The Baseball Writers Association of America won't be revoking Ryan Braun's National League MVP award, even if he is ultimately suspended by Major League Baseball for violating its collectively-bargained drug program.
Braun is appealing what could become a 50-game suspension for testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone, which a test revealed was caused by synthetic testosterone, according to reports. Baseball has not announced a suspension pending the appeal but questions are already arising about the validity of his award should the suspension stand.
MVP BRAUN TESTS POSITIVE FOR PED
Following the release of the Mitchell Report on performance-enhancing drugs in baseball in late 2007, the BBWAA discussed at length the issue of revoking awards to players linked to steroid use, and decided that it would be impossible to retroactively revoke the awards and determine who to give them to, since it was unknown if the runners-up had used banned substances as well.
The issue had already arisen following Jose Canseco's admissions of using PEDs in 2005 when the 1988 runner-up for MVP, Mike Greenwell, claimed he had been robbed of the award, which was given to Canseco.
The former Boston Red Sox outfielder said Jose Canseco's admission that he took steroids raised questions about the legitimacy of the award that season.
"Where's my MVP?" Greenwell asked then. "(Canseco’s) an admitted steroid user. I was clean. If they're going to start putting asterisks by things, let's put one by the MVP."
Canseco hit .307 with 42 home runs, 124 RBI and 40 stolen bases for the Oakland A's in 1988 and was unanimously voted the league's MVP. Greenwell, who hit .325 with 22 home runs, 119 RBI and 16 stolen bases that season, finished second in the balloting.
"I do have a problem with losing the MVP to an admitted steroids user," Greenwell said. "Every time you renegotiate a contract, if you're an MVP, you have a different level of bargaining power. But in honesty, I don't care about the money."
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