbing to the temptation to use something that might be enhancing his performance."

MLB has said previously when players were caught doping that it proved the system was working. But Vincent says his successor shouldn't have been so quick to say the "steroid era" was a thing of the past.

"I think that was a very bad mistake. It's one thing to say the steroid era is over, but by that you mean people are very unlikely to be taking the same drugs they were taking over 10 years ago," Vincent says. "But to say that chemically enhanced performance drugs are not going to be a permanent part of the sports world, including baseball, that's just not sensible. Performance-enhancing drugs are here to stay, they will not go away in any sport, really, for the rest of time, and you have to deal with it being a race against the chemistry."

Positive tests have dropped significantly since baseball began testing in 2003, and most positives come from minor league players in the Dominican Republic, where many performance-enhancing drugs are readily available without a prescription.

Major leaguers have greater resources and access to sophisticated drug regimens that could evade detection, substances like human growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor and other drugs, so it is unusual that a player of Braun's means -- last year he signed a five-year, $105 million contract extension through 2020 -- would be caught through current testing.

His saga began with a random computer selection that produced his name. Following the Brewers' Oct. 2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, in which Braun went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double, he was met by a doping control agent after his press conference. He was taken to a private room where, according to MLB policy, he would have been asked to lift his shirt above his abdomen, drop his pants below his knees and produce a urine sample as the agent watched.

That sample was sealed and logged, and later split into two samples -- an "A," which was then tested, and a "B," which was saved as a backup.

When Braun was informed that he had tested positive for elevated testosterone, he requested that MLB test the "B" sample, standard procedure to see if somehow the "A" sample had been tainted. The results matched. A subsequent, more comprehensive test, called an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) test, determined that some of the testosterone in his system had been produced by an "exogenous," or outside, source.

For years there was one drug, DHEA, a legal precursor to testosterone, that provided a potential loophole. MLB did not ban the drug at the insistence of the players' association because DHEA is available without a prescription, though it is banned within the Olympic movement. It's a weak drug that serious dopers would not use, but it can cause the body to increase its testosterone production.

Sources familiar with MLB's testing history said there had been at least one case in which a player tested positive and said he had taken DHEA, and that MLB dropped the case because officials did not believe they could prove otherwise despite their doubts. But in recent years, the doping labs have gotten proficient enough at distinguishing DHEA from other substances that officials are confident a player couldn't evade a suspension by making such an argument.

When Manny Ramirez, like Braun, tested positive for elevated and synthetic testosterone in 2009, sources familiar with his case said he was prepared to fight it by saying he had taken DHEA. MLB was ready to fight back, but before the case came to a hearing, officials discovered Ramirez had received a prescription for another banned drug, human chorionic gonadotropin, which sealed his fate.

Anti-doping experts believe the hardest part of Braun's case will be explaining the IRMS test and the accusation that his body contained testosterone it didn't create. If he is unable to convince an arbitrator and is in fact suspended for 50 games, he will still have to make a case with the public that his accomplishments on the field did not come from a pharmacy.

"What he said when he was first confronted had a certain ring to it," Vincent says. "I'm just an old federal lawyer, and he made a pretty good case. It had the ring of his really being stunned, surprised. I have no evidence, don't know anything more than what I've followed. He's just a guy you root for. It kind of breaks your heart."


(espn.com)

Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, who faces a 50-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, is expected to speak at a banquet where he will accept his National League MVP award.

Braun will appear at the annual awards dinner of the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Saturday in New York, a spokesman for the player told The New York Times.

"He will be there and he will accept his award," Matthew Hiltzik told The Times.

In December, ESPN's "Outside The Lines" reported, citing sources, that the positive test showed elevated levels of testosterone in Braun's system.
A spokesman for Braun confirmed the positive test at the time, but said "there are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation" of baseball's drug-testing program.

Braun faces a 50-game suspension if the initial finding is upheld. He is appealing the ruling. Last month, he told USA Today that the test result was "B.S."

He has not made a public appearance since news of the positive test broke Dec. 10. Hiltzik told The Times that Braun does not intend to do interviews Saturday. Braun was named MVP on Nov. 22.

Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp finished second in MVP balloting. The BBWAA said it has no intention of taking the award from Braun.
In April, Braun signed a five-year contract extension with the Brewers worth $105 million. He went out and had the best season of his career, 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 RBIs, 109 runs scored and 33 stolen bases.


(espn.com)

At some point Saturday evening, hundreds of baseball fans, players, officials and members of the news media will sit in rapt attention as Ryan Braun approaches the podium to make a short speech at the Hilton in Manhattan.

It has been a little over a month since news broke that Braun had tested positive for an abnormally high level of testosterone and was facing the possibility of a 50-game suspension. That came just weeks after Braun was named the National League most valuable player by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Braun, the Milwaukee Brewers’ left fielder, has not made a public appearance since then, but on Saturday at its annual awards dinner, the writers association will present the award to Braun. Despite the controversy, he plans to attend.

“He will be there and he will accept his award,” said Matthew Hiltzik, a spokesman for Braun.

Braun does not intend to do interviews Saturday, but perhaps his speech will reflect his sentiments from the day he was named M.V.P. When the award was announced on Nov. 22, Braun had already been informed of the positive results of the drug test, which was administered in October.

In interviews that day, he praised the runner-up, Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and said the reason he won the award was because he played for a winning team and Kemp did not. “He had one of the greatest seasons in Dodgers history,” Braun said. “If he had won, I couldn’t have argued with it.”

Braun was said to have had an abnormally high level of testosterone. Braun, through his representatives, has insisted he is innocent and is appealing the ruling, but he has given no clear indication what his defense will be, and he is unlikely to do so Saturday.

Braun will face a three-member panel to hear his appeal, most likely this month, and the usual process provides for an announcement if the initial ruling is upheld and he is suspended. Any suspension would probably begin opening day, meaning Braun could attend spring training.

There is no provision in the process for an announcement if he is exonerated. But because the case has become public, Major League Baseball and the players union could agree to reveal the decision if Braun is cleared.

Braun, who was the rookie of the year in 2007, won the M.V.P. with an outstanding season in which he batted .332 with 33 home runs and 111 runs batted in with a .994 on-base plus slugging percentage. Kemp batted .324 with 39 home runs and 126 R.B.I. with a .986 O.P.S.

But the Dodgers won only 82 games, while the Brewers won 96 and went to the playoffs as the N.L. Central champions.


(nytimes.com)

ST. LOUIS -- As Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun continues to appeal a suspension under Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, he does so with the support of at least one college teammate.

Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay, who played with Braun at the University of Miami, said on Sunday that he has been in touch with his former teammate since word leaked last month that Braun tested positive for a banned substance during the 2011 season. Braun has since said through a spokesperson that the positive test was "highly unusual" and that he intends to have his name cleared and not serve a 50-game suspension.

"It's been a difficult situation for him because none of this stuff was supposed to come out," Jay said. "He is due his appeal process. He hasn't really had the chance to comment on everything because he has to let everything take its place. But I'm a big Ryan Braun supporter. He's one of those guys who has helped me out tremendously in my career, and we're great friends.

"It's an unfortunate situation right now, and hopefully everything can get cleared up."

A recent report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stated that Braun's case would be heard by a panel of arbiters before the start of Spring Training.
Jay was taken in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, one year after the Brewers made Braun their first-round pick.


(mlb.com)

You’ve seen it before. A big-name athlete tests positive for a performance enhancing drug, refutes the test to no avail and gets hit with public scrutiny, and often a suspension.

But the announcement of Ryan Braun’s positive test for a banned substance on Dec. 10 and the recently-named National League MVP’s vehement denial led some Brewers fans to speculate that perhaps the positive result had come from something else. Like, say for instance, medication for a “private” ailment.

Well, it appears there might just be something to that.

TMZ reported Monday that Braun tested positive for a “medication he’s taking for a private medical issue — NOT performance enhancing drugs.”
That certainly leaves much to the imagination (scour a few Brewers message boards and you’ll get a few more ideas), but the bigger question is: does it even matter?

Whatever medication Braun took, he is responsible for being aware of its ingredients. And if a banned substance was a component of that medication, he’s no less guilty than female fertility drug connoisseur Manny Ramirez or a human growth hormone user in the eyes of Major League Baseball’s policy.

BALCO founder Victor Conte knows a thing or two about that policy. Here’s what he told San Francisco’s KNBR during a radio interview with Gary and Larry:

“The first thing I hear that they’re saying is it’s an extremely high level, the highest that’s ever been recorded. Are they talking about in baseball or are they talking about in general? ... I’m not sure about that, but this is a double-whammy for him. Unless there’s some chain-of-custody issue, other technical problem during the collection and transport process, he’s basically dead in the water. ... I believe he’s going to serve the 50-game suspension.”

But even if Braun cannot avoid a 50-game ban, could the identity of the substance save his MVP award? And should it?

Until the league completes its investigation, Braun can continue to claim innocence all he wants — and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers can continue to support him ‘100 percent’. But even with this latest development, things don’t look good for the Hebrew Hammer.


(washingtonpost.com)

Ryan Braun's positive test for banned substances was caused by medication he's taking for a private medical issue -- NOT performance enhancing drugs ... this according to sources directly connected with Major League Baseball.

We're told the reigning National League MVP is adamant he has not taken drugs or steroids of any kind.

One source simply told us ... "The medication contained banned substances resulting in the positive test."  We're also told prior to taking the dirty test, Braun had always tested negative for banned substances.

The nature of Braun's medical ailment is unclear.

It's also unclear if the Milwaukee Brewers star knew the substances were in his medication before he took it -- though it seems highly unlikely.


(tmz.com)

Milwaukee Brewers star Ryan Braun will "ultimately be exonerated" of suspicion that he used banned performance enhancing drugs during this past season, the left fielder's spokesman said Sunday.

Braun, the National League's 2011 "Most Valuable Player," faces a possible 50-game suspension after a urine sample tested positive for a high level of testosterone caused by a synthetic substance, according to an ESPN report.

Braun's spokesman denied any "intentional violation" of Major League Baseball rules in a statement given to CNN Sunday.



(cnn.com)

Don’t count Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers among the folks who are casting a judgmental eye on NL MVP Ryan Braun.

Following the recent revelation that Braun tested positive for synthetic testosterone at some point during his award-winning 2011 season, many began calling for the Milwaukee Brewers outfielder to give back his trophy. Years of being lied to by professional baseball players have made fans and pundits wary of the excuses that generally accompany positive banned substances tests.

Nevertheless, despite the growing public scrutiny, Braun is maintaining his innocence. He promises to be ultimately vindicated, and the mildly unusual circumstances surrounding his particular case are admittedly different than they are in situations of this ilk.

Plus, he has a very popular ally. One of the most beloved people in Wisconsin, Rodgers, has come out and publicly pledged his support to Braun. During a recent stint on ESPN Radio 540, the Packers quarterback said that Braun is probably his “best athlete friend” and that he is “100 percent supporting him and…behind him and believing everything that he says."

Considering how quickly things can get ugly when you associate yourself with someone who has any sort of ties to banned substances, you have to give Rodgers credit for his courageousness.

"I just would say that I would 100 percent support Ryan and believe in him and it's not going to affect our friendship," Rodgers said. "… I am just trusting that my good friend has not been using anything that's illegal and I'm very confident that that is the case. I know how he cares about the integrity of the game and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that."



(opposingviews.com)

Should Ryan Braun surrender his NL MVP award to Matt Kemp in light of the report that the Milwaukee Brewers star flunked a drug test? It's a debate that has seen more than its fair share of opining. Eight of 10 Braun voters told Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times they'd switch their vote if given the chance. Legendary scribe Hal McCoy said he wanted his ballot back. Even Kemp's agent — former pitcher Dave Stewart — weighed in.

The only person not taking a hard-line stance, it seemed, was Kemp himself. The Los Angeles Dodgers star even remained silent until he was tracked down by a TMZ camera jockey at what looks like a routine mall run to satisfy an Orange Julius hankering:

Kemp basically responded the way you or I would if a random person with a video camera rushed up to us in public. He stayed pretty non-committal, but did offer that he thinks the official process should play out before a final judgment is made on the man who finished ahead of him in the voting.

"Nobody's proven anything, man" Kemp said. "We don't know anything."

Kemp called Braun a "good dude" and also asserted "that's my homie."

Perhaps the brotherhood of upper-echelon talent in Major League Baseball really compels him to say that, but I'm still very interested in knowing what really lies in his heart. Considering that Kemp said he was going to use the MVP snub as motivation to post a "monster" 2012 season, I can't believe he doesn't feel at least a little bit slighted.



(yahoosports.com)

We don't know what Ryan Braun did or didn't take.

ESPN.com's report says Braun tested positive for elevated levels of testosterone, found to be from synthetic sources. That report claimed the results were owing to Braun taking a performance-enhancing drug. A source close to Braun has disputed that interpretation, claiming Braun was indeed found to have elevated testosterone levels, but not as a result of taking a PED.

We don't know if Braun will be suspended.

He's appealing the case through arbitration. If the positive test is upheld, Braun faces a 50-game suspension, starting on Opening Day 2012. Several reports noted that no one has successfully appealed a positive test for PEDs. But that's not necessarily 100 percent accurate. No case where the initial positive test result was made public has ended with an overturn. But since news of the Braun test first came out, several well-connected writers have talked of cases where news of an initial positive test was never made public.

We don't know how reliable the tests were.

As ESPN's Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn reported:

• A source close to Braun said that when he was told about the positive test, he immediately requested to be tested again. That second test, using a different sample that was tested by Braun's camp, the source said, was not positive.

Since this claim of a second test comes from Braun's side, it's tough to ascertain its veracity. If a second test did in fact occur and came up negative, we still don't know when that second test occurred. Then there's the issue of false positives. The lab that conducts the tests measures the ratio of testosterone as compared to epitestosterone. A typical T/E ratio for men is about 1-to-1. For MLB purposes, if the player's ratio comes in above 4-to-1, that's considered a positive test. This despite the fact that the number can fluctuate among certain men for reasons that have nothing to do with taking any illicit substances. Not to mention the risk of false positives in such tests.

So we've got conflicting reports, claims of conflicting tests, with one party making claims coming with a major conflict of interest. You have to figure Major League Baseball would have preferred this news not leak out until Braun had completed the arbitration process and a final verdict had been issued. It's no wonder the league is refusing to comment now, with so much uncertainty still hanging over the case.

Beyond all that uncertainty, beyond the sense of disbelief and disappointment surrounding this case that was oddly absent when fellow Miami-area baseball product Alex Rodriguez was implicated in a PED scandal, beyond what this could mean for the Brewers, their NL Central rivals, your fantasy team, or even Braun himself, there's one other thing we don't know:

We don't know if so-called performance-enhancing drugs actually enhance the performance of baseball players. And if they do, how, and by how much.

There's a widespread belief among many baseball followers that PEDs bring gigantic benefits to those who take them. The most rigorous way to prove a theory is to conduct a proper double-blind randomized clinical trial. Give PEDs to 500 players, withhold them from 500 others, then track the results. That way you know who used and who didn't use, and you strip out any possible placebo effect, where a player might gain confidence and possibly play better just by thinking that PEDs will help his performance.

Of course in the real world, this is impossible. That means we're left with a whole lot of anecdotal evidence. A player puts on muscle through a rigorous workout regimen while cycling on a particular substance, and observers make definitive statements about how many more homers that player hit or how much higher his batting average was as a result of PED use. We believe ourselves to be experts, able to pinpoint when a player supposedly started using, exactly how much benefit he gained, and how we should thus evaluate his numbers. With players like Jeff Bagwell, the pseudo-analysis goes a step further, with hordes of writers declining to vote Bagwell into the Hall of Fame because he had big muscles, and some other players of his era were caught using, so … well … you know.

If you want to argue that a player deserves to be punished for taking a banned substance, so be it. If Braun's positive test is upheld, I support the mandatory suspension that will be coming to him. Those are the rules, those are the known repercussions for breaking them, that's what needs to happen.

We can't be certain of anything else. Those who claim that players using steroids must mean those substances work assume some kind of medical knowledge on the players' part, because of an unproven belief that they actually enhance performance. Those who see the offensive boom of the early-'90s to mid-aughts as the product of PED use ignore a multitude of factors ranging from a diluted pool of pitchers caused by expansion to smaller ballparks to strike zones the size of postage stamps.

Meanwhile, those who argue that Braun should be stripped of his 2011 NL MVP award ignore that others weren't made to give up theirs after the fact. (They also ignore that Matt Kemp was a more worthy candidate who got screwed because he played with crappier teammates than Braun did.) As Baseball Writers Association of America secretary/treasurer Jack O'Connell told the L.A. Times: "The voters used the information they had at the time of the election. I don't see how we can change that."

For all the certainty out there, all the overwhelming urges to rush to judgment, we're still left with this: Right now, we know nothing.



(grantland.com)

Ryan Braun's positive test for testosterone showed a level that was extremely elevated, and likely the highest that has been recorded in Major League Baseball, according to sources with knowledge of the NL MVP's test.

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. Shortly after news of the test came out on Saturday, Braun's spokesman said in a statement that "there are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan's complete innocence."
ESPN, which initially broke the news of the positive test, reported that analysis of Braun's sample was positive for exogenous testosterone. If that's the case, 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

A source with knowledge of Braun's test result said that his MLB test was positive for a banned substance, but not a steroid or drug. Braun may argue that he ingested dietary supplements tainted with testosterone or testosterone-boosting ingredients not listed on the label. The supplements would presumably have to be very tainted to produce what sources say was his extremely high T:E ratio.

According to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the process was supposed to remain confidential, when Braun learned of his positive test in October he voluntarily took another test at an independent lab that showed normal testosterone levels. Neither Braun's spokesman nor his attorney immediately returned messages asking whether Braun's voluntary test was analyzed for banned substances that might still be detectable even once the T:E ratio had dropped.

It is unlikely that Braun will argue, as some have speculated, that he inadvertently ingested dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, in a dietary supplement. DHEA is converted in the body to testosterone, but is not banned by MLB. Since the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, DHEA has been legal to sell over the counter. (It can be found on plenty of labels at GNC or Vitamin Shoppe.) DHEA can elevate testosterone levels, but it has a specific metabolite that anti-doping laboratories look for, so the World Anti-Doping Association-accredited lab in Montreal, where Braun's test was analyzed after the initial high testosterone result, would have been able to tell if DHEA was the culprit.

Braun's voluntary test -- which showed normal testosterone levels -- came a few weeks after his positive test, and is expected to be part of his defense at arbitration. A source suggested that because Braun had passed previous tests and then passed his voluntary test, the fact that the one test produced such an extraordinarily high testosterone level may be used to suggest a problem with the testing or accidental one-time ingestion of a banned substance.

