Although Brewers slugger Ryan Braun will not be suspended for a positive drug test, winning the arbitration case does not necessarily mean he’s innocent. From what we know, the positive drug test for elevated levels of testosterone may have been legitimate. Braun may have only won the appeal because his lawyer cast enough doubt about the test to the three-person arbitration panel.
Several media sources are reporting that Braun won the arbitration case thanks to a technicality.
Tom Haudricourt wrote that Braun won the appeal not because they contested the positive test, but because of the testing process.
Karl Ravech explained the issue in greater detail, saying a source told him “the courier who was supposed to deliver a positive sample to a Federal Express building on a Saturday evening decided not to because he thought that building might be closed. He takes it home with him until Monday morning, leaves it intact, brings it back to the Federal Express building, sends it off, but those 36-48 hours is the loophole that allowed Braun to get off.”
Reporter Jon Heyman said the same thing, reporting that “part of braun’s argument was that the chain of custody was broken for 2 days, meaning the sample was left unprotected.”
Tim Kurkjian reported on ESPN that he heard there was a mishandling of the sample.
So how innocent is Braun? Maybe not as innocent as his statement would like you to believe. Braun winning the arbitration hearing on a technicality seems like the reason MLB was so upset the test was overturned.
Braun may have won his appeal, but it will be hard to win back the people who now view him as a dirty player. This is the exact reason Aaron Rodgers said there should be some confidentiality; the public was not supposed to know about the positive test or appeal.
