Baseball's Braun reiterates innocence after appeal Ryan Braun, the first Major League Baseball player to successfully appeal a suspected doping violation, Friday insisted that the drug in question "never entered my body." "I've tried to respect this process," Braun said at a press conference at training camp in Arizona one day after the result of his appeal was announced. I've tried to handle the entire situation with honor, with integrity, with class, dignity and professionalism, because that's who I am. If I had done this intentionally or unintentionally, I would've been the first to step up and say, 'I did it.' I know in my heart this substance never entered my body," he said. Braun was named Most Valuable Player of the National League in November for his role in helping the Milwaukee Brewers clinch their first division title in almost 30 years. An ESPN report in December that he was facing a possible 50-game ban for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug during the playoffs rocked baseball. While MLB policy calls for dope testing and appeals to remain confidential until a ban is announced, Braun did not deny the report. He said on Friday, however, that much of what was reported in the media was incorrect, and that the positive test was not the result of a personal health issue or sexually transmitted disease. A three-man panel ruled 2-1 in favor of Braun, with arbitrator Syam Das casting the deciding vote. Major League Baseball issued a statement on Thursday saying it "vehemently disagreed" with the decision. Details of the case were not released, but US media reported Braun's appeal was based on technical flaws in the handling of his sample, which cast doubt on the chain of custody. "The system, in the way it was applied to me in this case, was fatally flawed," Braun said Friday.