According to drug testing experts, though, passing a subsequent test is not, in and of itself, a valid defense and actually fits the pattern of some previous doping cases. US Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart has no specific knowledge of the Braun case, but says that a testosterone level that goes from normal, to high, to normal is typical of someone on a steroid cycle. "After a person stops using, the T:E ratio" -- that's the testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio, which is 1:1 in most people, and above 4:1 in positive tests -- "goes back down to normal levels, and that could be in a matter of days or hours. It depends on how much they used, how long they've been using, and their own individual metabolism." Research done by German scientists showed that one particular drug boosted a patient's T:E ratio above 80:1 before it dropped back to normal only 12 hours later.

A number of articles and blogs have characterized Braun's positive test as yet another drug-related black eye for baseball and commissioner Bud Selig, who extolled the virtues of Braun as a bright light of the post-steroid scandal era.

But anti-doping experts who spoke with SI and are not involved in Braun's situation see the positive test and MLB's subsequent move to impose sanctions as a sign that drug testing is proceeding as it should. The darkest black eyes, they say, came when testing was feckless or not truly random and when big-name players were only exposed when they were dragged into Congress or court.

Dr. Gary Wadler, who until this year was chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Prohibited List and Methods Sub-Committee, testified at the famous 2005 Congressional hearings on drugs in baseball, and says, "There's no question baseball has come a long, long way from when I testified." He notes that testing at every game would be more effective, but said that a positive test from a star player suggests that "all comers" are being treated equally.

Added Tygart, "If athletes in a sport are cheating, it's not a bad thing for the integrity of the sport that they're caught.... It might be a double-edged sword publicly, but it's what clean athletes expect."

David Howman, director general of WADA, could not comment on Braun's case but said that "testing is now undertaken by the MLB to a far greater extent than previously."

At a recent gathering of the Partnership for Clean Competition at NFL headquarters, Howman applauded MLB on adopting blood testing for human growth hormone in its new collective bargaining agreement, and said, "I hope I can applaud the NFL soon."



(cnnsi.com)

I just received a text message from Ryan Braun. Because his appeal of a positive drug test is ongoing, he cannot comment on the record about any of the details or give any information about what happened and what's going on.

But Braun was quite adamant that he will get this positive drug test overturned. He said he wanted to hold a press conference today to give his side of the story but was adviced against it while the process is ongoing.

"I can't wait to get that opportunity," said Braun.

"This is all B.S. I am completely innocent."

That's all Braun can say for now, which is understandable. But I appreciate him reaching out to me to say what he could.



(jsonline.com)

Ryan Braun’s Graffito made changes to its happy hour this week: It runs 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, with $5 small plates from the dinner menu for noshing and $2 domestic bottled beers, $3 imports and $5 martinis for imbibing.

Graffito is at 102 N. Water St. in Milwaukee.


(jsonline.com)

WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE— Ryan Braun's restaurant Graffito is holding a week-long celebration running Tuesday through Sunday in honor of the Brewers left-fielder being named the National League MVP.

The Third Ward restaurant on Water Street and Erie will offer a three-course meal you can order for $20.11. You can also order small plates of some of Braun's favorite dishes, such as grilled shrimp and mushroom risotto for $5.

Braun received 20 of 32 first-place votes and 388 points in voting for the MVP honor, as announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Braun led the National League with a .597 slugging percentage, and was second with a .332 batting average. He had 33 homers, 111 RBIs and stole 33 bases. Braun helped lead the Brewers to their first division title in nearly 30 years this past season.


(fox6now.com)

Ryan Braun was looking out at the Pacific Ocean from the balcony of his home in Malibu on Tuesday morning as he waited for a phone call telling him whether he had been selected National League most valuable player.

When the call came that he had won, he said he reacted with great emotion.

"It's pretty incredible," he said.

Braun, who learned to play baseball on youth fields and high school diamonds in the San Fernando Valley before becoming the top hitter for the Milwaukee Brewers, received 20 of a possible 32 first-place votes and 388 points in voting from members of the Baseball Writers' Assn. of America.

He beat out Matt Kemp of the Dodgers, who received 10 first-place votes and 332 points. Prince Fielder of the Brewers finished third with 229 points.

"I'm happy for Ryan," said Kemp, who congratulated him first on Twitter and then during a call with reporters. "I knew it was going to be close. He deserves every bit of this award."

Braun complimented Kemp, saying, "Matt is one of the best players in the game. The season he had will always go down as one of the greatest in Dodger history. If he had won the MVP, I couldn't have argued with him winning."

The award is still a goal for Kemp, who last week signed a $160-million contract extension.

"I've got eight more years in L.A. to try to win that award," he said.

Braun led the Brewers to a franchise-record 96 wins and the NL Central Division title and batted .332 with 33 home runs, 111 runs batted in and 33 stolen bases. Kemp batted .324 with 39 home runs, 126 RBIs and 40 stolen bases, but the Dodgers finished 111/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.

"I'm extremely proud to win this award for the city of Milwaukee and the fans who believed in me," Braun said.

Braun, who turned 28 last week, is the first player from Southern California to win an MVP award since 2000, when San Francisco Giants second baseman Jeff Kent and Oakland Athletics slugger Jason Giambi were honored. Kent attended Huntington Beach Edison High; Giambi graduated from West Covina South Hills.

Robin Yount, a Woodland Hills Taft High graduate who played for the Brewers from 1974 to 1993, was the AL MVP in 1982 and 1989.

Braun has become a baseball hero to a growing number of constituencies, from Granada Hills High, where he was a three-time All-City player; to the University of Miami, where he was an All-American; to the Brewers, where he is signed through 2020 and has become the face of the franchise since he joined the team in 2007 and was selected NL rookie of the year.

He is also the first Jewish player since Sandy Koufax in 1963 to be an MVP.

"The potential impact is incalculable in that it confers a real privilege and responsibility on him," said Rabbi David Woznica of Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles. "He becomes a role model."

At Granada Hills, an announcement was made over the high school's public-address system informing students of Braun's accomplishment.

"Wow. That's terrific," said Steve Thompson, who coached Braun at Granada Hills. "I'm thrilled to death for him. He's a terrific young man. I'm very proud of him."

Granada Hills is also the school that produced an NFL MVP in John Elway. Another high school in California, San Mateo Serra, boasts an NFL MVP and NL MVP in Tom Brady and Barry Bonds.

Braun mentioned that one of his defining moments on the path to success came when he was a freshman at Granada Hills. He was supposed to play for the junior varsity, but a senior failed to show up to set up the field on the day of a game, prompting coaches to pull Braun out of class and stick him in the varsity lineup at second base.

"The first time up, he got a base hit," Thompson said. "The second time up, he hit a home run. The third time, he hit a double, and the rest is history."


(latimes.com)

What makes a most valuable player most valuable?

That argument arises nearly every year when the Baseball Writers Association of America announces its MVP awards in the respective leagues. The debate is sure to catch fire again Tuesday when the National League MVP Award is announced.

The general consensus is that the top three candidates are the Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Matt Kemp. Though the offensive production of those three players was fairly even, Kemp produced the best numbers across the board, ranking first in four categories and second in four others.

Kemp was the recipient of the Hank Aaron Award in the NL, a formula-based honor given annually by MLB to the top offensive performers in each league. But voting members of the BBWAA often take into consideration how a candidate's team fared, interpreting "most valuable" to mean the player served a key role in pushing his club toward the postseason.

And that's where the fortunes of the Brewers and Dodgers diverged. Milwaukee won a franchise-record 96 games and captured its first NL Central crown, finishing six games ahead of St. Louis. Los Angeles finished third in the NL West with 82 victories, 11½ games behind Arizona.

The BBWAA ballot does not say a player's team must be a playoff contender for him to be considered for MVP. In fact, instructions are somewhat vague: "There is no clear-cut definition of what most valuable means. It is up to the individual voter to decide who was the most valuable player in each league to his team."

In recent years, playing for a contender has been an obvious consideration. Since 2000, only one AL MVP came from a non-playoff team. Texas finished fourth in 2003 with a 71-91 record, 25 games out of first place, but Alex Rodriguez claimed the award by socking 47 homers, driving in 118 runs, scoring 124 times and compiling a .600 slugging percentage.

NL voting over that period was a bit more uneven. Four of the past 11 winners did not play on postseason teams - St. Louis' Albert Pujols in 2008, Philadelphia's Ryan Howard in 2006 and San Francisco's Barry Bonds in 2001 and 2004.

The Giants were contenders in '01 and '04, however, finishing two games out each season. Bonds won four years in a row from 2001-'04, mainly by accumulating spectacular offensive numbers, though their validity has since been questioned by suspected steroid use.

Philadelphia finished second, 12 games out, in 2006, but first baseman Ryan Howard claimed MVP honors by blowing away the competition with 58 home runs, 149 RBI, 383 total bases and a 1.084 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage).

Kemp would like a repeat of 2008, when Pujols won despite the Cardinals finishing in fourth place, 11½ games out. Pujols batted .357 with 37 home runs and 116 RBI that season, comfortably topping Howard, who batted .251 with 48 homers and 146 RBI for the first-place Phillies. The 100-point difference in batting average proved key for Pujols.

Braun and Fielder can only hope that the Brewers' strong showing made them more attractive than Kemp in the eyes of voters.

"It'll be interesting," said Braun, who batted .332 with 33 home runs, 111 RBI, 109 runs, 33 stolen bases and a league-leading .597 slugging percentage. "Playing for a team that went to the postseason should count for something, I think.

"Every team wants to win as many games as possible. The goal of every player is to have a good year, help your team be relevant at the end of the season and hopefully make the playoffs.

"Matt Kemp had a phenomenal year. But, from what I've heard, there's no specific criteria for what you base your votes on. I'm glad I didn't have to vote because there are multiple candidates deserving of the award. You can make an argument for a number of players. I'm just happy to be in that conversation."

Kemp finished first in the NL with 39 homers, 126 RBI, 353 total bases and 115 runs while also batting .324 with a .586 slugging percentage and 40 stolen bases. He and Braun were the only 30/30 (homers, steals) players in the league.

Batting behind Braun in the middle of the Brewers' batting order, Fielder hit .299 with 38 home runs, 120 RBI, a .415 on-base percentage, .566 slugging percentage and 107 walks. He was the only player in the majors to play in all 162 games.

Because their numbers were equally impressive, it wasn't easy to separate Braun and Fielder in terms of team MVP, much less league MVP. Some folks speculated that Braun and Fielder would take votes away from each other, paving the way for Kemp to win the award.

It certainly didn't hurt Braun that he hit the decisive three-run home run against Florida the night the Brewers claimed their first NL Central crown. A few days later, he was named the NL player of the month for September. Stepping forward in the heat of a pennant race can make a difference if balloting is close.

Ballots were due before the postseason began and, unlike the other BBWAA awards, included 10 names instead of three. How voters align their ballots can be critical in a tight race because they are weighted with 10 points for first place, nine for second and so on. Two writers in each city vote, so 32 ballots were cast in the NL.

The AL award will be announced Monday and also could spark debate because of the much ballyhooed candidacy of Detroit right-hander Justin Verlander, the Cy Young Award winner. No pitcher has claimed an MVP award since Oakland's Dennis Eckersley in 1992, and no starter since Boston's Roger Clemens in 1986.

In past years, the BBWAA awards were announced beginning the week after the World Series. This year, the announcements were pushed back a week, making the wait for the MVP awards a bit agonizing for the top candidates.

"It's crazy that it takes this long to find out, isn't it?" said Braun. "And we played three weeks longer than most teams did. I understand why they do it because it keeps baseball relevant longer, but it's a long wait.

"My friends and family have asked me, 'When does it come out?' I've tried not to think about it. I have no control over who the voters pick, so you can't do anything about it. Just being in the conversation is nice because it means you had a solid year, and that's what you want.

"I have no expectations of winning. Obviously, if I do, it would be special. It's a completely different feeling when you're in a pennant race; it's so intense. It's what you play for. Hopefully, that was a consideration."
IMPRESSIVE FIGURES
Milwaukee's Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder and Los Angeles' Matt Kemp generally are considered the top candidates for the 2011 National League Most Valuable Player. A look at their offensive numbers, with top-10 rankings when applicable:

	Ryan Braun		Prince Fielder		Matt Kemp		Games	150	-	162	1	161	2T
Bat. avg.	.332	2	.299	-	.324	3
Homers	33	6T	38	2	39	1
RBI	111	4	120	2	126	1
Runs	109	2	95	7	115	1
Hits	187	5	170	-	195	2
Steals	33	7	1	-	40	4
Walks	58	-	107	2	74	8T
Doubles	38	4T	36	9T	33	-
OBP	.397	5	.415	2	.399	4
Slugging	.597	1	.566	3	.586	2
Tot. bases	336	2	322	3	353	1
X-base hits	77	1	75	3T	76	2

Ryan Braun’s Graffito is having a birthday party for its namesake Thursday.

The restaurant at 102 N. Water St., Milwaukee, will give a free piece of cake to every customer who buys an entree to celebrate the famous Milwaukee Brewer’s 28th birthday, according to an e-mail sent Wednesday afternoon.

Graffito, owned by SURG Restaurant Group, opened in April after the previous restaurant, Ryan Braun’s Waterfront, closed after less than a year in operation. Braun doesn’t have an ownership stake in the restaurant, but he had some input into the decor and menu and visited several times during the baseball season, often bringing teammates with him.


(bizjournals.com)

MILWAUKEE -- Brewers teammates Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder went together like beer and bratwurst for the past five seasons, and they were linked again Wednesday, perhaps for one last time. Both players were named Silver Sluggers in the National League.

The award, presented annually by the Louisville Slugger bat company, goes to the top hitters in each league at each position. Both Braun and Fielder have won before. Braun has been a Silver Slugger for four straight seasons, and Fielder, a free agent as of this week, also won in 2007.

"The biggest challenge as a baseball player is consistency and longevity," Braun said Wednesday night. "The only way to win this award four years in a row is to be pretty consistent. That's the biggest thing that we all strive for, so it's definitely pretty special."

It's the second straight season and the fourth time since the Silver Slugger Award debuted in 1980 that the Brewers have multiple winners. First baseman Cecil Cooper, shortstop Robin Yount and outfielder Ben Oglivie won in the award's inaugural season; Cooper and Yount won again in '82; and Braun and pitcher Yovani Gallardo won in 2010.

Now it's Braun and Fielder, two homegrown sluggers who should also rank high in the NL MVP balloting when results are announced on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

Braun led the NL with a .994 OPS and .597 slugging percentage, and finished second with a .332 batting average, 336 total bases and 109 runs scored. He ranked fourth with 111 RBIs and tied for sixth with 33 home runs. He's the first NL outfielder to win the award four years running since Barry Bonds took five in a row from 2000-04, five of Bonds' 12 career Silver Slugger Awards.

The other Silver Slugger outfielders were Matt Kemp of the Dodgers and Justin Upton of the D-backs. Both are considered leading contenders with Braun for the NL MVP honor. Kemp has already won the Hank Aaron Award as the NL's most outstanding offensive player.

To win his second career Silver Slugger Award, Fielder had to unseat the Cardinals' Albert Pujols, who had won at first base in each of the past three seasons. Fielder had the edge over Pujols in home runs (38 to 37), RBIs (120 to 99), OPS (.981 to .906) and total bases (322 to 313).
Fielder finished second in the NL in homers, RBIs, walks (107) and on-base percentage (.415). He also was the only player in the Majors to start all 162 games.

"If you look at his numbers, you can make the argument that he could have won a Silver Slugger every year if not for the fact that [NL first base] is probably the most stacked position to win it in either league," Braun said. "His competition is pretty crazy when you look at Albert, [Joey] Votto. They got that vote right."

Now the big question is which uniform Fielder will wear to accept the award next season. He is the Brewers' biggest free agent, and while club officials have vowed to join the sweepstakes, Fielder figures to draw serious interest around the game.

The other NL Silver Sluggers were Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez, Braves catcher Brian McCann and D-backs pitcher Daniel Hudson.

In the American League, the winners were Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre, Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson, Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista, Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, Tigers catcher Alex Avila and Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz.


(mlb.com)

The Milwaukee Brewers' Gold Glove-less streak continues.

Leftfielder Ryan Braun had a shot at becoming the first Brewers player since Robin Yount in 1982 to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove Award on Tuesday night, but he was beaten by Gerardo Parra of Arizona.

For the first time, Gold Gloves were awarded to outfielders in left, center and right rather than to the top three outfielders overall regardless of position. Previously, centerfielders often would claim all three Gold Gloves.

This season, Braun committed just one error in 150 games (1,250 innings) in left to lead the NL in fielding percentage at the position. His eight assists ranked second behind Parra's 12.

Parra committed two errors in 125 games (1,018 innings).

Nine Brewers have won Gold Gloves previously.

Braun is next in line for his fourth consecutive Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award, which would be a franchise record. The winners will be announced at 5 p.m. Wednesday on MLB Network.


(jsonline.com)

In what could be a foreshadowing of honors to come on a national scale, leftfielder Ryan Braun was voted the Milwaukee Brewers' most valuable player for 2011 by the Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Eight ballots were cast for each award, assigning three points for first place, two for second and one for third.

Braun was a unanimous selection on all eight ballots (24 points).

Finishing second was first baseman Prince Fielder (15 points), followed by closer John Axford (six), starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo (1), rightfielder Corey Hart (1) and outfielder Nyjer Morgan (1).

The National League MVP award, voted on by baseball writers, will be announced Nov. 22, with Braun a leading candidate.

In 150 games, Braun hit .332 with 33 home runs and 111 runs batted in while leading the National League in slugging percentage at .597 and extra-base hits with 77. His batting average ranked second, as did his 336 total bases and 109 runs scored.

Braun committed just one error and is one of three NL leftfielders nominated for the Gold Glove.

He also stole a career-high 33 bases and finished as one of just three NL players to both score and drive in 100 runs. Los Angeles' Matt Kemp and Cincinnati's Joey Votto were the others.

Braun became the first player in franchise history to post three 100-run, 100-RBI seasons, the second player to produce a 30-homer, 30-stolen base season, joining Tommy Harper (31 HR, 38 SB in 1970) and the third player to drive in 100 runs four times, joining Cecil Cooper (1979, '80, '82-83) and Fielder (2007-'09, '11).

In addition, Braun led all NL players in All-Star Game voting for the first time and led NL outfielders in voting for the fourth consecutive season.
Braun was just as sublime in the postseason, leading Milwaukee with a .405 batting average in 11 playoff games in the NLDS and NLCS while also hitting two homers and driving in a team-best 10 runs.


(jsonline.com)

Ryan Braun is one of three leftfielders up for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, which is presented annually to the best defensive player at each position in the National and American Leagues.

This year, Brewers fans will have the opportunity to watch the announcements live on ESPN2 on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Central time.

Braun committed one error in 268 chances in left for a fielding percentage of .996. He also had eight assists and 259 putouts.

The two other finalists in left are the Arizona Diamondbacks' Gerardo Parra and the St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Holliday.

