Culver City Observer -

Ryan Braun spoke eloquently for 30 minutes last week, explaining how he had been falsely accused of taking illegal substances that would have resulted in a 50-game suspension.

He was passionate about his innocence and quite believable.

What a story this has been, the National League’s Most Valuable Player with a spotless past shockingly thrust into the spotlight of an ugly mess.

Now his guilty verdict has been overturned, the first time since drug testing became a part of major league baseball that a player has mounted a successful challenge.

There was a lot of relief throughout baseball with players from the Milwaukee Brewers and many other teams saying Braun’s ability to get his suspension overturned is good for baseball. .Players from other sports too.

“MLB and cable sports tried to sully the reputation of an innocent man” said Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers’ quarterback and a close friend of Braun. “They messed with the wrong guy.”

The original report on Braun’s positive test came from ESPN.

The day after baseball’s ruling of a 50-game suspension was overturned thousands of fans in Milwaukee braved a snowfall to purchase tickets to early season games in which Braun can now play.

Unfortunately, though, the debate about Braun will not go away soon.

That’s because the perception remains that Braun escaped due to a technicality, his urine sample not being delivered promptly by the collector. A 44-hour delay there was the basis of Braun’s appeal.

Braun, a San Fernando Valley lad (Granada Hills High) who turned down Stanford to play baseball at Miami, insists he has lived his life properly and states “I didn’t do it,” in talking about taking illegal drugs.

But he knows he will still be perceived as a cheater by some fans and even rival players.

He made it clear by saying “This is the beginning of repairing my image.”

He knows it is only the beginning.

Of the many ballplayers who are happy he’ll be playing from the outset of the season is the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp, who came in second in MVP voting.

“I don’t want to receive it because someone else was disqualified,” said Kemp.

“I also know Braun. We’re friends. I’m happy for him.”

The new season will be a challenge for Braun. He’ll be in the spotlight on a daily basis and he won’t be protected in the Brewers’ lineup by slugger Prince Fielder, who became a free agent and signed with the Detroit Tigers.

Braun’s case is aided by some very important facts. He didn’t gain weight, hit with more power or run faster last season.

Players are weighed frequently and they’re timed as they run the bases. If Braun was gaining an advantage by taking drugs his performance in those areas would have given him away. Instead, he performed on the field about the same as in other seasons.

That’s why I tend to believe he’s innocent. But I don’t know for sure.

Baseball doesn’t need another Barry Bonds saga, or anything to remind us of the Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa controversy years ago. Or Jose Canseco or Roger Clemens.

The Dodgers will get an early look at Braun by playing the Brewers in Milwaukee April 17-19.