The Brewers and LF Ryan Braun yesterday announced that Braun “was withdrawing from the team's annual fan festival Sunday,” according to Tom Haudricourt of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. Braun was “scheduled to participate in ‘Brewers On Deck’ at the Frontier Airlines Center, but team principal owner Mark Attanasio announced it was mutually agreed that he would not attend due to the ‘sensitive’ timing as the all-star leftfielder awaits the verdict of his appeal of a reported positive drug test.” Braun “appealed that test result and his case was heard last Thursday and Friday by a three-man panel" in N.Y. That panel has “25 days to render its verdict, which could come at any time before that deadline.” The decision to withdraw just days before the event “created speculation that the Brewers had been informed that Braun would be suspended.” But a source said that “no ruling had come.” Braun was scheduled to participate “in autograph sessions and photo opportunities with fans during the day-long event.” But he also “would have faced questions from local media about his situation and has been instructed not to comment prior to an arbitration verdict.” The Brewers and Braun “came to the conclusion that the timing was too awkward and sensitive, especially with the arbitration ruling pending” (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 1/26). In N.Y., Andy Martino cites a source as saying that the resolution on Braun’s appeal of a 50-game suspension "is not expected until a ‘couple of weeks’ from now" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 1/26).