Parra committed two errors in 281 chances for a fielding percentage of .993. He also had 12 assists and had 267 putouts.

Holliday committed three errors in 203 chances for a fielding percentage of .985. He also had four assists and 196 putouts.

Braun's .996 fielding percentage led the NL, as did Parra's 12 assists and 267 putouts.

Braun's 1,250 innings were also the most of any leftfielder; Parra played 1,018 and Holliday 990 2/3.


(jsonline.com)

ST. LOUIS -- You never know how players, even the best ones, will respond to the pressures of the postseason.

But Ryan Braun's father swears he did. He knew it the moment he watched his son play his first high school game.

Joe Braun can recount that game to almost every exact detail. At that point, the younger Braun was a freshman at Granada Hills Charter High School in California, who was expected to be on the junior-varsity team. Then, on opening day, the varsity second baseman showed up late to a meeting, and all of a sudden, the young, inexperienced Braun was plucked out of his fifth-period class and told he'd be the one starting the season opener.

Braun's response? First at-bat: Single. Second at-bat: Two-run homer. Third at-bat: Double off the wall.

That day, a tall, imposing senior by the name of Kameron Loe -- you know, the current Brewers' reliever -- was the starting pitcher for Granada Hills and attracted an assortment of scouts from across the country.

But their attention soon shifted elsewhere.

"He was the only kid in the game who didn't have his name on his back," Joe Braun said of his son, "and all the scouts were like, 'Who is this guy?'"

Nobody's wondering that now, of course. Coming off a season that could earn him the National League's Most Valuable Player Award -- thanks to a .332 batting average, 33 homers, 111 RBIs and 33 steals -- the Brewers' left fielder has found an even higher gear this postseason.

Ryan Braun batted .500 with two homers, eight RBIs, six doubles and seven runs, while hitting safely in six of Milwaukee's first seven playoff games. He went 4-for-8 with a homer and four RBIs in the first two games of the NL Championship Series against the Cardinals, which is tied, with the next three games -- beginning with Wednesday night's Game 3 -- shifting to St. Louis. And he seems to step up every time the Brewers need him.

"Nothing surprises me that he does," Joe Braun said. "Is he at the top of his game right now? If you ask him, he'll say he's nowhere near; he can do a lot more things. That's how he feels. But that's what drives him to be successful. It's really important to him. So, no matter how much success he might be having, he feels like he's got more in there, that he can be better."

The senior Braun has been able to take this in from up close. He lives in California -- about 25 miles north of downtown Los Angeles and in the same city where Ryan grew up -- but he's made it a point to be in the stands for every one of his son's thrilling postseason games. Joined by his wife, Diane Braun, and his younger son, Steve Braun, Joe Braun has traveled to Milwaukee and Arizona, and he'll be at Busch Stadium on Wednesday to take in whatever happens next.

"I think he's probably been more influential in my career than anybody else, just in how supportive he's been, how much he's encouraged me and how much he's taught me," Ryan Braun said of his father. "He never played the game, didn't play any sports or anything like that growing up. But he was just an amazing father. I truly appreciate his support, and it's cool that he's able to experience this with me."

Joe Braun surmises he's been able to watch 50 Brewers games in person this year, which for him represents an all-time high. Like in every job, the time off the elder Braun gets is dependent on his boss.

In this case, that's his older son.

Joe Braun calls himself "semiretired," but he helps run various things around his son's life -- from charity work to the Limelite Fusion Energy Drink he endorses to paying bills. The father even throws his son left-handed batting practice in the offseason.

What kind of boss is Ryan Braun?

"He can be tough at times," Joe said. "[He] wants to know, 'Hey, what was this check you wrote for?' He keeps a good eye on me."

Joe Braun was only half-joking there. He knows how intense his son is about baseball and everything that surrounds it. He caught a glimpse of that after the Brewers won Game 5 of the NL Division Series over the D-backs on Friday, a game that saw Ryan Braun go 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.

Ryan Braun brought his father in to join him in the celebration and to show him around Miller Park. Then, barely two hours after his team had won an extra-inning game to close out a series that was pushed to the absolute limit, Ryan -- still dressed in his uniform and reeking of champagne -- plopped down on a chair and began analyzing video of all of his at-bats from the game, from the series and from September.

"That's his dedication," said Joe Braun, who also got to celebrate with the Brewers when his son's Sept. 23 homer clinched the division. "He's still watching his at-bats, watching the pitchers. That's not surprising. That's just what he does. He studies the game. He's real into all of that, and it's important to him. Good at-bat or not, he still watches that, trying to pick something out. Maybe there's something that gives him that extra edge. He's always looking for that."

Joe coached both his sons every year they were able to play Little League together -- Steve Braun, who was an infielder at the University of Maryland, retired prematurely in 2010 due to vision problems. The two boys also loved soccer, and Joe Braun believes his sons were better soccer players than baseball players by the time they get to high school.

Then everything changed.

And for Ryan Braun, it changed during his first varsity game.

Loe, now in his second year with the Brewers and his seventh year in the Majors, doesn't remember much about how he pitched in that game. But he knows he got the win, and he clearly remembers the impact of a scrawny freshman who wasn't even supposed to be there.

Even though an age gap didn't allow them to get close then, Loe remembers a little something about Braun's personality, too.

"At that age, when I knew him, he acted older than a freshman," Loe said. "He always had a little more maturity than that."

This postseason, the 27-year-old left fielder is displaying that on a much grander stage.

"He wants to be in that moment," Joe Braun said. "He realizes that you're not always going to be successful. But you want that opportunity to be that person and help your team win that game, or keep the game going, or get you into the postseason. He always has lived for those moments."



(mlb.com)

Ryan Braun still has a lot of baseball left to play -- at least four games in a worst-case scenario -- but his blazing start to the postseason (11-for-22, five doubles, two home runs, seven runs and eight RBIs) has us thinking of great October runs. Since the addition of the wild card in 1996, here are eight other great postseason runs.

8. Bernie Williams, 1996 Yankees (15 games, .345/.435/.707, 6 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R, 1.527 WPA*)
Williams carried the Yankees with five home runs through the first two rounds, and while he cooled off the in the World Series, his two-run homer in the eighth in Game 3 gave the Yankees a 4-1 lead, and he went 2-for-4 in the clinching Game 6, including an RBI single off Greg Maddux in the third inning.

* Win Probability Added, from Baseball-Reference.com. The change in win probability for the player's team given the score, situation and outcome of each plate appearance. A change of plus-1 indicates one win added.

7. Manny Ramirez, 2008 Dodgers (8 games, .520/.667/1.080, 4 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, 11 BB, 0.741 WPA)
Ramirez was unstoppable in the 2008 playoffs in going 13-for-25, but it wasn't enough as the Dodgers lost to Phillies in five games in the National League Championship Series.

6. Albert Pujols, 2004 Cardinals (15 games, .414/.493/.793, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 15 R, 1.302 WPA)
Pujols went 5-for-9 with four runs, a home run and three RBIs as the Cardinals beat the Astros in the final two games of the NLCS. And don't blame him for the World Series loss to Boston: He hit .333 (although he failed to drive in a run).

5. Troy Glaus, 2002 Angels (16 games, .344/.420/.770, 7 HR, 13 RBI, 14 R, 1.065 WPA)
He hit three home runs against the Yankees in the American League Division Series, hit .316 in the ALCS and won World Series MVP honors by hitting .385 with three home runs and eight RBIs. His two-run double in the eighth inning of Game 6 gave the Angels a 6-5 lead.

4. Alex Rodriguez, 2009 Yankees (15 games, .365/.500/.808, 5 2B, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 15 R, 1.696 WPA)
For one postseason, A-Rod put it all together. He drove in six runs in each round, drew 12 walks and delivered clutch hits, most notably his two-run homer off Joe Nathan in the bottom of the ninth that tied Game 2 of the division series (a game the Yankees won in the 12th) and his go-ahead double with two outs in the ninth off Brad Lidge in Game 4 of the World Series.

3. Carlos Beltran, 2004 Astros (12 games, .435/.536/1.022, 8 HR, 14 RBI, 21 R, 6 SB, 1.041 WPA)
Amazingly, Beltran holds the record for most runs scored in a single postseason, even though the Astros didn't reach the World Series. He hit four home runs in the division series and four more in the NLCS, made several outstanding catches in center field, drew nine walks ... and went 0-for-3 in a Game 7 loss to the Cardinals (Mets fans nod their heads).

2. Barry Bonds, 2002 Giants (17 games, .356/.581/.978, 8 HR 16 RBI, 18 R, 27 BB, 1.202 WPA)
Bonds had been a .196 hitter with just one home run in 27 previous postseason games entering 2002. He led the Giants to the seventh game of the World Series with a monster effort that included 13 intentional walks. I think his home run off Troy Percival in Game 2 just landed two weeks ago. He went 1-for-3 with a walk in Game 7 of the World Series, but the Giants lost 4-1.

1. David Ortiz, 2004 Red Sox (14 games, .400/.515/.764, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 13 R, 13 BB, 1.865 WPA)
First, he hit a series-winning home run in the bottom of the 10th inning in the ALDS against the Angels. He had a walk-off home run to win Game 4 of the ALCS. In Game 5, he hit a home run in the eighth inning as the Red Sox scored twice to tie it, then delivered the game-winning hit with two outs in the 12th. In Game 7, he hit a two-run bomb in the top of the first. And he hit .308 with four RBIs in a sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series. His 19 RBIs are tied with Sandy Alomar of the 1997 Indians and Scott Spiezio of the 2002 Angels for most in a single postseason.


(espn.com)

Reporting from Milwaukee -- Two pitches. Two swings.

That's how quickly Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder can change momentum for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Braun and Fielder have formed one of the top game-changing duos in the major leagues for some time now, but this was lightning-fast, even for them.

"You might stop one of them, but you're not going to stop both of them," teammate Corey Hart said. "They can turn around a game in a hurry."

Braun and Fielder needed just one pitch apiece to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 lead in the fifth inning Sunday, and the Brewers went on to a 9-6 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at Miller Park.

The Brewers boosted their record to 17-0 at home this year in games started by right-hander Zack Greinke, but with eight hits and six runs given up in six innings, he was far short of his "A" game. In particular, Greinke kept getting hurt with his curveball.

"Every time I threw a curveball, it seemed like they hit it really hard," said Greinke, who picked up the victory thanks to the robust offensive support.

The Brewers bailed out their starting pitcher by scoring six runs in the fifth inning to go up, 8-5. Braun and Fielder did their damage so quickly, St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa couldn't get starter Jaime Garcia out of the game until it was too late.

"They had all of the momentum," Braun said. "And then for us to respond well to that is a great sign of our resiliency, our character as a team."

Hart started the outburst with a single and Jerry Hairston Jr. continued his postseason binge with a double into the left-field corner. Garcia then hung a first-pitch slider to Braun, who drove it the other way into the right-field corner and over the wall on a bounce for a two-run double.

The crowd of 43,613 was still in full roar when Fielder stepped to the plate and also punished a first-pitch slider from Garcia, lining it out to right for a two-run homer that sent decibel levels soaring even higher.

"I don't even know if I heard the ball come off Prince's bat, but I knew it was a good swing and came off nice," Brewers Manager Ron Roenicke said. "You couldn't hear the sound of it because of all the people yelling."

Perhaps the issue was that the baseball exceeded the speed of sound. ESPNstatsinfo.com reported that the ball traveled at a speed of 119.2 mph, the fastest exit of any home run in the majors this season.

"That was one of the hardest-hit balls I've ever seen," said Braun, whose two-run homer in the first against Garcia was more impressive in distance at 463 feet.

"I was standing on second base and I had a good view of it. It got out in a hurry. I'm always worried when I'm on first base and Prince is up that he's going to top-spin one at me."

That was all for Garcia, who frittered away the advantage the Cardinals had built primarily on David Freese's three-run, opposite-field home run in the fourth. Octavio Dotel took over and committed a two-base throwing error after retrieving Rickie Weeks' comebacker, then shot-putting it beyond first baseman Albert Pujols.

That brought to the plate Yuniesky Betancourt, infamous for swinging at the first pitch (and making outs) so often. And he swung at the first offering once again, badly missing a slider well off the plate from Dotel.

This time, however, Betancourt would not be a quick out. Behind in the count, 1-2, he fouled off four consecutive pitches, staying alive until Dotel hung a slider that Betancourt whacked out to left for a two-run homer that allowed the Brewers to put six runs on the board without making an out.

"After the result, I would say it was my best at-bat of the season, but I was just trying to do my job, trying to move the runner over," Betancourt said with the help of an MLB interpreter. "The pitcher hung it a little bit, and I did my job."


(rotoworld.com)

This was a day of emotion: Wild, swinging, and complex. It was a day of anxiety, anger and pride. It was a day of boos and cheers for Jose Reyes, uncertainty about his future, and postgame tears choking a manager's words.

The Mets defeated Cincinnati 3-0 Wednesday to finish the season 77-85, but that result had no impact on the elevated feelings. This circus revolved around Reyes, his attempt to win the first batting title in franchise history, and his looming free agency.

Only one of those reached resolution, after Milwaukee's Ryan Braun went 0-for-4 in a night game, clinching the honor for Reyes. He finished the year at .337, while Braun batted .332.

Many exhausting hours earlier, the last day of school began: Ten minutes before nine in the morning, Reyes arrived alone in the Mets clubhouse.

"I think I slept a couple of hours," he said, his ebullient persona dulled by stress and fatigue. "This year is the first year of my career that I'm going to be a free agent. I don't know what's going to happen, so that's the thing that I'm thinking about."

The batting race did not, however, add to his anxiety; Reyes had a plan for that, and he presented it to Terry Collins. "Before the game, I said, 'If I go 1-for-1, take me out of the game,' Reyes explained when it was over.

He led off the bottom of the first with a bunt single, to lift his league. Then, Justin Turner sprung from the dugout to pinch run.

Some of the still-settling crowd booed, while others cheered for Reyes. Confusion reigned. The jeering was stronger at the end of the inning, but the many in the crowd chanted "Please Stay, Jose" in the ninth.

Internet indignation arose instantly, as it tends to do. Texas Rangers ace C.J. Wilson tweeted, "taking out a star player to preserve his batting average lead...weak! I hope ryan braun goes 5- 5 and wins the title now"

Braun himself declined to criticize Reyes, saying in  Milwaukee, "I respect whatever decision he decided to make, and ultimately he left the door open for me."

Then, after the game, Collins succumbed to emotion. "I heard some comments in the stands, and I don't blame them," the manager said, his voice breaking, and then stopping altogether as he began to cry.

"People pay a good price to come to these games, and they got to understand that I ask these players to do a lot.. We worked hard to get their respect this year, and they deserve ours, so ."

And why was Collins so emotional?

"Pride, very much so," he said.

Said Reyes: "It was kind of tough. I wanted to stay in the game, but they have to understand, too, what's going on. They have to feel happy about it if I win the batting title. I do that for the team, and for the fans, too. Because like I said, they've been supporting me the whole way through."

Still, he knew that he would face criticism. "I don't care what people say," Reyes said. "Last year, I played seven innings. In the seventh inning I came out of the game, the last game."

David Wright defended his longtime friend. "I don't see what the big deal is," Wright said. "You have that many plate appearances, I don't think it's fair criticism to get one more plate appearance."

Several minutes later, while leaving the clubhouse for what might have been the final time, Reyes spotted Wright.

" 'D,' " he said, initiating a firm handshake and hug.

"Keep in touch, OK?" Wright answered.



(nydailynews.com)

Manager Ron Roenicke on Sunday spoke of his goal of getting his stars a game off heading into the playoffs.

As it turns out, tonight is the night for Ryan Braun.

The leftfielder and likely NL MVP favorite is out as the Milwaukee Brewers open up their final regular-season series against the PIttsburgh Pirates at Miller Park.

Interesting to note that Braun is hitting .545 (6 for 11, HR, 3 BB) against Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton (10-10, 3.67 ERA).

Mark Kotsay gets the start in left in Braun's place, and hits third. Also notable is Jerry Hairston Jr. back in the lineup at third base. If he keeps playing the way he has the last few games, Casey McGehee will have a tough time getting back out there.



(jsonline.com)

Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun are both strong MVP candidates for the Milwaukee Brewers. Fielder thinks Braun is putting together the more compelling case.

"MVP year," Fielder said. "He's been outstanding. Batting title possibly, the home runs, stolen bases, RBIs. He's done magnificent."

Braun homered and raised his NL-best batting average to .333, lifting the Brewers to a team-record 55th victory at home, 9-5 over the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

"This is a special year, man," Brewers center fielder Nyjer Morgan said. "I don't want to say too much yet, but yeah, special. Really special."

Every position player had a hit for the NL Central champions before the first out of the third as Milwaukee swept the season series from the Marlins (7-0) for the first time since 1998.

Milwaukee scored three in the second and four in the third before Braun's opposite-field solo shot in the fourth. The sellout crowd again serenaded him with chants of "M-V-P" as it did throughout a memorable weekend.

Braun finished 2 for 3 before leaving after the fifth and leads Mets shortstop Jose Reyes (.331) for the batting title. No Brewers or Mets player has ever won the crown.

"He's the MVP of the league," Morgan said. "Hopefully, (Friday) kind of locked it up for him. I hope that really locked it up. I think it really showed that he should be the MVP."

On Friday, Braun's three-run homer in the eighth inning led Milwaukee to a 4-1 victory and its first division title since winning the AL East in 1982. On Saturday, he drove in two runs as the Brewers rallied from three deficits for a 6-4 win.

In this one, Braun singled and scored in the four-run third before hitting his 33rd homer off reliever Brian Sanches to give Milwaukee an 8-1 lead in the fourth.

"With him, it's plate discipline," manager Ron Roenicke said. "When he's disciplined and swinging at strikes, there's no place to get him out."

Braun has 110 RBIs and a 30-30 season with 31 stolen bases. Fielder is hitting .293 with 35 homers and 114 RBIs.

Braun, Fielder and Rickie Weeks all left the game in the later innings as Roenicke works to give his starters as much rest as he can before the postseason.

"I'm going to keep playing," Fielder said. "Playing every day means a lot to me. Plus, we've got two days off before the playoffs. Nothing's hurt on me. It's not like I'll feel any different."

The Brewers have won seven of nine and need to finish with a better record than NL West champion Arizona to secure home-field advantage in the first round.


(sfexaminer.com)

CHICAGO -- The Brewers are fighting for more than the National League Central title with six games remaining.

Left fielder Ryan Braun went 0-for-4 in Wednesday's loss to the Cubs to slip back below the Mets' Jose Reyes in the race for the NL batting title. Braun's average dropped to .330, one point behind Reyes, whose club was scheduled to play in St. Louis later in the day.

While some players are reluctant to admit they're eyeing the elusive crown, Braun surely isn't one of them.

