Ryan Braun: From ‘Mistakes’ Made To Full And Honest PED Apology

Ryan Braun last month admitted to making “mistakes,” and now the 2011 NL MVP has finally admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs.

Braun admits to taking a lozenge and applying a cream, which both contained banned substances. The MLB MVP used the products when he was rehabilitating an injury.

In an official statement released by the Milwaukee Brewers, the PED user fully apologized for his actions:

“It was a huge mistake for which I am deeply ashamed and I compounded the situation by not admitting my mistakes immediately.”

Ryan Braun was suspended 50-games in October 2011 after he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels. Braun had the decision overturned at the time of the decision when an arbitrator ruled that his urine sample had been mishandled.

Now that Braun has admitted to PED use, he has also apologize to the collector of his urine sample, to his teammates, to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, and to his fans.

Last month, Ryan Bruan was handed a 65-game suspension as part of the now-closed Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic.

In the meantime, Braun adds:

“By coming forward when I did and waiving my right to appeal any sanctions that were going to be imposed, I knew I was making the correct decision and taking the first step in the right direction. It was important to me to begin my suspension immediately to minimize the burden on everyone I had so negatively affected — my teammates, the entire Brewers organization, the fans and all of MLB.”

While Ryan Braun has finally made the right decision, fellow player Alex Rodriguez continues to fight a 211-game penalty. Rumors of stolen files and other evidence tampering have been waged against A-Rod in the last several months, and those rumors show no sign of slowing.

In addressing the people who stood up for him during his investigation, Braun offered the following apology:

“I have no one to blame but myself. I know that over the last year and a half I made some serious mistakes, both in the information I failed to share during my arbitration hearing and the comments I made to the press afterwards. I have disappointed the people closest to me — the ones who fought for me because they truly believed me all along. I kept the truth from everyone. For a long time, I was in denial and convinced myself that I had not done anything wrong.”

Ryan Braun had 15 games added to his original 50-game suspension because of his conduct at time of the grievance.

With Braun and more than a dozen of his fellow players now suspended over PED use, it will be interesting to see if any other outward apologies are issued by the other men involved in the Biogenesis American scandal.