Ryan Braun: ‘I’ll just let my work speak for itself, as every artist should’

Ryan Braun could spend the rest of his life apologizing for all the lies he has told and all the people he has hurt in the process, but he can never be completely forgiven. Braun didn’t just cheat at the game of baseball, he also put the careers of people like urine sample collector Dino Laurenzi Jr. in jeopardy just to protect his name.

In any event, Braun’s MLB career is going to continue. He has no choice but to move on. One thing he probably should work on doing is not making himself sound like such an egomaniac during interviews.

“I’m one of the league leaders in confidence,” Braun told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale earlier this week. “If I perform like I’ve always done, I’ll be one of the best players in this game. I don’t need any added motivation of drama at work.

“I’ll just let my work speak for itself, as every artist should.”

Maybe take it down a notch or two, chief. It’s one thing to accept your mistakes and try to move forward. Talking about how cocky you are and calling yourself an “artist” is never going to appeal to the public — not that Braun seems to care.

“This doesn’t bother me,” he said. “People may have something new to yell now, but it’s really no different than anything I’ve gone though. I’ve never gone to Chicago and had them cheer for me. I’ve never gone to St. Louis and had them say, ‘I hope you do great.’ Nobody’s fans have ever cheered for the opposing team’s best player.”

Braun is 30 years old and has made millions of dollars throughout his career. If using performance-enhancing drugs has helped him make all that money and honeymoon with his wife in Bora Bora, he’s the type of guy who isn’t going to feel that much remorse over it. He practically admitted that to Nightengale.

“I’m enjoying life as much as I’ve ever enjoyed life,” Braun said. “I’m not saying there won’t be some moments that are annoying this year, but come on, who hasn’t dealt with drama at work one time or another? I’m in a good place.”

For most people, drama at work means getting drunk at a Christmas party and having to face your coworkers the following Monday. Braun certainly isn’t most people.

H/T Hardball Talk