"I'm paying attention to it," Braun said. "I'm not going to pretend like I'm not. During an at-bat, throughout the course of the game, it's pretty easy to not pay attention to it, because obviously we're playing for a lot more as a team. ... But at the end of the day, I'm looking at where [Reyes] is at."
Over his next three games, Braun will face Marlins pitchers Chris Volstad, Alex Sanabia and Ricky Nolasco. Lifetime, he's .222 (2-for-9) against both Volstad and Nolasco, and he's never faced Sanabia.

Including Wednesday night, Reyes faced matchups with St. Louis' Jake Westbrook and Philadelphia's Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. As impressive as that list sounds, for his career, Reyes entered the stretch a combined .378 (28-for-74) off the quartet, which features three Cy Young Awards, a World Series MVP Award and 14 All-Star appearances.

Should Braun find himself with an edge over Reyes after the Brewers clinch, manager Ron Roenicke expressed an open mind about resting players to preserve statistical milestones.

"You always try to do things for the players," Roenicke said. "These guys bust their butts all year, and if you come down to the end and [a game] doesn't mean anything one way or the other, you take care of the players. They deserve me to stand behind whatever they want to do. Some guys, it's 'I'm playing.' Other guys say, 'I'm fine if you get me a couple of at-bats and get me out of there.'"

That decision, however, is still a few games away. Still, the title of batting champion would be an unparalleled honor for the 27-year-old in his fifth season in the Majors.

"It would be special," Braun said. "I think probably the coolest thing you can win as a hitter is the batting title. It would definitely mean a lot. I think for all of us, we strive for consistency throughout the season. I don't think it's possible to win an award like that without being pretty consistent."


(mlb.com)

In a season in which there are several players in the NL worthy of MVP consideration, the Brewers' Ryan Braun is starting to separate himself from the pack.

Entering play Monday, Braun leads the NL with a .336 batting average, .597 slugging percentage, .997 OPS, 318 total bases and 103 runs scored.

Beyond that, Braun is tied for seventh with 31 homers, is fifth with 103 RBI, tied for fourth with 179 hits, tied for fifth with 36 doubles, fourth with .400 OBP, second with 72 extra-base hits, fifth with a .338 average with runners in scoring position and tied for seventh with 31 stolen bases.
That's quite an argument for MVP, wouldn't you say?

The other top candidates seem to be Braun's teammate Prince Fielder, Arizona's Justin Upton and Los Angeles' Matt Kemp, who is among the top three in nearly every category but won't be helped by the fact that the Dodgers haven't been in the pennant race.

Fielder is first in the majors with 153 games played and has these NL rankings: third with 112 RBI, tied for second with 34 homers, second with a .410 OBP, third with a .550 slugging percentage, fourth with a .960 OPS, fifth with 297 total bases, tied for third with 68 extra-base hits and second with 99 walks.

MVP voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America takes place before the post-season but the results are not announced until after the World Series.


(jsonline.com)

Ryan Braun put another feather in his cap in his NL MVP bid by launching a pair of solo homers in Friday's win over the Reds.

That gives him 30 on the year to go along with his 31 stolen bases, joining Matt Kemp as members of the 30/30 club. Braun also boasts a .330/.396/.590 batting line and is just one RBI away from 100.


(rotoworld.com)

As the 2011 Major League Baseball regular season enters its final few weeks, scoreboard watching is a much a part of a trip to the ballpark as peanuts and Cracker Jacks. In fact, we're willing to wager that scoreboard watching has surpassed Crackers Jacks.

Not only are entire teams -- and fan bases -- watching the game scores to check on the rivals with whom they're jockeying for playoff position, but players are also eyeing their colleagues' performances as they battle for individual honors. Among the awards and distinctions up for grabs over the last two weeks of the season, few are being as hotly contested as the National League batting title.

New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes sped in front of the crowd during a first half when he hit .354 with 124 hits, but Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun raked at a scorching .369 clip in August to briefly take the lead.

Check back each day for the remainder of the season as we track the chase for the 2011 National League batting title. We'll update the slideshow every day with the latest results for both Reyes, Braun and any late-arriving interlopers -- Joey Votto or Matt Kemp, perhaps -- looking to wear the batting crown.


(jsonline.com)

MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun homered leading off the 11th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Rockies 2-1 on Tuesday night to win their sixth straight at home over Colorado.

Prince Fielder also went deep for Milwaukee, which remained 6½ games ahead of second-place St. Louis in the NL Central with 13 to play.
Zack Greinke labored through five innings before the Brewers' bullpen picked him up. LaTroy Hawkins, Takashi Saito, Francisco Rodriguez, John Axford and Kameron Loe (4-7) combined for six scoreless innings.

Fielder homered in the sixth to tie it and it stayed that way until the 11th, when Braun homered off Matt Lindstrom (2-2) and pumped his right fist in excitement before joining the scrum at home plate.


(cbssports.com)

The setting: White linens. Delicate stemware. Cartoonish murals.

The pizza choices: Pepperoni. Sweet potato pie. Sausage and rapini.

Also on the menu: Meatballs. Watermelon-beet salad. Hot wing ravioli.

Wooing customers, behind the scenes: chef Dominic Zumpano, who makes his own Italian sausage, mozzarella cheese, tomato jam, breads and more. Expanding the fan base, but seldom seen: All-Star left fielder Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The restaurant is Ryan Braun's Graffito, riverfront dining in Milwaukee's Third Ward and not your typical Italian restaurant. The former Ryan Braun's Waterfront Grill, sold in late 2010 to the SURG Restaurant Group, reopened with a new personality in April.

The same Major League Baseball player — a top contender for National League MVP — in 2010 assumed a high-profile role at a second Wisconsin restaurant: Ryan Braun's Tavern and Grill, four blocks north of busy Highway 50 in downtown Lake Geneva.

You won't mistake either restaurant for a sports bar, although a few televisions exist at both locations. Think of Graffito as "edgy elegant" and the Tavern/Grill as "classy cozy." Both emphasize Italian fare but have different menus and owners (the Lake Geneva site is a part of restaurateur Tom Romano's investments).

Dinner entrees in Lake Geneva lean more toward traditional offerings and include a soup or salad. Most are under $20. An exception is the R.B.8 mixed grill: pork chop, beef filet, shrimp, mashed potatoes and sauces.

Most entrees at Graffito also are less than $20, but the menu is a la carte. Some entrees involve truffle-drizzled purees or are unusual combinations, like pappardelle (pasta ribbons) with a duck prosciutto and duck ragu. Some diners build a meal by sharing small plates of calamari, bruschetta, stuffed shrimp, marinated olives or soft pretzels with cheese sauce.

Both restaurants serve small pizzas. The four-cheese version in Lake Geneva contains mozzarella, Fontina, Pecorino Romano and Parmesan. At Graffito, it's mozzarella, Fontina, Taleggio and Gorgonzola.

Popular cocktails at the Tavern/Grill include a Bloody Mary that arrives with thick pickle, cucumber and celery spears, plus a skewer of olives stuffed with bleu cheese. "I'd add spicy cheese curds," says our waitress, "but we've gone through so many today that we're out of them."

At Graffito, Italian Sangria arrives as a slightly sweet mix of white wine and citrus juices. On tap is Lakefront Brewery Ale No. 8.

Is the restaurants' namesake an avid cook, involved in menu development or restaurant tone/décor? Maybe one or more menu items are based on family heritage/recipes?

Maybe he's influenced the cocktail menus in some way?

What are the chances that fans will see him there?

It's the wrong time to be asking such questions, says Ken Spindler, who coordinates media relations for the Milwaukee Brewers. "Thanks for the interest, but we won't be able to accommodate your request (for answers to questions) at this time," he says, via email.

"Ryan is focused on the baseball season and we cut back on interviews during the stretch towards the postseason."

Elsewhere, we learn the All-Star player is especially proud of his Jewish roots, that he is generous with fans when his time permits and that his name is his lone significant investment in these businesses. His visits to the restaurants tend to be unannounced.

The University of Miami business management major, drafted by the Brewers in 2005, apparently stays sharp and savvy when away from his day job. "Off the field, Braun capitalizes on business opportunities like he would a bad pitch," states the most recent issue of élevée Lifestyle, part of an enterprise that creates custom, hand-tailored wardrobes for pro athletes and other celebrities.

Besides restaurants, Ryan's name also is associated with a clothing line (remetee.com), baseball bats (getrealbraun.com) and an energy drink (limelitefusiondrink.com).



(greenbaypressgazette.com)

St. Louis - The Milwaukee Brewers have never had a batting champion but they have their best chance in a long time with Ryan Braun.

The all-star leftfielder took over the lead for the National League batting title Sunday, moving up to .335 to pass New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes (.333). He stayed at .335 after a 2-for-5 game in the 4-1 victory over St. Louis.

Braun loves a challenge, so dangling a carrot that close could lead to big things.

"That kind of stuff motivates him," said Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum. "He's very goal-oriented. When he sees an achievement like that, don't put it past him. A couple of years ago he needed a whole bunch of hits the last week to get to 200 and he did it.

"He can go on a tear with the best of them."

Braun and first baseman Prince Fielder are having tremendous seasons, with Fielder entering play Monday as the NL leader with 107 RBI. A national debate already has started about which player is the leading candidate for league most valuable player.

"There's no wrong answer to that," said Brewers rightfielder Corey Hart. "They could definitely finish 1-2. I don't know which way you go but I could see them being the top two. Either way you go, nobody could argue.

"That's going to help us as a team because they'll keep pushing. They're very competitive. They fight for each other but they compete with each other, too.

" 'Braunie' has put himself in good position (for the batting title). And he's one of those guys who's never satisfied. The pressure never gets to him. He always seems to rise to the occasion.

"I don't think he came into the year thinking about winning the batting title but as soon as it's in front of him, that motivates him even more. I don't think he's going to let it get way from him."


(jsonline.com)

Don't include Ryan Braun among players who say they ignore their individual statistics.

"Nowadays, between the media, your statistics being on the scoreboard every time you hit and people asking you asking questions, it's impossible not to know where you stand," Braun said Monday before the Brewers met the Cardinals.

The Brewers left fielder likes where he stands these days.

On the strength of an 18-for-42 showing over his past 11 games, Braun has passed Jose Reyes for the lead in the N.L. batting race. He entered Monday's game against the Cardinals hitting .335, two points ahead of the ailing Reyes.

And yes, Braun is very aware.

"It's not something you give a lot of thought to until you get to this point in the season and it becomes real," he said. "The goal is always to be consistent. When you hit for a high average over the course of a season, it means you've been consistent. It's definitely something I'm proud of but the goal is to be where I am in three and a half week, not today."

Braun also leads the N.L. with 95 runs and a .994 OPS, which make him a leading contender for MVP honors. His closest competition looks to be Dodgers CF Matt Kemp, who ranks top three in average (.320), homers (32) and RBIs (105), and Brewers teammate Prince Fielder. Hitting cleanup behind Braun, Fielder leads the N.L. with 107 RBIs and is second with a .407 OBP, just ahead of Braun at .404.

"They're both having great years," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said.

While Braun knows all about new-wave numbers, he remains old school in his thinking.

"The two most important statistics that get lost because they're coming up with a new statistic every day are runs scored and runs driven in," Braun said. "Those statistics are dependent upon teammates but they still are the two most important statistics in the game, without a doubt."
He should know, considering all the numbers he doesn't ignore.


(sportingnews.com)

Ryan Braun's teammates were not going to allow him to get away with his pratfall on the bases Wednesday night without having some fun.

Pitchers Yovani Gallardo and Shaun Marcum and bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel went to considerable expense to put outlines of Brauns' tumble on the field today, using athletic tape for the police-like "chalk" outlines of victims.

They had two outlines on the field, representing the initial landing and then the second fall upon trying to get up. Particularly ingenius was the use of a protective screen used during BP to put an outline in "the air," representing Braun going airborne after rounding third on what could have been an inside-the-park homer against St. Louis.

That's a bat taped to the ground, by the way, to represent the "speed bump" that Braun tripped over.

Batting practice was optional today and Braun did not go out to hit, so he presumably didn't see his teammates' elaborate prank. But he did hear about it.

"That's OK if he doesn't see it," said third baseman Casey McGehee. "We can still laugh at it."

Braun did say he had received considerable trash talk via text messages, phone messges and e-mails from various folks about his spectacular pratfall. He lost balance rounding third and went down hard, getting tagged out for what became an RBI triple instead of an inside-the-park homer.

"The further I get away from it, the funnier it becomes," he said. "There's nothing you can do about it. There's no reason not to laugh about it. You can't go back and change anything.

"I think if I had been able to get up after the first time I fell, I still would have made it. I had it easy.

"I think I tried to increase my stride. I saw (third base coach) Eddie (Sedar) sending me and I got excited and tried to run faster than I needed to and lost my form. My stride got too long. I felt it coming. Not much you can do at that point."

Braun admitted he didn't break hard out of the box, which wouldn't have stopped a inside-the-parker had he not fallen.

"I was watching the ball to see if (CF Allen Craig) was going to catch it or not," said Braun. "I still had plenty of time to score. I don't think it would have affected me in any way.

"I'm fortunate I didn't get hurt. I've got a lot of trash talk. Every one of my friends who play another sport, all my basketball and football friends, are texting me, talking about lack of athleticism. I take a lot of pride in my athleticism so I've been getting a lot of trash talked to me."

That included former NBA star Reggie Miller, a friend and California neighbor who was at the game and was shown laughing heartily after Braun's stumble. The two had dinner after the game.

"He was laughing about it," said Braun.

As for the outlines created on the field by his teammates, Braun said, "I'm not even going out. I won't go out until right before the game so I'll probably miss it. I'll check it out at some point.

"Baseball's always weird that way. It's a crazy game, an unexplainable game. You  just move on to the next one."

Braun, who had a hamstring injury earlier in the year, said he escaped unharmed physically. Just a bruised ego. And those "chalk" outlines.


(jsonline.com)

Ryan Braun continued his MVP push on Tuesday, notching two doubles, two walks, two RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases as the Brewers dumped the Pirates 11-4.

It’s hard to have a night much better night than that. Now batting .328/.399/.586 to go along with 85 RBI and 28 stolen bases, Braun has likely been the best offensive player in the National League this season.


(rotoworld.com)

Ryan Braun went 3-for-5 with a double, RBI, two runs scored and two stolen bases as the streaking Brewers won again on Sunday, downing the Mets 6-2 in New York.

The Brewers are now an amazing 22-3 over their past 25 games. Braun is hitting .362 with four home runs, 13 RBI and seven stolen bases in that timespan. Up to 26 swipes on the season, he has a legitimate shot at a 30-30 campaign. He should be given a long look for the National League's MVP award.



(rotoworld.com)

St. Louis -- Just spoke to Ryan Braun in the clubhouse here at Busch Stadium and there's nothing nefarious going on with regard to his night off.

"I'm good. Just a day off," he said. "We talked about it last night. It's still kind of part of our plan with this hamstring thing to just try to stay as close as possible to 100 percent."

With regard to the timing -- the Brewers eyeing a possible sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals -- Braun said the focus is on the bigger picture. Specifically, keeping him healthy the rest of the way.

"The goal is to be as close to 100 percent for as many games as possible," he said. "If taking one game now allows us to do that, then I think it's in my best interest and the team's best interest.

"Plus, whenever (Mark) Kotsay plays, it seems like he does well, so I have plenty of belief in his ability to go out there and contribute and help us win."

Kotsay, as Braun mentioned, will take Braun's place in left and in the No. 3 hole in the lineup. With right-hander Chris Carpenter going for the Cardinals, Kotsay's left-handed bat should help.

Braun entered Thursday 1 for 9 in the series (.111) and 6 for 23 (.261) with one RBI on the road trip.

"Overall, I feel great. But I think the timing of the day off works -- the last couple nights I haven't swung the bat too well," he said. "Sometimes when you go though something like that, you get a day off, you feel better physically. And mentally, it's nice to get a break once in a while."
Braun, by the way, is 4 for 18 (.222) with a home run and two RBI career against Carpenter.

"I've done OK. Not great," he said. "I don't think anybody has really done great against Carpenter. He's obviously been one of the tougher pitchers in the league his entire career."

Interesting to note that Carpenter is 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA in two starts against the Brewers this season.



(jsonline.com)

Ryan Braun went 3-for-4 with a double, RBI and stolen base in Milwaukee's 8-1 win over the Astros on Friday.

The RBI was Braun's 74th of the season, while the stolen base was his 20th, giving him the second 20-20 season of his five-year career. He's sporting an elite .329/.400/.586 triple slash.


(msnbc.com)

MILWAUKEE -- Cardinals reliever Jason Motte said he was following the calls from his catcher and that it wouldn't have been wise to purposely hit Ryan Braun with the situation the Cardinals were in.

He, like his manager Tony La Russa, insisted that the pitch that plunked Ryan Braun on Tuesday night was not intentional. Saying otherwise would certainly invite punishment and a fine from Major League Baseball.

Regardless, he did offer a look at what the Cardinals, already 3 1/2 games back in the division, did risk by putting Braun on just to prove a point or defend their own.

"It looked bad, but it is what it is," Motte said. "I didn't do it on purpose. It wasn't intentional. Did it look bad? Yeah. We're at their place. I could hear them booing when I walked off the field. I knew what they were booing for.

"It wasn't intentional. In a game that we just came back and tied it in the top half of that inning, to go out there and put a guy like Braun on who has got speed with the guys they have coming up in that lineup -- in those situations, the leadoff guy scores 90 percent of the time. It's one of those things -- that's the last thing I wanted to do."

Motte said that he was following Molina's pitch calls in the at-bat. He started with a cutter that floated away from Braun, and then he struck with the two fastballs well inside of the plate.

"Yadi called fastball in. And I had to try and get the ball in," Motte recalled this morning for reporters. "Then 2-0, he called another fastball in, and I was like, ‘OK. I'll just try to get it in there.' Obviously I got too much in there. I really wasn't thinking about that (the plunking of Albert Pujols in the previous inning). I know what happened the inning before. I wasn't out there trying to hit him. I wasn't out there trying. It probably didn't look good. The truth of the matter is I was trying to get in there, especially 2-0 I didn't want to leave something belt high, up out over. I obviously went in too much."


(stltoday.com)

MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun feels he's at full strength at just the right time for the Milwaukee Brewers.

One day after losing All-Star second baseman Rickie Weeks to a severe ankle sprain, Braun had three hits, including a home run, to lead the Brewers to a series sweep with a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Braun had a nagging calf injury in the days before the All-Star game and missed playing in the game in Phoenix, but since he came back he's heated up with five homers in 12 games.

"I feel good," he said. "I'm swinging better. I feel like my approaches have been good and I've been swinging at strikes. When I do that, the results are usually pretty good."

Braun said the entire team needs to step up with Weeks out for between two and six weeks. The Brewers put Weeks on the 15-day disabled list before the game.

