Editoral: All Braun no brains: Is system flawed?

He was the Rookie of the year, a four-time all-star, a four-time silver slugger, a member of the 30-30 club and the National League Most Valuable Player. Ryan Braun has accomplished plenty during his five years of service to Major League Baseball. But in December, a couple of months after winning the MVP, Braun went under scrutiny from the MLB.

On Oct. 1, 2011, Braun failed a urine drug test.

Braun faced a 50-game suspension for failing a league drug test under the substance abuse policy. A frustrated Braun went on a four-month stint to clear his name, prove his innocence and prove the MLB wrong.

Like most notable athletes, Braun appealed the suspension in hopes that he will not suffer the same fate. With his legal team, Braun showed evidence that since his rookie year, his stats hadn’t changed. After the MLB’s arbitration board reviewed the facts, on Feb. 23, in a 2-1 decision, the board lifted the 50-game suspension. Braun had beaten the system, the first time ever that a MLB player had successfully challenged a drug-related penalty.

In a Feb. 24 press conference, Braun spoke out.

“I would bet my life this substance never entered my body,” Braun said.

Braun spoke out defending his innocence, saying that the system worked, and attacking collector Dino Laurenzi Jr. for holding his sample for 44-hours. A few days later, Laurenzi Jr. sent an e-mail to ESPN stating that he did nothing wrong.

In a span of four months, Braun has become a scorn of both players and fans alike. Many still believe that the system has failed. One thing is for sure ­— Braun’s repuatation is all but gone.