Ryan Braun Accepts NL MVP Award, Indirectly Addresses Positive Test During Speech

MLB’s NL MVP Ryan Braun, in his first public remarks since testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, told an audience of 800 guests at the Hilton New York that “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 statements were pointed at the legal battle he is currently involved in.

“Sometimes in life, we all deal with challenges we never expected to endure. We have an opportunity to look at those challenges and view them as either an obstacle or as opportunities,” Braun said, while accepting his award at the annual dinner of the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

“I’ve chosen to view every challenge I’ve ever faced as an opportunity, and this will be no different. I’ve always believed that a person’s character is revealed through the way they deal with those moments of adversity,” he continued.

Braun’s latest comments come just two days after the appeal of his positive test was heard by a three-person panel in New York, according to the Associated Press.

The panel, consisting of MLB Players Association executive director Michael Weiner, MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred and independent arbitrator Shyam Das, will decide whether Braun will serve a 50-game suspension when the 2012 season kicks off.

Braun, the NL’s Rookie of the Year in 2007 and an All-Star in each of his first four major league seasons, won the NL MVP in his fifth season, batting .332 with 32 home runs and 111 RBIs, 109 runs scored and 33 stolen bases. He also led the league in slugging percentage (.597).

The BBWAA has said Braun will not be asked to relinquish the award.

To see see Ryan Braun’s NL MVP acceptance speech in its entirety, head over to MLB’s website.

via ESPN