"Whenever you lose someone like Rickie, you can't replace him with one player," he said. "Collectively, we all have to play better. It is not something we wanted to happen, but it did and we have to move on and hope he gets back quickly."


(ap.com)

Ryan Braun went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in Tuesday's 3-2 win against the Cubs.

Braun is 6-for-11 with two homers and three RBI since missing a couple days with a calf issue. He has four homers and seven RBI in his last six games. Braun is hitting a sweltering .326/.402/.588 on the season.


(rotoworld.com)

Ryan Braun made it through Tuesday's game "really good," according to Brewers manager Ron Roenicke and is back in the lineup Wednesday.
"He came out of it really good," said Roenicke. "He's not sore at all. That's a good sign." Roenicke pulled Braun after five innings Tuesday, as they're trying to limit him a much as possible while he nurses his calf ailment. It's not clear how many innings Braun will play Wednesday. When asked if the outfielder would be able to play every remaining game on the trip, Roenicke said, "I hope so. We'll see how it goes."


(rotoworld.com)

PHOENIX -- Ryan Braun returned to the Milwaukee lineup and hit the second of the Brewers' three first-inning home runs in an 11-3 rout of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.

Corey Hart and Yuniesky Betancourt also homered in the first inning for Milwaukee, which won for the third time in four games to remain one game behind first-place Pittsburgh in the NL Central.

Betancourt added a two-run homer in the ninth for his first career two-homer game and Rickie Weeks had a solo shot in the third.

Yovani Gallardo (11-6) allowed three runs - one earned - and four hits over six innings with a walk and six strikeouts.

Brandon Allen hit a towering home run into the second-deck luxury suites for the Diamondbacks, who have lost five of six.


(forbes.com)

Phoenix - Manager Ron Roenicke said today that he still doesn't think left fielder Ryan Braun will end up on the DL despite his lingering left leg injury that has him out of the starting lineup for the 10th time in 13 games.

"Just talking to (trainer) Roger (Caplinger), I still don't think that's what it's going to be," Roenicke said of a possible DL stint. "But you always get concerned when an injury isn't healing up the way you want it to.

"Roger thinks it's getting better. But if it doesn't (continue), we're going to have to start talking about (a DL stint). If it's not progressing, than I would worry about it. But when Roger tells me it's getting better all the time, I feel OK. It's not coming along real fast.

"A lot of Ryan's game is his legs. He had two or three ground balls in that Colorado that he would have beat out normally. Because he can't run, they 're outs. He relies on his speed in the outfield, too. When you don't have the speed you're used to having, it changes his game.

"We're going day by day. I'm hoping he can play tomorrow."

The news was much better today on right-hander Shaun Marcum, who left the game Sunday in Colorado with a neck strain suffered making a diving play on a bunt. Marcum went to a chiropractor today and said he had "immediate" relief.

"It was a couple of things out of place. He adjusted them," said Marcum. "I should be good to go now. As soon as he did it, I said, 'That felt good.' It was immediate improvement."

Marcum said he expects to make his next start Friday in San Francisco.

"I plan on it," he said. "I don't see any reason why not." 

I know many of you are wondering why Yuniesky Betancourt is back at short today after Josh Wilson started there Saturday and Sunday and went 4-for-8. Basically, Roenicke said he's not ready to bench Betancourt despite his substandard play.

"The longer I play him, the longer 'Yuni' sits out," said Roenicke. "I don't want 'Yuni' sitting out too long. I still want him to have the opportunity to get it back together. We'll see how tonight's game goes. I may have Josh back in there tomorrow or the next day."

As for future plans at short, Roenicke said, "It's who is playing better. I don't know if it's strickly 50-50 (in splitting time).

"Right now, (Wilson) is playing better. I saw Josh a lot when he was with the Mariners. I know what Josh is. He's a really valuable player to have, and when he's swinging the bat well, I like putting him back out there. Probably if Casey (McGehee) didn't have that real good game yesterday, Josh probably would have been at third base.

"Whoever is out there doing well, I'd like them to have the opportunity to play more."

Because Wilson is a career .230 hitter, I asked Roenicke if he assumed he couldn't sustain his recent hitting surge.

"Sometimes, different atmospheres help," said Roenicke. "And because he started off well with us, sometimes your mind set changes. If you struggled the first few games, that makes it a lot more difficult to turn it around, especially when you're an extra player.

"I know he is a good defender. Offensively, I didn't know what he would do, especially coming off the bench."


(jsonline.com)

Despite having to be removed from Saturday's game, Ryan Braun said his left calf is "making progress."

"It's definitely not easy," he said. "But we're making progress, it's heading in the right direction, and hopefully I'll be able to be full-go soon." Though Braun admitted he "can't run yet, to be honest with you," it doesn't sound like he'll be needing a trip to the disabled list, at least not at this time. That said, it's definitely a concern moving forward.


(rotoworld.com)

Hitter-friendly Coors Field was anything but for the Brewers on Friday night.

Milwaukee was stifled by Rockies rookie right-hander Juan Nicasio, who was dominant in twirling seven shutout innings on the way to defeating the Brewers, 4-0, in front of 35,044.

Nicasio allowed the Brewers' only four hits, while striking out four and walking none. Nicasio pounded the strike zone with a fastball that reached 97 mph.

Ryan Braun went 0-for-3, snapping his 23-game hitting streak, the third-longest in team history. He also broke a string of 24 straight games with a hit against the Rockies.

The Brewers have lost the first two games of a season-long 11-game road trip, dropping their record away from Miller Park to 16-31.


(wjfw.com)

DENVER -- Thursday's game between the Brewers and Rockies at Coors Field marked the start to the season's second half, but it seemed more like Opening Day to Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun.

After missing eight games with a left calf strain, Braun was back in the lineup on Thursday, starting in left field and hitting third.

"I woke up excited knowing I was going to have an opportunity play a baseball game again," said Braun, who doubled in his first at-bat to extend his hitting streak to 23 games. "It feels like it's been awhile."

Braun said he knew after his All-Star workout in Phoenix on Tuesday he would be ready to go in the Brewers' first game back from the break. During that session, Braun said he ran, took batting practice, threw long toss and went through a treatment session with Brewers assistant athletic trainer Dan Wright, who was part of the National League All-Star staff.

"It helped a lot," Braun said of being able to work with Wright. "He was able to oversee the treatment the whole time, so instead of having to kind of start over with somebody, he had a really good idea of exactly what the injury was, where it was, and what we needed to do to get back to 100 percent. I feel very fortunate that he was there and very thankful that he helped me as much as he did."

Bruan said it was reduced tightness in his calf that assured him he was ready to go on Thursday.

"Soreness is not an issue, it's tightness," Bruan said. "Tightness can be a precursor to it getting worse, so it's a matter of how tight it is. But I had never dealt with an injury in either of my legs before, so it's hard for me to figure out exactly what's the amount of pain I should be able to work through and how much is an indication that I could be doing more damage than good to it."

Convinced Braun wouldn't be doing more damage, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said he found pleasure in penciling Braun's name into the three-hole in the lineup.

"He feels well enough that he's going to play," Roenicke said. "We won't push, but we'll just how it goes the first game and see where we're at."


(mlb.com)

Check out our new MLB U All Stars wallpaper featuring Gaby Sanchez, Chris Perez and Ryan Braun who all made tonight’s MLB All Star Game. Congrats to all three players on a great first half of the MLB Season. Click here to download our MLB U All Stars Wallpaper and many other ones or click above on proCanes Wallpapers. Enjoy and stay tuned to more wallpapers in the near future.

Check out our new MLB U All Stars wallpaper featuring Gaby Sanchez, Chris Perez and Ryan Braun who all made tonight’s MLB All Star Game. Congrats to all three players on a great first half of the MLB Season. Click here to download our MLB U All Stars Wallpaper and many other ones or click above on proCanes Wallpapers. Enjoy and stay tuned to more wallpapers in the near future.

Ryan Braun (calf) continues to perform baseball activities and is still hoping to return to the Brewers' lineup on Thursday for the first game of the second half.

Braun hasn't played since tweaking the calf on July 2, but he's been able to take batting practice and do fielding drills without any issues the last few days. Barring a setback, he should be in the lineup Thursday against the Rockies.



(rotworld.com)

2011 MLB proCane All Stars Gaby Sanchez and Ryan Braun take a photo together as they enjoy the 2011 MLB HR Derby. Ryan Braun sat out the HR Derby and All Star Game due to a calf injury. It was Gaby Sanchez’s first All Star Game.





(twitter.com)

Check out our new MLB U All Stars wallpaper featuring Gaby Sanchez, Chris Perez and Ryan Braun who all made tonight’s MLB All Star Game. Congrats to all three players on a great first half of the MLB Season. Click here to download our MLB U All Stars Wallpaper and many other ones or click above on proCanes Wallpapers. Enjoy and stay tuned to more wallpapers in the near future.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Braun is disappointed he won't be able to play in the All-Star game, and expects to return from a lingering calf injury when the Milwaukee Brewers resume the season in Colorado on Thursday.

Braun was not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against Cincinnati and has missed the past seven games with a left calf strain. Brewers manager Ron Roenicke says Braun would be available as a pinch hitter Sunday, but likely only in a critical situation.

Braun says he will participate in All-Star festivities but will not play in Tuesday's game. He says he's disappointed about missing out on an "incredible experience" but is focused on getting healthy.



(usatoday.com)

Although he sat out his fifth consecutive game Thursday with an upper-left calf strain, Milwaukee Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun continues to make progress.

With an MRI confirming Wednesday that the injury is inflammation and nothing more serious, it's looking more likely he'll be able to play at some point this weekend in the team's four-game series with the Cincinnati Reds at Miller Park.

"I don't know if it'll be tomorrow, but I'm hoping Saturday or Sunday," manager Ron Roenicke said. "So yeah, I'd probably be surprised if he didn't come back."

Braun, who suffered a minor setback Wednesday after taking batting practice Tuesday, is focused on getting better rather than trying to speed his comeback and winding up making matters worse.

"Obviously I don't want to be stupid about it," he said. "The last thing I want to do is rush back and then have either a setback where it's something that keeps me out for a long period of time, or have it get to the point where it something that's going to nag and be there for the second half.

"The goal obviously is trying to get as close to 100% before coming back."

One interesting twist is that Roenicke said he wouldn't have an issue with Braun playing in the All-Star Game on Tuesday at Chase Field in Phoenix - as long as he's completely healed before doing so.

Braun, hitting .320 with 16 home runs, 61 runs batted in and 19 stolen bases, was the leading vote-getter in the National League and is poised to make his fourth consecutive start in the midsummer classic.

"The thing with me is, yeah, if he can't go here and he's trying to force it to the All-Star Game, I would not want him to do it," Roenicke said. "But if he's playing the All-Star Game and he's 100% healthy, then maybe that's a good game to play because if he doesn't play in it and he comes back on Thursday, we're talking 11 days without him playing a game.

"Actually (bench coach) Jerry Narron mentioned that to me yesterday - if he's 100% healthy, maybe it's a good idea to have him play that game. At least he gets a couple at-bats and he's out there in the field, and now the length of time (between games) isn't so great."

If Braun were to aggravate his injury in the All-Star Game, the Brewers wouldn't be able to back-date him to July 3 - the day after he originally hurt himself in Minnesota - if they had to put him on the disabled list.

Instead, they'd have to put him on the DL retroactive to July 13, the day after the All-Star Game.


(jsonline.com)

MILWAUKEE -- If every cheesehead in Wisconsin -- all 5.6 million residents -- had cast an All-Star Game vote for Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun, they still could not have accounted for his record-setting total.

Braun's final tally was 5,928,004 votes, tops among all National League players this season and in any season before, and nearly 10 times the population of the city of Milwaukee. Braun broke the NL balloting record set by Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols in 2009.

"It's surprising, it's exciting, it's humbling, it's a lot of things," Braun said.

It's either a sign that Wisconsinites took the "vote 25 times per day" mantra seriously, or that Braun was drawing on the sort of national appeal usually reserved for pro athletes up north in Green Bay.

It's probably both.

"He's a superstar," said teammate Prince Fielder.

So is Fielder, which is why he ranked second of all NL players with more than 4.8 million votes, surging past fellow first basemen Pujols and Joey Votto -- the last two NL Most Valuable Player Award winners -- for starting honors. Rickie Weeks won the balloting at second base, giving the Brewers three All-Star Game starters for the first time.

For the 27-year-old Braun, it's business as usual, even though he has been sidelined with a strained left calf. This will be his fourth consecutive fan-elected start in the Midsummer Classic, the first NL outfielder so honored since Barry Bonds was elected to make five straight starts from 2000-04. Braun has said that if he doesn't play leading up to the All-Star Game, he will not play on Tuesday at Chase Field in Phoenix.

If you think a player from little Milwaukee, Major League Baseball's smallest media market, cannot have a big-time national profile, think again.

"There's no question that the city of Milwaukee has embraced him -- you could argue that they are the best fans in the league, judging by the way they supported Ryan and Rickie and Prince," said Nez Balelo of CAA Sports, Braun's longtime agent. "But for Ryan to lead the National League in votes, it's more than just the support of local fans. I think it shows people around the country recognize what he brings to the table."

CAA Sports represents the likes of Derek Jeter, LeBron James, Peyton Manning, David Beckham, Sidney Crosby, Jimmie Johnson and Shaun White. The agency has helped Braun build an off-the-field portfolio that includes a clothing line (Remetee), a fusion energy drink (Limelite), two Wisconsin restaurants and a line of wood bats bearing Braun's initials and uniform No. 8.

Those business endeavors are in addition to Braun's endorsements, including national deals with AirTran Airways and Muscle Milk.

But the primary focus has not changed, Balelo said. Braun is a baseball player first, and everything else comes second.

"Ryan has figured out how to balance his social life, his business life and his day job," Balelo said. "It takes a special person to be able to do those things, and he seems to be able to accomplish that.

"There's no question that the game takes precedence over everything, because if you're not performing on the field, the votes go away, the popularity goes away, the business opportunities go away."

Since the day he debuted for the Brewers with a two-run double in San Diego, Braun has been sensational. He won the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year Award as a third baseman, shifted to left field the next season and is a .309 hitter with 144 home runs and 482 RBIs in his first 662 games. He has finished in the top 15 in NL MVP Award balloting after each of his three full seasons. He has won three Silver Slugger Awards. He is one of five players in history to hit at least 125 homers with a .300 average over his first four seasons, joining Joe DiMaggio, Chuck Klein, Pujols and Ted Williams. He hit one of the biggest home runs in Milwaukee baseball history, a go-ahead blast in the final regular-season game in '08 for a win that pushed the Brewers to the postseason for the first time in 26 years.

Along the way, Braun has maintained his style. If you're a Cardinals fan, you probably see it as arrogance. If you're a Brewers fan, Braun has swagger.

"I think it's awesome that he's confident," said Fielder, who plays with some swagger of his own. "He's not a jerk, by any means. I think it's awesome when you know how to be confident without coming off as arrogant. He's confident in what he does, and he should be.

"Brauny has done nothing but play hard since he came into the league, and he's made himself a superstar. I'm very proud of him and how well he's done for himself."

The statistical achievements have added up. In 2008, Braun signed a seven-year, $45 million contract extension that set a record for a player with less than one year of Major League service. Then, this April, he inked another extension on top of the one already in place, a megadeal that runs through at least 2020, pays another $105 million and positions Braun to be this generation of Milwaukee fans' Robin Yount.
Yount played all 20 of his Hall of Fame seasons in a Brewers uniform.

"I think people look at what he did with his contract situation and I think it's so rare in today's game, that I think it meant a lot to the fans," Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. "To see a guy that maybe could go somewhere else, maybe get more money; I don't know, but I think they see the loyalty from a guy who wants to be in a place and I think fans all want that from baseball players. I think they really want that."

"It happened with Robin, when the fans see a guy committed [to one team] like that, they're going to put a lot of votes in," said former Brewers infielder Jim Gantner. "And Braun deserves it."

It probably goes both ways. An argument can be made that Braun, the Southern California kid who played at the University of Miami before finding a home in Milwaukee, has influenced the Brewers' building project as much off the field as on it.

The team's relative success over the past five seasons has helped general manager Doug Melvin score more wins in his longtime battle convincing free agents and trade targets that Milwaukee is an attractive place to play. It helped convince Zack Greinke to waive his no-trade clause in December after declining a deal to Washington.

With more wins come larger crowds and more television time, and with those factors come more All-Star votes. With more votes come three All-Star starters.

"It kind of means the Milwaukee Brewers have arrived on the national scene," Braun said. "It's special for all of us to go there together and represent the Brewers and the city of Milwaukee. Ultimately, it's a reward for having a good half as a team."


(mlb.com)

Ryan Braun is having a mighty good year.

There's that baseball thing - starting lineup for Tuesday's All-Star Game, on pace to surpass his 2010 totals for home runs and RBI - but I'm talking about his restaurant in the Third Ward.

OK, so it's not his restaurant per se; the Brewers leftfielder's name is used as part of a licensing agreement with the SURG group, the new owners as of this year.

Whatever. It seems the good mojo Braun possesses in the ballpark has carried over to Ryan Braun's Graffito.

The food is more focused than it was last year, when the restaurant was Ryan Braun's Waterfront and the menu expansive to a fault.

Also better: Service was consistently good, and the dining room and bar area's décor have been warmed up a bit. Still, a Brewers fan expecting to find a sports bar will find nothing of the sort, even if the TVs in the lounge area are tuned to games and there's a framed action-shot of Braun hanging in the bar.

This time, the menu seems more personal, thanks to chef Dominic Zumpano, who helped open SURG's Umami Moto downtown several years ago. It's Italian-influenced cooking that's from scratch; that includes pasta and pizza doughs, bread and soft cheeses.

The menu travels around Italy and delivers fresh takes as well as familiar favorites. The food's flourishes and sensibilities make clear Zumpano's fine-dining background.

Graffito couldn't resist some ballpark/sports-bar nods on the menu, though: a paper cone of hot-from-the-oven pretzel bites ($7) with aged-cheddar and mustard sauces for dipping; mozzarella en carozza ($7), mozzarella sticks' classier cousin, wrapped in rich egg bread; the Mangia burger ($12), juicy and chef-ed up with charcuterie (lardo and speck) and tomato jam on a thick bun made in-house; and a wink toward Buffalo wings with ravioli (two sizes, $14 and $18) that are filled with house-made ricotta and topped with shredded chicken in hot sauce and Gorgonzola.

Graffito, from the Italian for "scratch," ties in to the kitchen's scratch cookery, as the servers will tell you. (It's also a great excuse to install a graffiti-style mural - spot Miller Park in there, and other baseball tie-ins - by artist Fred Kaems, also a server at Carnevor, on a couple of walls.)

That scratch cooking is key here. What a treat to have fresh, crusty ciabatta bread and dip it in olive oil, roasted garlic, olives and Parmigiano that have been combined tableside by the server. Or firm, fresh pappardelle ($15), the ribbons tossed with a light duck ragu and accented with shards of prosciutto made from duck as well.

