Ryan Braun reportedly found out that he had tested positive for a perfomance-enhancing drug in late October, a month before winning the NL MVP. Credit: Tom Lynn

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Did Ryan Braun cheat to become the 2011 National League most valuable player or is he the innocent victim of a premature report?

That was the question being asked across the baseball world Saturday with the stunning news that the Milwaukee Brewers' star leftfielder tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug and faced a 50-game suspension, according to a report by ESPN's "Outside the Lines."

No one associated with Braun, Major League Baseball or the Brewers would comment publicly on the report because the positive test is being appealed through an arbitration process that is ongoing. It was unknown how long that process could take.

In a late-night text message, Braun said he wanted to hold a news conference to give his side of the story and the details of the entire situation but was advised not to while the appeal process is ongoing.

"I can't wait to get that opportunity," Braun said. "This is all B.S. I am completely innocent."

After midnight, the Brewers released a statement from Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio, saying, in part, "We are dealing with an incomplete set of facts and speculation. Before there is a rush to judgment, Ryan deserves the right to be heard. We are committed to supporting Ryan to get to the truth of what happened in this unfortunate situation."

The ESPN report said Braun tested positive for an abnormally high level of testosterone in his system. No player is known to have had a positive drug test overturned on appeal but the details would not be released in that event.

If Braun's suspension is upheld, it would start at the beginning of the 2012 regular season. Brewers spokesman Tyler Barnes told ESPN that the club had not been informed by the commissioner's office that Braun tested positive for a banned substance and faced a suspension.

Creative Artists Agency, which represents Braun, released a statement indicating the positive test is being vehemently disputed:

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

A CAA spokesman said that neither Braun nor his agent, Nez Balelo, would publicly comment during the appeal process. But a source familiar with the situation from Braun's end told the Journal Sentinel that a second test requested by Braun was negative and was being used in the appeal process in hopes of overturning the first result. That source also indicated the banned substance was not technically classified as a performance-enhancing drug.

"The truth will prevail; I really feel good about that," said the source. "It just stinks that this got out before the appeal process is finished. It wasn't a PED. Initial positive tests have been overturned before, proving the player is innocent, and nobody ever knows."

Former NBA star Reggie Miller, now a basketball analyst for TNT, lives next to Braun in Malibu, Calif., and posted this tweet after the report surfaced: "Just spoke with my neighbor, Ryan Braun. He says test is bogus, can only believe a man for his word. Truth will always come out."

The news was shocking in large part because of Braun's squeaky-clean image. Renown for his comprehensive and disciplined workouts, Braun often has attributed his success to his devotion to being physically prepared. He is known to be diligent about any supplements he puts in his body and therefore seemingly would not take a substance even remotely suspected of being tainted.

Major-leaguers have known since 2003 that they'd be subject to random drug testing, and all players who participate in the postseason are tested. According to a source familiar with the process, Braun was tested in early October and was informed "a couple of weeks later" of the positive result.

Braun immediately requested a second test, which the source said came back normal. Braun's representatives are using that second test as part of their argument that the first test produced a false positive.

About the time of that second test, the Brewers were eliminated in the National League Championship Series in six games by St. Louis.

That means Braun knew of the result when he was named the NL MVP in mid-November. There was no way to detect from the obvious excitement in Braun's voice as he did interviews after that announcement that he had a 50-game suspension hanging over his head.

A first positive test results in a 50-game suspension, followed by a 100-game suspension for a second and a lifetime ban for a third. A player is not paid his salary during such suspensions.

Braun, who signed a five-year extension in April worth $105 million that committed him to the Brewers through 2020, was a major force in the Brewers' surge to their first NL Central crown and 96-victory season. He batted .332 with 33 home runs, 111 runs batted in, 109 runs scored, 33 stolen bases and a .597 slugging percentage, tops in the league.

No reigning MVP ever has been suspended for a positive drug test. The award is presented by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and that association's president, Bill Shaikin, noted that Alex Rodriguez's 2003 American League MVP award was not stripped after he admitted later to steroid use during that period.

Braun has not admitted to such use, so any calls for stripping his MVP award are premature until all the facts of the case are made public.

The ESPN report indicated Braun's positive test was triggered by elevated levels of testosterone. A more comprehensive test revealed that the testosterone was synthetic and therefore not produced by his body.

ESPN's sources did not indicate how high above the threshold Braun's sample tested. But the report said Braun told people he did not knowingly take a banned substance and hoped to prove that with his appeal.

Even if that's true, however, it does not mean Braun's suspension will be overturned. A player must prove that he was not in any way negligent to successfully appeal.

MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Policy went into effect after the 2003 season after a period of enhanced offensive performance known as "The Steroid Era." Beyond PEDs, amphetamines later were added to the list of banned substances. In the new labor agreement just completed, players will be subject to blood testing for HGH beginning in 2012.

The policy provides little leniency for players, saying MLB is "not required to otherwise establish intent, fault, negligence or knowing use of a prohibited substance on the player's part to establish such a violation."

In other words, if a player claims he did not knowingly take a banned substance, he must show he was not negligent in any way to have a positive test overturned.

Since breaking in with the Brewers in 2007, Braun has established himself as one of the game's rising stars. He was named NL rookie of the year that season and has been voted by fans to start in the All-Star Game for four consecutive seasons, an indication of his immense popularity.