Graffito starts off with nearly a dozen small plates - probably a couple more than it needs, but it's a good assortment for tables to share as appetizers or for a diner to design a meal of varying tastes and textures.

Bruschetta ($8), for example, in one jar presents herbed ricotta that's been made in-house, and in another, tomato jam with roasted tomatoes, with a stack of toasted ciabatta on the side. It's a presentation that evades soggy toasts and makes the best use of tomatoes before they're at their peak in Wisconsin.

The scallop small plate ($14) is a must-have: a single, large, perfect seared scallop on a bed of al dente risotto with white truffle oil and topped with more of that tomato jam, with prosciutto and basil oil for flavor accents.

And gnocchi ($8) served in a spicy Bolognese sauce were made with a light hand, letting the little dumplings' potato flavor shine through.
Most of the other pastas that are served as entrées now come in two sizes, after grumblings from diners that portion sizes were too small.
When it comes to entrées, the broad spectrum delivered full flavors as well.

On the one hand, there were dishes like a fairly classic, robust osso buco ($33): savory veal shank paired with perfect saffron risotto. No marrow spoon, but don't miss the treat inside the shank's bone.

On the other, there was soft-shell crab ($19), a seasonal dish that departs the menu next week, pleasingly crisp and light with its accompaniment of farro tossed with fennel, asparagus and roasted red pepper. The dish's master stroke was a grilled tangerine half, a most vivid flavor with the crab and the grain.

There are more entrées like that crab, essentially contemporary American but given a slight Italian accent - such as hearty, tender Kobe-style skirt steak ($27) sliced and fanned over potato purée that's made creamy with Fontina cheese. It's served with broccoli rabe and plentiful garlic slivers.

Graffito also has about a half-dozen thin-crust pizzas that serve one or two; it's more than the restaurant needs to offer. They're good - like one covered in crumbles of house-made spicy Italian sausage and broccoli rabe ($11) - but these aren't what make the restaurant a destination.
Desserts could, though. Some are simple but satisfying - a scoop of pink grapefruit sorbetto ($4), perhaps, tasting like the very essence of grapefruit, or a take on bombolini ($6), small doughnuts that here are served with chocolate and raspberry dipping sauces.

Some desserts are SURG head pastry chef Kurt Fogle's usual dazzling sweet endings, executed here by pastry chef Allie Howard. There's chocolate-hazelnut mousse cake ($6), a velvety dome heightened with a sprinkle of sea salt. Or a recent special, the chocolate cremeux ($6), an intensely chocolate cream so smooth it would make silk envious, served with blackberry sauce and salted caramel gelato. Amazing. No, this is definitely not a sports bar.

Menu misfires were few. Dunk the calamari ($11) into the roasted red pepper coulis and skip the sweet limoncello crème fraîche. Delicate, thin veal cutlets ($22) simply got lost in their Parmigiano-crumb breading.

And saltimbocca ($17) was a fine dish, presented in a fresh way: two chicken quarters with crisp skin and creamy polenta, with dried prosciutto and fried sage. But fans of saltimbocca undoubtedly will compare it with the classic version, which fuses the bold flavors of prosciutto and sage with the meat. As good as Graffito's version is, the whole still is greater than the sum of its deconstructed parts.

There's not much that was missing from Graffito, but . . . an Italian restaurant without an espresso machine? That's like pasta without sauce. Chalk it up to various delays; the restaurant just got its machine this week.

It does have smart cocktails and a reasonably priced list of mostly Italian wines. Most important, Graffito offers a successful menu and pays attention to good service. Looks like a winning season, all right.


(jsonline.com)

The Milwaukee Brewers received some good news, and Ryan Braun got some peace of mind when an MRI was performed on his ailing left calf Wednesday.

The exam revealed no structural damage in Braun's leg, only inflammation. He missed his fourth consecutive game, but at least he knows he does not have a long-term injury.

"More than anything, it's nice to know what we're dealing with," Braun said. "We wanted to make sure there was nothing torn, nothing serious, that we're not doing any long-term damage. Now we know how to attack it, I guess."

Braun was sent for the test after he reported to Miller Park with increased soreness in the leg. That soreness was the result of a pregame workout Tuesday during which Braun hoped to be cleared to play, which didn't happen.

"I think it was the best-case result," Braun said. "They said the only thing that could have been better was if it was more in the muscle. It's kind of more hamstring than calf. It's in a tendon behind my knee that's in between the calf and the hamstring. It doesn't get as much blood flow as a muscle does.

"I'm not in pain or anything like that. It's just that, unfortunately, I'm not able to do baseball activities. The goal is to minimize the time missed. It's more beneficial to miss a little time now than a long time down the road."

Braun said he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to play in the upcoming four-game series against Cincinnati.

"I hope so," he said. "I honestly don't know."

Braun did say if he can't play against the Reds, he would pull out of the All-Star Game. He was voted by the fans for the fourth consecutive year to start in the National League outfield.

"That's not fair (to the Brewers)," Braun said. "My priority is to this team and being healthy and staying healthy for the whole second half.

"Everything right now is risk vs. reward. To rush back for the All-Star Game wouldn't be fair for what we're trying to accomplish here. The most important thing is getting back on the field. Rushing back for an All-Star Game doesn't make sense."


(jsonline.com)

Coral Gables, Fla. - Former University of Miami baseball player and current Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun leads three former Hurricanes on the list of Major League Baseball All-Star Game participants released Sunday, July 3. Joining Braun are Florida Marlins first baseman Gaby Sanchez and Cleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez.

Ryan Braun and Gaby Sanchez will suit up for the National League All-Stars, while Chris Perez will play for the American League in the 82nd Annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday, July 12, at Phoenix's Chase Field.

Braun, a starting outfielder for the Milwaukee Brewers, will start for the NL All-Stars as he totes a .320 batting average on the year - the highest for the fifth-year MLB player at this point of the season in his career. He ended the 2007 season with a .324 average on his way to being named NL Rookie of the Year. Braun also carries an on-base percentage of .402, as well as a slugging percentage of .559 on the campaign for the Brewers.

On the year, Braun leads the Brewers in batting average, hits (98) and stolen bases (19).

Gaby Sanchez, now in his fourth year as a member of the Florida Marlins, will serve as a reserve infielder for the NL All-Stars, carrying a .292 average at the dish on the year for the fish. Sanchez owns a .473 slugging percentage with a .365 on-base average. Since making his major league debut on September 17, 2008, Sanchez has batted .279 with 34 home runs and 135 RBI. The Miami native has 13 of his 34 homers this year, in addition to 40 of his 114 career runs scored.

Not only does Sanchez lead the Marlins in batting average, but he also tops the team in RBI (46) - one ahead of Mike Stanton. He also leads in hits (92), while sitting second in home runs behind Stanton (16).

Cleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez is making his first appearance on the AL All-Star roster in what is now his fourth season in the MLB. Perez owns a 2-3 record on the hill in 2011, with an ERA of 2.37. He has appeared in 33 games for the Indians and registered a team-leading 19 saves on the campaign. His career-best is 23 saves recorded last year with the Indians.


(hurricanesports.com)

MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun is getting close to taking the field but his strained left calf still isn't at 100 percent.

Braun was out on the field during Tuesday's pregame activities, but manager Ron Roenicke said he's still concerned about the slugger re-injuring himself when he runs out of the box, and did not put Braun in the starting lineup. Not wanting Braun to try and leg out a hit in a pinch-hitting situation is something Roenicke has thought long and hard about.

"Whether it's tomorrow or it's the next day, I don't know," the manager said of Braun's availability.

Whenever the All-Star left fielder takes the field, he will have a chance to extend his career-high 22-game hit streak. Braun said on Monday he didn't want to speculate when he'd be available, and said the staff is monitoring his progression on a day-by-day basis.

Utility man Josh Wilson took Braun's spot in left field on Tuesday, while Corey Hart continued batting in the third spot.


(mlb.com)

If Milwaukee Brewers LF Ryan Braun finishes the 2011 season the way he’s started it, he’ll be joining one of baseball’s most exclusive clubs: those with 30+ HRs and stolen bases in a single year.

Only 34 MLB players have joined the 30/30 club since 1901 (see table). Two are Jewish: Shawn Green (1998), and Ian Kinsler (2009). The only Brewer on the list is 3B Tommy Harper, who had 31 HRs and 38 SBs in 1970.

Braun, a 27-year-old now in his 5th MLB season, hasn’t come close before. Power has never been the problem; Braun has hit 30+ HRs in 3 of his 4 full seasons. What’s kept him from joining the club is stolen bases. Since his rookie year in 2007, he has averaged 16 thefts and never stolen more than 20.

Improbably, Braun’s base-stealing prowess is improving. Through 78 games this year he has stolen 17, 6th best in the A.L. and more than full-season totals in 2007, 2008, or 2010. Braun’s prior high at the 78-game point was 11 stolen bases, in 2010 (see table below). Having said that, his  base-stealing efforts typically decline in the latter half of a season.

Ryan Braun, through 78 games/full season					Year	HRs	SBs	Doubles
2007*	24/34	10/15	17/26
2008	20/37	8/14	21/39
2009	16/32	6/20	18/39
2010	11/25	11/14	23/45
2011	16/n.a.	17/n.a.	17/n.a.
* Played only 113 games

Why Braun is stealing more bases now is up for debate. (Jewish Baseball News readers are encouraged to offer their opinions in the ‘comments’ section below, or on our Facebook page.) But it’s worth noting that he’s on pace to reach career highs in walks and on-base percentage.

The only other MLB player on pace to join the 30/30 club in 2011 is Los Angeles Dodgers CF Matt Kemp, who has 22 HRS and 21 stolen bases through 80 games.


(jewishbaseballnews.com)

NEW YORK -- Left fielder Ryan Braun wasted little time in making a bit of Brewers history against the Yankees on Thursday.

Braun's first-inning single extended his hitting streak to 20 games, the longest active streak in the Majors, the longest of Braun's career and the sixth in club history of at least 20 games.

Five players in franchise history have cobbled together hitting streaks of at least 20 games, a list topped by Paul Molitor's club-record 39-game run in 1987. Dave May had a 24-game streak in '83, Cecil Cooper went 22 games in '80 and current Brewers right fielder Corey Hart has two such streaks, a 22-gamer in 2007 and a 20-game streak last season.

Braun also had a 10-game hitting streak earlier this season.


(mlb.com)

Ryan Braun went 3-for-4 with his 60th RBI and 19th stolen base in Milwaukee's loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.

The Brewers pitching has failed to show up at Yankee Stadium, but Braun hasn't, going 4-for-7 with two steals. Through 339 plate appearances, he is now the owner of an elite .314/.395/.557 triple slash.


(rotoworld.com)

On the radio the other day, the host asked me about the fairness of comparing the remarkable seasons Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun are having to anything simultaneously put up by the legendary duo of Robin Yount and Paul Molitor.

What? Why, that's outrageously unfair, I wanted to say.

Yount and Molitor are in the Hall of Fame. Yount won two most valuable players. They both helped get the Brewers to a World Series.
On second thought, here's the immediate answer:

Savor this season, Brewers fans, because if these guys stay healthy, you're probably never going to see another 1-2 hammer quite like this, ever.

Two games short of the 2011 halfway point, no National League duo has more than their combined 37 homers and 127 RBI. They're both hitting better than .300. They're both leading MVP candidates at this point. They're both going to be on the All-Star team. And they're both just 27 years old.

A better, and similarly unfair, comparison would be to Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews. Together, they have a world championship, one MVP and two Cooperstown plaques to show for careers that included extended Milwaukee stays.

In 1959, Mathews had 46 home runs and 114 RBI. Aaron had 39 and 123. The next season, Aaron was 40 and 126; Mathews, 39 and 124.
Nevertheless, these are numbers of which Braun and Fielder are capable. They've certainly done it before.

In 2007, Fielder hit 50 home runs and drove in 119. Braun went 34, 97 and hit .324. In '08, Braun finished third in MVP voting with 37 homers and 106 RBI. The Brewers got to the playoffs with Fielder hitting 34 homers and driving in 102.

Two years ago, Fielder led the league in RBI with 141 while hitting 46 dingers. Braun batted .320 with 32 homers, 114 RBI and was 11th in MVP voting.

I know, the numbers get to the point where they tend to anesthetize even the most casual observer. After awhile, the numbers aren't even the point.

It's the timing that matters. Here in what could be Fielder's last season with the Brewers, they're putting it together when everything else is coming together.

On a gorgeous Sunday afternoon before another capacity crowd at Miller Park, the possibilities were again on full display. A 6-2 victory and a series sweep of the Minnesota Twins, and now the Brewers have a three-game lead in the division.

"Better than a no-game lead," Fielder said.

As usual, a lot of things conspired to make it happen. The fifth starter, Chris Narveson, pitched quite well, drove in a run and laid down a timely sacrifice bunt. Nyjer Morgan had another big hit. Yuniesky Betancourt and Jonathan Lucroy were a big part of a bottom of the order that punished the beat-up Twins, who showed their Rochester Red Wings side.

And, as usual, Braun and Fielder had their fingerprints all over it. Extending his career-high hitting streak to 17 games in the fifth inning, Braun lasered a two-run shot over left-center field that pretty much established the day's texture. In the seventh, Fielder drove home Braun.

"Now it's on to New York to see if we can have a good series there," Fielder said.

On to Yankee Stadium, where the greatest 1-2 punch in the history of the game once played. In 1927, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig combined for 107 homers and 339 RBI. That was one of their standard years.

Good thing for the Brewers, Zack Greinke, Shaun Marcum and Randy Wolf will only see the monuments to Ruth and Gehrig should they so choose. The Yankees' staff, including old pal CC Sabathia on Thursday, cannot avoid Braun and Fielder.

Yankee Stadium, 15 road victories, whatever, you've got to like the Brewers' chances from here as long as those guys continue at the pace the likes of which this place has rarely seen.


(jsonline.com)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ryan Braun and the Milwaukee Brewers insist it's way too early to start watching the scoreboard. That said, they're enjoying their three-game lead in the NL Central.

Braun extended his hitting streak to 17 games with a tiebreaking home run and the Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins 6-2 Sunday.

"It means we're in a position we wanted to be in," Braun said of the lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. "But ultimately it matters where we're at on Sept. 26, not June 26."

The Brewers have not won a division title since taking the AL East in 1982. They moved to the National League in 1998 and won the wild card in 2008. With St. Louis star Albert Pujols expected to be on the disabled list with a broken left wrist for at least six, the Brewers hope to widen their lead.

The Brewers were the only team in the division to win on Sunday.

"It's definitely better than a no-game lead," slugger Prince Fielder said with a big smile.

The Brewers had dropped seven of 10 before trouncing the Twins in the three-game interleague series.

"I don't think we ever lost confidence in any way," Braun said. "You just continue to go out there and continue to compete. Sometime you play against good teams and they are going to beat you, but if we continue to go out there and play the same way we're going to win a lot of games."

Braun connected for a two-run shot in the fifth inning. Chris Narveson (5-5) helped himself with an RBI double.

The punchless Twins, using a watered-down lineup decimated by injuries, have scored only eight runs in losing five consecutive games.

"I don't really care," Fielder said. "That's the team that's out there, so we have to try and beat them. Fortunately, we had a good series."

Jonathan Lucroy had a triple, a double, a walk, scored two runs and had an RBI for Milwaukee, which swept the three-game series and has won four of five.

"It's so far to go," Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "Maybe with a month left or something I'll start.

"I know how fast things can change in one month," he said.

Carl Pavano (5-6) blanked the Brewers the first four innings, but allowed five runs with two outs over the next two innings to lose for the first time in five June starts.

"I gave up those runs with two outs," he said. "That's tough to swallow."

Narveson allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings against a Twins starting lineup that had combined for only 22 homers this season, one more than Fielder.

Narveson scattered five hits and two walks while striking out seven to win for the third time in four starts.

The Twins took a 1-0 lead in the second when Danny Valencia singled and scored on Jason Repko's single.

The Brewers loaded the bases with two outs against Pavano in the third, but Braun flied out to end the inning.

In the fifth, Braun came through.

Lucroy opened the inning with a triple down the left-field line. Two outs later, Nyjer Morgan singled to tie it at 1. Pavano threw to first in an effort to keep Morgan close to the bag, but the ball went off Luke Hughes' glove for an error, allowing Morgan to advance to second. Braun hit the next pitch over the center-field wall for his 16th homer.

In the sixth, Milwaukee scored twice more off Pavano with two outs. Yuniesky Betancourt singled and scored on Lucroy's double. Narveson doubled down the left-field line for his second extra-base hit in 105 major-league plate appearances, scoring Lucroy for a 5-1 lead.

"Ugly ball game for us," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Make mistakes and they end up killing you all the time. We made too many of them today."

Minnesota scored its second run off Narveson in the seventh. Hughes walked and scored on pinch-hitter Jim Thome's RBI single, moving the 40-year-old past Ernie Banks into 28th on the all-time RBI list with 1,637.

Twins reliever Jose Mijares allowed another hit to Fielder in the seventh that gave the Brewers a 6-2 lead, two nights after getting into a dispute with catcher Joe Mauer over pitch selection. Mijares complained after Friday night's game that he wanted to throw a slider to Fielder, but Mauer called several fastballs and the big first baseman hit one for a game-winning double.

With Braun on second Sunday, Fielder came to the plate and Mauer called for the slider. Fielder promptly sent it into center field for an RBI single to make it 6-2.


(ap.com)

MILWAUKEE -- Left fielder Ryan Braun didn't want to try and overthink his hit streak. Chalk it up to consistency and discipline at the plate, add in some timely hitting and Braun is pleased with the outcome so far.

With an RBI single in Wednesday's first inning against the Rays, Braun set his career high with a 14-game hit streak and is the only player in the Majors this season with three 10-plus-game hit streaks. His previous 13-game streak -- which dated from May 10 to May 23 -- ended after an ejection in the third inning of a game against the Nationals.

Braun's key to extending the run was simple.

"Hopefully I don't get ejected," he said before the Interleague finale. "It's cool. The goal is always to strive for consistency as a player, so you know the fact that I've had three 10-plus-game hitting streaks means that I've been pretty consistent with my approach throughout the year."

Braun spent Monday afternoon wrapped in a blanket in the training room due to an upper respiratory infection, and he said he hung around the ballpark after being a late scratch from the lineup just in case a pinch-hit situation arose. He said he continues to feel better each day, and while he wasn't feeling his best on Tuesday, his seventh-inning two-run single extended the streak.

"You put Brauny up in those situations and Brauny against a left hander -- which I know he hasn't driven in a lot of runs off of lefties, which I'm still a little baffled by -- but if I'm left-handed I wouldn't want to face him," said Brewers manager Ron Roenicke. "There's really no place for me to go that I'm comfortable with what pitch I'm going to throw to him."


(mlb.com)

Ryan Braun was scratched from Monday's lineup against the Rays with an upper respiratory viral infection.

He'll probably be good to go in the next day or so. Mark Kotsay will make the start in left field Monday while Corey Hart slides down to the No. 3 spot in the lineup against right-hander Jeff Niemann.


(nbcsports.com)

Am I the only one that thinks it's cool/is slightly turned on by the fact that Ryan Braun and Aaron Rodgers are BFFs? Like this might be the hottest picture on the internet right now and if that's ghey than so be it. In all seriousness if there is not a meeting going on at One Miller Park Way right now where they are printing up Aaron Rodgers #12 Brewers jersey's it is an actual crime. Because there are wants and needs in life. I want a bigger house. I want to drive a vintage Corvette. I want the Brewers to win the World Series. I NEED an Aaron Rodgers Brewers jersey. And if the pro shop doesn't have them available by the time I arrive at Miller Park tonight I've got a right mind to....meekly accept it.....swear under my breath and buy a Jonathan Lucroy jersey. But I am to empty threats what the Cubs are to losing and books are to boring.

The other cool thing about Rodgers last night was his half inning of commentary where he was talking about being a big Brewers AND Bucks fan. Like I'm not even making up the fact that I had an emotional moment when he said he was a Bucks fan. And he CHOSE to be a Bucks fan. That's like rooting for Poland in World War II. But I'll tell you it re-invigorated my Fear the Deer fandom. Like if Aaron Rodgers is there with us then we can all go on. He's like the William Wallace of moribound sports franchises.

PS: How much cooler are the conversations between these two than the conversations I have with any of my friends. Chronicling Super Bowl championships, Wild Card clinching home runs, and dating swimsuit models and country music stars. Ho-hum. The last conversation I had with one of my friends involveda debate about which 3rd movie was the worst cap to a trilogy; The Godfather, X-Men, or Jurassic Park. Advantage: Rodgers/Braun.


(b93radio.com)

Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun remained the leading vote-getter for the All-Star Game among National League players.

In the third round of balloting figures, released Monday by Major League Baseball, the left fielder had more than 2.23 million votes to again edge Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols for the top spot.

Pujols, the leader after the first round of balloting figures, had more than 2.08 million votes in the new numbers -- over 300,000 more than reigning MVP Joey Votto of the Reds among first basemen.

In the always competitive race at the position, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder was third, Philadelphia's Ryan Howard was fourth and Atlanta's Freddie Freeman was a distant fifth.

In the outfield, Braun was trailed by Cardinals Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday and Dodgers Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.

In a close race at second base, Cincinnati's Brandon Phillips was the leading vote-getter with more than 1.75 million. Trailing him was another Brewer, Rickie Weeks, who was fewer than 300,000 votes behind for the July 12 game.

Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco led his position, trailed by Atlanta's Chipper Jones and San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval, while Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was holding off his only real competition at shortstop, New York's Jose Reyes.

The next round of balloting figures will be released Monday, June 20.


(miamiherald.com)

It's fitting how Ryan Braun's game tends to percolate when playing within the friendly confines of Miller Park.

Take Braun from the land of beer and the Milwaukee Brewers star left fielder is as irrelevant as the Bucks come playoff time in recent seasons. That may be a bit crude for both Braun and the Bucks, but the numbers don't lie.

The Brew Crew just went 5-2 on a seven-game road trip in which Braun compiled a .231 batting average with a home run and five RBI. Those numbers are average at best for a perennial stud striving for his fourth straight starting nod on the National League's All-Star roster.

Known to many as the "Hebrew Hammer," Braun's numbers appear to take a sabbatical when the Brewers depart the Badger State. In 32 road games this season, Braun is hitting a respectable .269 with five homers and 14 runs batted in. He has more at-bats on the road (119) and his .454 slugging percentage in enemy stadiums is way off from his .693 SLG at Miller Park.

Braun did earn the hero moniker on Friday in south Florida, as his pinch-hit two-run homer in the ninth inning lifted the Brewers to victory and set the stage for a four-game sweep of the homestanding Marlins. It was also Braun's first career homer in a pinch role.

"I doubt I've ever hit a pinch-hit home run," Braun told the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel after he earned a day off because of a balky shoulder.
"There's no routine, no preparation. Just go up there and bat."

Braun seems to follow his own notion more closely when digging in at the batter's box in Miller Park. Braun, who has appeared in all 60 games this season, hit .400 (12-for-30) with four RBI and five doubles in Milwaukee's recent nine-game homestand in which the club went 8-1. Whether it's opposing pitchers getting intimidated by the home fans or just the natural comfort level, April's National League Player of the Month is right at home.

In 28 games in Milwaukee, Braun is batting .356 with eight blasts and 29 runs batted in. He began beefing up those numbers by reaching base over the season's initial 28 games -- the longest streak in team history to begin a campaign, eclipsing Hall of Famer Robin Yount's 23-gamer in 1983. If Braun's numbers both home and away stay at this pace, he could join Yount in Cooperstown, New York a decade or more from now.

Braun's already a fan favorite and has surged into the lead among NL players aiming for a starting nod in July's All-Star Game. Braun passed Cardinals favorite and NL Central-rival Albert Pujols for the lead and has received 1,588,342 votes. Teammates Rickie Weeks and Prince Fielder are also trying to make the roster for the Mid-summer Classic. Fielder's presence alone in the Milwaukee lineup has enabled Braun to become a better hitter.

"For me, I just enjoy being able to see one of the best players in baseball compete every day," Braun said of Fielder. "Prince is an unbelievable competitor, and he's been instrumental in my development as a player. I feel fortunate to have him hitting behind me."

Thanks to the presence of Fielder, Braun is on the verge of a few career milestones in home runs, RBI and runs scored. He is nine homers away from 150, 37 shy of 500 RBI and 60 runs from 500. The recipient of a five-year contract extension through 2020 back in April, Braun will lead the Brewers Tuesday in the opener of a six-game homestand versus the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals.

There will most likely be several spectators attending their first Brewers game during that six-day stretch, hoping to catch a glimpse of what makes Braun so great with the home crowd in his corner.


(miamiherald.com)

The track record of fantasy owners projecting the best players each year is poor. If you study the previous seven seasons of results from the first rounds of 15-team leagues on Mock Draft Central, you'll find only about 37% of players lived up to their average draft position (ADP).

That trend is holding up in 2011. There are five first-rounders who are in the top 15 for fantasy production.

In order (statistics through Sunday, with ADP and current rank respectively): the Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun (10th, third); the Boston Red Sox's Adrian Gonzalez (eighth, sixth); the Cincinnati Reds' Joey Votto (seventh, ninth); the Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera (third, 10th); and the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols (first, 13th).

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp leads all players with a $42 Rotisserie value. His 16 home runs, 14 steals and a .323 batting average put him on pace for a career year. BaseballHQ.com projects him to post roughly 100 runs and RBI, nearly 40 homers and more than 30 steals.

According to Mock Draft Central, Kemp entered the season as a second-round selection with an ADP of 23. His performance this year is not entirely surprising since he was a first-rounder in 2010.

Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista is ranked second, earning $41. A late third-rounder (ADP of 45), it would have been reasonable to expect some regression after his 54-homer outburst last season.

But Bautista hasn't regressed — he has improved. His league-leading 20-homer power is supported by a .348 batting average. Our projections have him finishing just shy of 50 home runs, but he might maintain an average above .300.

Braun is the only player projected to finish in the top 15 who is currently among the top-five best players in the game. His No. 3 ranking is earning $36. After hitting .358 with nine home runs in April, he has cooled a bit but is still on pace for his first 30-30 season.

Although we rarely draft pitchers in the first round, it is inevitable a few end up finishing high. But Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jered Weaver would not have been the natural choice to lead all hurlers at the 10-week mark.

Currently ranked fourth overall and earning $35, Weaver boasts seven wins and 85 strikeouts, a 2.14 ERA and microscopic 0.95 WHIP. He came into the season ranked 55th, a fourth-round pick.

Weaver's peripherals, however, indicate a more sedate 3.69 expected ERA, so odds are he will regress. BaseballHQ.com has him projected to pitch at a 3.49 level the rest of the way and finish with 16 wins and a 2.95 ERA.

New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson is fifth, boosted by a 10-homer, .294 performance in May. Currently earning $35, he came into the season as a sixth-round pick (ADP of 77). We project him to finish with 39 home runs, 21 steals and a .274 average.


(usatoday.com)

Ryan Braun appears to be well on his way to becoming the first Brewers player to start in four consecutive All-Star Games.

Braun leads all National League outfielders and is third among all NL players with 971,809 votes according to the first round of results released by Major League Baseball.

Rickie Weeks is second among second basemen with 562,071 votes, trailing the Reds' Brandon Phillips (837,778) while first baseman Prince Fielder is third at his position with 540,269.

Fans can cast ballots during all games at Miller Park through Tuesday, June 21 and online at brewers.com until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, June 30.
The 82nd Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played Tuesday, July 12 at Chase Field in Phoenix.



(onmilwaukee.com)

Ryan Braun is quietly piling up a great season. According to the Fangraphs' leaderboard, he is currently seventh in the majors in WAR but he would certainly be higher if his defense wasn't rated so poorly. His wOBA and wRC+ is second in the National League to Lance Berkman and ahead of Joey Votto on both counts. Braun is fifth in the National League in runs batted in and first in the league in runs scored. Plus, Braun is second only to Lance Berkman in the National League in slugging percentage. Yes, all of those things qualify to having a great year. But there is more to Braun's season than his power, which has always been there.

The most striking number in Braun's statistics is his walk percentage. Braun began his career with very little patience at the plate. But his walk percentage has risen incrementally over his first four years. But they weren't significant gains. His first two years were at 5.9 and then 6.3 percent. He made a nice jump in his third year to 8.1 percent but only rose last year to 8.2 percent. This year, Braun is walking 13.8 percent of the time. That's a really nice jump. His swing percentage of pitches outside the zone is at the best level of his career and at the same time, his swinging strike percentage is the lowest of his career.

Last year, Braun walked 56 times and struck out 105 times. This year, he's walked 31 times and struck out 36 times in less than one-third the amount of plate appearances. That walk rate has given him his best ever walk to strikeout percentage of 0.86 and his highest on base percentage, which currently sits at .411. That's the fourth best on base percentage in the National League and it raises Braun's game to a new level. He's always been a very good offensive player. Now he's elite.

The extra times on base haven't been wasted. Ryan Braun has always had a knack for stealing bases. He's stolen 75 in his career and has only been thrown out 19 times (79.8 percent success rate). The highest total he's accumulated in a career was 20 steals back in 2009. But he's already stolen 12 this season with only one caught stealing. The 12 steals matches his home run production. Braun has a legitimate chance for a 30/30 season at his current pace. And as mentioned earlier, he leads the National League in runs scored. So all those extra times on base are really helping him and his team.

As stated above, the extra patience at the plate brings Ryan Braun's game to a new level and puts his game at the elite level among National League players. He was always very good, but now he's great. All he needs to do now is become at least an adequate fielder to put him in contention as the most valuable player in the National League.



(passion4baseball.blogspot.com)

There is nothing sweeter in baseball scouting than the phrase "80 raw." It means the highest grade for raw power, the pure ability to hit a ball a country mile. It is also the most elusive tool in baseball, and finding players with the natural hand strength, quickness, bat speed and hip torque to make launching batting-practice balls into the overpriced cheap seats look easy is no easy feat. Back in the good old days, when the Angels actually had power, early comers to Angel Stadium could watch Vladimir Guerrero’s "80-raw" demonstrations, when he liked to hit balls off the rock pile in left center somewhere between 400 or 500 feet.

You have to wait for other teams to come into Anaheim or Los Angeles these days to get a real idea of what consistent 80 raw looks like. Because of the very nature and scarcity of 80 raw, a lot of people mistake good (that’s 60 raw for those scouting at home) with 80. You might get yourself a 70. You want to be careful with the 80. If you scout amateurs, that one high school boy might flash it, or that one college boy might tempt you. But more often than not, it’s not 80 raw. You have to watch big league hitters to properly judge it, and you need to see it in person, not believe secondhand information that distorts player performance. If you don’t see it, don’t believe it.

Last week, with the Milwaukee Brewers in Los Angeles and the Atlanta Braves visiting Anaheim, it was enough to remind one of the Milwaukee Braves and their 80-raw tandem, Henry Aaron and Eddie Mathews. There are two 80-raw kind of guys just like Aaron and Mathews were. There is the guy who hits the ball on a hard line drive that keeps rising. Then there is the guy who hits the majestic towering shots that hang in the sky like a summer moon. Each is an 80-raw guy, but the fun part is deciphering how each can create a different trajectory. Enter Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, Milwaukee baseball descendants of a different time, when 80 raw was legit, the only drug was a bottle of Miller High Life, and Aaron and Mathews routinely did at 5 p.m. when Braun and Fielder do today.

Fielder is so round, he looks like he could eat a tree, and Braun is so narrow, he could be hiding inside of one. Fielder is the Mathews of the pair, the left-handed hitting boomer with a long weight distribution, the gift of keeping his hands back and a violent sweeping uppercut tailored for pull power. Fielder and Mathews are similar in this regard, though Fielder can’t compete with the all-around athlete Mathews once was. In either case, Fielder’s BP results in balls blasted from Chavez Ravine to Waukesha, Wis., unless they hit the side of a building in Victorville first.

Braun is the Aaron. I’m not the first guy to go here, but the lean, loose, almost diminutive body type betrays the true quickness in Braun’s hands. This is the rarest kind of 80 raw -– not the booming majestic type like Fielder’s shots -– but the rocket that climbs on a line drive and accelerates as it rises. It doesn’t hang in the sky. It punches a hole in it. Old-time scouts will tell you to listen to the sound of contact. Experienced scouts who believe that the only way to judge true raw power is to see a guy hit with wood will tell you that you can’t give a guy 80 raw, and if he’s not born with it, he can’t find it in an alley somewhere.

In the meantime, I’ll watch the swings in the big leagues and then head back to the bushes to find that next guy who will show me real 80 raw. Before anybody jumps off a bridge and claims I’m making career comparisons for Braun and Fielder, don’t go there. Potential is nice. But until you bring your 80 raw into a game for 20 years, then you’re just another BP legend.



(latimesblog.com)

Ryan Braun's two-RBI triple in third inning would prove to be the difference in Milwaukee's 3-1 win over the Rockies on Sunday.
Although Braun got credit for just two RBI on the hit, he also managed to score the Brewers' third and final run on the play, as he reached home on an error. Through his first 177 at-bats this season, Braun is now batting .299 to go along with 12 home runs and 37 RBI.



(rotoworld.com)

Los Angeles - After his home-run production slipped a bit in 2010, Ryan Braun decided to focus specifically on that aspect of his game during intense off-season workouts.

To this point, it has been mission accomplished.

When play began Monday, the Milwaukee Brewers' all-star leftfielder sat atop the National League leader board with 12 home runs and ranked second to St. Louis' Lance Berkman with a .597 slugging percentage. Only a quarter into the season, Braun already was nearly halfway to his 2010 total of 25 home runs.

That total was down from 32 homers in 2009 and 37 in 2008, so Braun worked on improving his strength and power during sessions with workout partner Gabe Kapler, a former Brewers teammate.

"You always want to think that you're eventually rewarded for the work you put in," said Braun. "I feel like I worked harder than I ever had. And to this point of the season I feel like I'm reaping the benefits of that. So, it's a good thing."

Braun could tell in spring training that the ball was jumping off his bat more and carrying farther, and he was eager to see if that would continue during the regular season. Thus far, it has.

"I felt great but you never know how it's going to necessarily apply in terms of baseball," he said. "Taking BP, I felt great. But you never know how it's going to apply to the game itself until you begin competing.

"It's definitely nice to see that it is applying, but it's still early in the season. The goal is to be successful over the long haul. But there's a definite difference."

Braun has been ultrasuccessful offensively as a major-leaguer but felt he could be even better if he focused on one specific area of his game over the winter.

"Every off-season, the goal is to get better," said Braun, who also ranked among the league leaders with 33 runs batted in. "I think one of the hardest things to do is honestly assess what you need to get better at when you've had success. I definitely feel like I have been successful. At times I've been too hard on myself.

"At the same time, I try to honestly assess where I'm at. I definitely was not satisfied. I felt like for me to get better, I needed to get bigger, I needed to get stronger, I needed to get more explosive.

"Those are the things I focused on this off-season, specifically with my body, and then hoping it would translate into baseball stuff. To this point, I feel it definitely has."



(jsonline.com)

Ryan Braun homered and tripled on Sunday, driving in four runs in Milwaukee's win over the Pirates.

The triple was Braun's second of the season, while the home run, his 12th, brings him nearly halfway to his "disappointing" 2010 total of 25. Batting .309 with 33 RBI through his first 149 at-bats, Braun should get serious MVP consideration if he keeps up at this rate.



(rotoworld.com)

Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun made an early exit from Wednesday’s game against the Padres because of a left ankle contusion. The Brewers don’t think the condition is serious and are considering him “day-to-day.”

That all comes from Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

Braun, 27, has opened his fifth major league season with a sparkling .307/.392/.562 batting line, 10 home runs and 25 RBI through 158 plate appearances. He finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored on Wednesday, but the Padres tallied a whopping 23 hits and were able to capture a 13-6 victory.

The Brewers have an off day Thursday, which should provide enough rest for Braun’s ankle. If he can’t go Friday evening against the Pirates, look for Mark Kotsay or Brandon Boggs to start in left field.



(hardballtalk.nbcsports.com)

Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun has been voted the Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month for April. Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of Major League Baseball and sponsor for 24 of 30 MLB clubs, is also the presenting sponsor of the National League and American League Player of the Month Awards.

Through the first month of the 2011 season (including one game played on March 31st), Braun batted .367 (36-for-98) and was tied for the National League lead in both home runs (10) and runs scored (24). His 36 hits and .724 slugging percentage ranked second in the N.L. while his 23 RBI were good for third. The 27-year-old also added a .457 on-base percentage with three doubles, a triple and three stolen bases. The Brewers' first-round selection in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft began his 2011 campaign with a bang, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three runs scored in Milwaukee's Opening Day loss at Cincinnati on March 31st. The University of Miami product drove in the only run scored in the Brew Crew's first win of the season on April 5th over the visiting Braves. On April 18th, Braun's 3-for-4, two- RBI performance propelled the Brewers to an extra-inning victory at Philadelphia. Braun's sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th inning drove in what proved to be the decisive tally in the Brewers' 6-3 win over the Phils. That sparked a torrid week for the California native, in which he batted .480 (12-for-25) with three homers and nine RBI, garnering N.L. Player of the Week honors for the period of April 18th-25th. The three-time N.L. All-Star has now reached base safely in 28 consecutive games to begin the season after eclipsing the franchise record previously held by Robin Yount (23 games in 1983). Braun's 10 home runs are currently second in the Majors and he is tied for second with 24 runs scored. This is his third monthly honor, having won previously for the months of July 2007 and July 2008.

Other players receiving votes were Cardinals right fielder Lance Berkman, who batted .367 (35-for-89) with eight home runs, 22 RBI, 23 runs scored and eight doubles; Braun's teammate Prince Fielder, whose 26 RBI were second-most among National Leaguers; Dodgers outfielders Andre Ethier, who had 41 hits during the month and currently owns a 28-game hitting streak, and Matt Kemp, who hit .368 (29-for-106) on the month with eight stolen bases; and Phillies infielder Placido Polanco, who batted .398 (41-for-103) with seven doubles and 19 RBI.

The Budweiser Presents National League Player of the Month, Ryan Braun, will receive a specially designed trophy, suitably engraved, in recognition of his accomplishment.



(mlb.com)

Marriage proposals in ballparks have become fairly common, usually with fans popping the question on scoreboards. So have adoring fans holding up signs hoping against hope their favorite player might respond.

But a Brewers fan -- or more specifically a Ryan Braun fan -- took it one step further last weekend. Her plan worked because it actually elicited a response from Braun, but backfired when the idea of including her cell phone number on her sign, which was shown on the Brewers' television broadcast, led to so many calls that Braun couldn't get through.

The fan, who said her name is Robin, got TV time and more publicity than she bargained for. Braun, who tried to call after the game, said, "I guess it wasn't meant to be."

He didn't say what his response would have been, but Braun does have a girlfriend -- not to mention a contract extension that guarantees him $145 million over the next 10 years.



(usatoday.com)

Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun has been named the National League Player of the Week for the period ending April 24th.

In six games last week, Braun batted .480 (12-for-25), was tied for first in the Majors with nine RBI and was tied for first in the National League with three home runs. The righty slugger's 12 hits and 21 total bases were tops among National Leaguers. The three-time N.L. All-Star also placed second in the N.L. with an .840 slugging percentage and nine runs scored while his .533 on-base percentage ranked fifth. The 2007 N.L. Rookie of the Year has reached base safely in 21-consecutive games to start the season, the second-longest such streak in franchise history behind Robin Yount's 23 games in 1983. On Monday, April 18th, Braun went 3-for-4 and collected two RBI, including the game-winner on a sacrifice fly in the top of the 12th, to lead the Brewers to a 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizen's Bank Park. The University of Miami product clubbed a home run off of Phillies ace Roy Halladay on Tuesday the 19th, en route to 9-0 Brewers victory over the Phils. Braun had his second three-hit performance of the week on Friday, April 22nd, homering and driving in three runs as the Brew Crew defeated the Astros 14-7 at Miller Park. The California native is currently tied for the Major League lead with seven home runs and 21 runs scored, and is tied for fourth with a .377 batting average and 18 RBI. This is his third career weekly award (winning previously for the weeks ending 5/11/2009 and 8/8/2010).

Other noteworthy performances last week included Braun's teammates, first baseman Prince Fielder (.458, 11 H, 6 RBI, 7 R) and left-handed starter Randy Wolf (2-0, 0.64, 9 SO, 14.0 IP); Cardinals outfielder and last week's N.L. Player of the Week, Lance Berkman (.588, 10 H, .824 SLG), first baseman Albert Pujols (.286, 3 HR, 7 RBI, .714 SLG), right-handed starter Kyle Lohse (1-0, 0.00, CG, SHO) and reliever Mitchell Boggs (0.00, 3 SV, 3 SO, 3.1 IP); Dodgers third baseman Casey Blake (.370, 2 HR, 10 H, 10 R), outfielder Andre Ethier (.393, 11 H, HR, 6 RBI) and infielder Juan Uribe (.450, 2 HR, 9 RBI); Giants outfielder Pat Burrell (.429, 9 H, HR); Mets first baseman Ike Davis (.381, 3 HR, .905 SLG) and third baseman David Wright (.286, 3 HR, 6 RBI); Cubs outfielder Kosuke Fukudome (.526, 10 H, .591 OBP); and Marlins ace Josh Johnson (1-0, 0.64, 14.0 IP, 15 SO).

The National League Player of the Week, Ryan Braun, will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.



(mlb.com)

MILWAUKEE -- Too bad Robin didn't clear some of those prank voice mails, because Ryan Braun actually called.

"Robin" is the young lady who brought a sign to Miller Park Friday night demanding, "Marry me, Ryan." It came complete with her real cell phone number, and caught the all-seeing eyes of FS Wisconsin crew members, who put Robin on the air during the Brewers' blowout win over the Astros.

Gutsy move, and it worked. Braun called after the game and got Robin's voice mail, which was unfortunately full.

"I guess it wasn't meant to be," Braun said with a smile.

Actually, Braun is taken, and his girlfriend was among the family and friends on hand Thursday when the All-Star outfielder signed his five-year contract extension through 2020.

Braun cited the fan support he's received in Milwaukee since the Brewers made him a first-round Draft pick in 2005 as one reason he wanted to stay. That includes, of course, the support of young ladies trying to get hitched.

They stood 31,907 strong on Friday night and gave Braun standing ovations before every at-bat. He delivered a go-ahead home run in the third inning, and considering he's under contract for the next 10 seasons, he could be hitting many more over the years at Miller Park.

"It'll take a little while for me to really understand what that means or the significance of that," Braun said. "It's been a pretty crazy 24-48-hour period. I'm trying to enjoy it, trying to embrace it because it is a special time."



(mlb.com)

Here are some details on Ryan Braun's five-year contract extension with the Brewers:

The five years, which run from 2016-2020, are worth $105 million. There is a $10 million signing bonus, with salaries of $19 million in 2016, 2017 and 2018, $18 million in 2019 and $16 million in 2020. There is a mutual option in 2021 worth up to $20 million with a $4 million buyout. It includes a no-trade provision and Braun agreed to defer some salary to help keep the team competitive.

The annual yearly value of $21 million is second-highest ever for an outfielder (after Manny Ramirez's last two-year deal with Dodgers).That's in addition to the $45 million, eight-year deal he signed in  May 2008 -- still the largest deal ever (total and AAV) signed by a  player with less than one year of service time.

Braun is now guaranteed $145.5 million from this season through the  end of the extension.

This makes Braun one of just two players signed through 2020, along with Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki. The only other players signed through 2018 are Joe Mauer and Adrian Gonzalez.

“From here on out the only thing that really matters is winning,” Braun said. “I’m proud of saying that I’ve been a part of a group of guys here who have come in here and tried to kind of change the culture and get back to having the perception of being a winning organization, when guys like Robin Yount played here, Gorman Thomas, Paul Molitor, Jim Gantner, when all those guys were here, it was a special place to play.”

“There really aren’t many guys that’ve spent their entire careers with one team,” he said.

Braun has been picked to start each of the last three All-Star Games and is one of five players in history to hit at least 125 homers and post a .300 batting average over the first four seasons of his career, joining Joe DiMaggio, Chuck Klein, Albert Pujols and Ted Williams.

Braun’s .308 career batting average is currently the franchise’s best mark.

“Very rarely does it happen where a player understands his franchise and where it’s at and where he wants to be in the future,” general manager Doug Melvin said. “A lot of times we have a tendency just to look at today or tomorrow, but he had the vision of an organization that he wanted to be with and from that standpoint, it’s a very exciting day for us.”

This is the first time a player with five years left on his current deal agreed to an  extension (Tulowitzki had three years plus an option remaining). This  is believed to be the sixth time a player has signed a contract that  guaranteed him 10 or more years of future salary (Dave Winfield, Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Todd Helton's extension, Tulowitzki's extension).

Only seven players are signed through age 36 and have spent their entire career with their original professional organization: Braun,  Jeter, Posada, Rivera, Ryan Howard, Chipper Jones and Todd Helton.

Among teams in the bottom third of MLB markets (according to Nielsen), this is the largest deal ever given out in terms of AAV and  fifth-highest in total value (after Helton, Tulowitzki, Matt Holliday,  Mike Hampton).

This is one of nine contracts ever for a position player with a total value of at least $100 million and an AAV of at least $20  million (A-Rod twice, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Joe Mauer, Manny Ramirez,  Mark Teixeira, Ryan Howard).

Braun is 27, and only two other players 27 or younger signed a contract with an AAV of $20M or more: A-Rod in 2001 and Joe Mauer in  2011.

This is the largest deal in franchise history by total (was Braun's $45M/8 year deal) and AAV (was Prince Fielder's $15.5M for 2011). The total is thus more than double any previous Brewers deal.

(jsonline.com)

Milwaukee Brewers OF Ryan Braun has reached base safely in each of the team's first 18 games and is hitting .373 with a team-leading five homers, 12 RBIs and a .493 on-base percentage entering the game Wednesday, April 20, according to MLB.com's Adam McCalvy. Manager Ron Roenicke said Braun is "hunting mistakes" at the plate instead of just swinging. 1B Prince Fielder, who hits behind Braun, is also hot, hitting .338 with three home runs, 17 RBIs and a .419 on-base percentage.



(kffl.com)

Salad Dish Serves Four

Ingredients

1 lb fresh mozzarella
2 pints cherry tomatoes
3 oz. extra virgin olive oil
3 oz. honey
10 sprigs fresh thyme
4 oz. arugula
1 oz. shaved red onion
1 oz. shaved fennel
3 egg yolks
6 oz. balsamic vinegar
2 c. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Take half the tomatoes and toss with the evoo, honey, and thyme sprigs. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
2. Mix the arugula, red onion and fennel in a bowl.
3. To make the balsamic dressing blend the egg yolks and balsamic. Slowly add the evoo in a stream to make a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
4. To assemble the dish mix the greens with the desired amount of dressing. Place on plate and garnish with the oven roasted tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.



(wisn.com)

Ryan Braun’s Graffito is having its grand opening Monday, but you can get a sneak peek Friday and Saturday.

After a week of previews for invited guests, the restaurant announced a surprise soft opening. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday before closing Sunday to get ready for its — and the Milwaukee Brewers’ — opening day.

This is the second try at a restaurant named after Brewers slugger Ryan Braun in the space at 102 N. Water St., Milwaukee. Ryan Braun’s Waterfront closed in November after its April 2010 opening. Since then, the restaurant's lease has been bought by SURG Restaurant Group, Oak Creek, and undergone renovations. It also has a new, scratch Italian menu under executive chef Dominic Zumpano.

The restaurant also announced plans Thursday for the Ryan Braun Bash after the Brewers-Cubs game on Sunday, April 10 from 4 to 7 p.m. Braun will make an appearance, and the party will feature 2-for-1 Miller products and live music.



(bizjournals.com)

PHOENIX — Ryan Braun hit a pair of home runs and Rickie Weeks also connected as a Milwaukee Brewers split-squad beat the San Diego Padres 5-4 Monday.

Right-hander Shaun Marcum, making his first start in nearly two weeks since experiencing shoulder tightness in a start against the Chicago White Sox, gave up three runs and four hits while throwing 68 pitches in four innings.

Two of those hits were home runs, one by Will Venable, the first batter of the game, and the other a two-run shot by Brad Hawpe in the fourth.



(seattletimes.com)

PHOENIX -- A familiar problem popped up Saturday for Brewers All-Star outfielder Ryan Braun, who exited the team's Spring Training game with a rib-cage strain.

Braun's right side banged into the outfield wall during batting practice, and he felt some discomfort along his left side after that.

"Didn't feel right," manager Ron Roenicke said about Braun, who chased a foul ball in the top of the first inning in the afternoon game against the D-backs.

Braun exited as a precaution, and through a club spokesperson said he was "fine."

The Brewers' official report said Braun strained his intercostals, the small muscles between the ribs that have given him trouble in the past. It's a minor injury, but one that can linger for an indefinite period of time.

Braun was already scheduled to be off Sunday against the Royals.

The Brewers' All-Star right fielder, Corey Hart, has a similar injury to his left oblique, the large muscle along the outside of the ribs. Hart suffered his injury two weeks ago Saturday and has yet to swing a bat since.

Against the D-backs on Saturday, Braun was penciled into his usual three-hole and played the top of the first inning in left field without any apparent incident. Instead of batting in the bottom of the inning, Chris Dickerson took Braun's place.

It's been a very busy spring for the Brewers' athletic training staff. Besides Hart, starting catcher Jonathan Lucroy (fractured finger), likely Opening Day starter Zack Greinke (cracked rib) and reliever Manny Parra (back) are all unavailable, and second baseman Rickie Weeks has only been playing a couple of innings per day because of a tight groin.



(mlb.com)

Ryan Braun went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 11-9 win over the A's.

It was one of five the Brewers hit over the boards. Braun has three hits in his first seven spring at-bats. He's looking to bounce back a bit from what was a relatively disappointing showing in the home run department last season, as he hit 25 bombs after slugging at least 32 each of his previous three seasons.



(rotoworld.com)

The soon-to-reopen Ryan Braun restaurant in the Third Ward will feature Italian food and be called Ryan Braun's Graffito.

Executive chef Dominic Zumpano's menu "will showcase a wide range of Italian cuisine" and include locally raised beef and produce, new owners SURG Restaurant Group said in a statement Tuesday. SURG, which owns seven other restaurants and bars, including Umami Moto, Charro and Carnevor Steakhouse, announced in December that it was buying the former Ryan Braun's Waterfront, 102 N. Water St. The restaurant had closed after being open less than a year.

SURG holds a licensing agreement with Braun, the Milwaukee Brewers star leftfielder. Braun is not an owner.

Zumpano, who helped open Umami Moto, an Asian fusion restaurant downtown, was a semifinalist for best chef Midwest for the James Beard Awards in 2009.



(jsonline.com)

MILWAUKEE -- For Super Bowl Sunday, Ryan Braun will turn his Malibu home into one of the nation's westernmost Green Bay Packers sports bars.

Braun is good buddies with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a fellow Californian who is the same age (27 -- Braun is only two weeks older) and a fellow first-round Draft pick. They met through mutual friends about a year and a half ago and found they share similar interests, among them chasing a championship.

Rodgers will get his first shot on Sunday, when he leads the Packers against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. Braun will be home and glued to his television.

"I'm a big fan of his as an athlete and a competitor," Braun said. "I really enjoy watching him play. We've become good friends."

What does Braun like about Rodgers' game?

"Everything," Braun said. "I love the way he competes. I love the way that he has fun. I love the way that he always looks like he's in the moment, truly enjoying the moment and embracing it. That's a special quality to have as an athlete."

Each star has visited the other's office. Rodgers took batting practice at Miller Park last season and toured the clubhouse. Braun visited Lambeau Field on Dec. 5 and watched Rodgers throw for 298 yards and three touchdowns in a rout of the 49ers.

On Saturday night, they sat together courtside at a Milwaukee Bucks game and watched two other first-round picks contribute to a win over the Nets. Andrew Bogut approached a triple-double with 17 points, 18 rebounds and seven blocked shots, and Brandon Jennings returned from a foot injury to play his first game in nearly six weeks.

During a timeout, Rodgers and Braun appeared on the Bradley Center's video board and the fans responded with a huge ovation. Braun stood and joined in.

Braun considered going to Dallas to see the Super Bowl in person, but decided against it. He didn't want to miss any of his offseason workouts -- he's been trying to keep up with former Brewer and noted fitness freak Gabe Kapler -- and figures that Rodgers will have plenty of supporters on hand.

"He's got a million things going on for the Super Bowl between taking care of friends and family and playing the game," Braun said. "So I'll probably watch it from home. When you're there, you get the energy and enthusiasm from the crowd, and that's amazing, but you don't get to see the game the same way you do if you sit at home."

Braun will cheer from a few thousand miles away instead. Two weeks later, he'll be headed to Arizona for the start of Spring Training and his fifth season in the Majors.

Braun and the Brewers have high hopes for 2011 thanks to a starting rotation bolstered by Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum. With incumbent Yovani Gallardo, the Brewers will feature three of 2010's 30 Opening Day starters.

Win or lose on Sunday, the Packers' deep playoff run has many in Brewers blue even more excited for their own season to begin.

The list includes John Axford, who snapped a photo with Rodgers at that Bucks game and posted it on his Twitter account. Axford was born and raised in Canada but started watching football in his college days at Notre Dame, and has become a cheesehead by proxy. After the Packers beat the Bears in the NFC Championship Game, he managed to make "#UnbelievableIncredibleSuperPackerDomination" a Twitter trending topic in Milwaukee.

"I sound like a huge jerk now that I'm jumping on the bandwagon, but I've enjoyed watching them," Axford said. "They're a good team and there's always buzz around them. I like that. I like that Wisconsin fans are passionate about their teams."

The only one left to convince is brutally honest Brewers newcomer Greinke. He took part in a question-and-answer session during "Brewers On Deck" last weekend and was asked for his Super Bowl pick.

"I like the Steelers," Greinke said.

Marcum, a Kansas City native and Chiefs season seatholder, came to the rescue.

"I'm going to disagree with Zack and go with the Packers," he said, drawing a huge applause.

On Sunday, they'll see who was right.

(mlb.com)

I just spoke with Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun about his experience Saturday night sitting courtside at the Bucks game with Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Braun said he has come to be good friends with Rodgers over the past few years and stays in contact with him regularly. He said Rodgers invited him to sit courtside at the Bradley Center and he wasn't about to turn it down.

"It was an incredible experience, a special moment," said Braun. "The crowd response was unbelievable. The energy was incredible."

I asked Braun if Rodgers seemed anxious in any way about the upcoming Super Bowl and he said he didn't sense anything like that.

"He seemed really calm and really confident," said Braun. "He is so grounded, and he's a great person. He and I talk a lot. We've become mutual friends."

I asked Braun if Rodgers set him up with any Super Bowl tickets and he didn't say yes, but he did say he had the opportunity to go there. Sounds like he'll pass, though.

"I'd love to go," he said. "But it's close to spring training and I hate missing workouts. I doubt I'll end up going. To get the full experience, you have to go for a few days and I don't want to do that so close to spring training."



(jsonline.com)

The former executive chef at Umami Moto will take the lead at Ryan Braun’s Waterfront under its new ownership, the restaurant said Wednesday in a news release.

Dominic Zumpano is developing a new menu and will oversee the kitchen when the 3rd Ward restaurant reopens in March.

“Zumpano will bring his Italian heritage to the menu at RBWF,” the release said. “Diners will savor fresh and authentic Italian cuisine, featuring the best local products and bold flavors Zumpano cooking is known for.”

Surg Restaurant Group, the Oak Creek-based owner of Umami Moto and other restaurants, bought Ryan Braun’s Waterfront after the previous investment group shut the restaurant down. Interior renovation plans are currently being finalized, and the restaurant should be open well before the Milwaukee Brewers home opener April 4, the release said. The restaurant will honor gift cards issued under the previous owners.



(bizjournals.com)