Prince Fielder Relieved NL MVP Ryan Braun Won PED Appeal

Among the first to wish Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun well after Braun won his appeal of a failed drug test: friend, former Brewers teammate and new Detroit Tiger Prince Fielder.

Speaking from his first full-squad workout with the team that signed him this past offseason, Fielder said he hadn't spoken with Braun about the test controversy and potential 50-game suspension Braun faced but suggested the more games Braun can play this year, the better. His case marked the first instance since the league began performance-enhancing drug testing that a play has had a suspension overturned.

Nevertheless, his mind has rightfully been places other than other players' trials and tribulations. He has his own adjustments to make to a new time and a shift from the National League to the American League.

"Obviously, it's good. You don't want him to miss those games," Fielder told USA Today. "I'm happy he's able to clear his name.

"Really, I haven't been following it like that," he added. "I have a life, too. I was trying to get a job there for a while. I didn't have much time to get really deep into what was going on. But I was hoping for the best."

Combined, the pair generated 71 homers and 231 RBIs for the Brewers last season. Fielder said he's proud that Braun was last year's MVP, but doesn't take credit. Of those numbers, Braun batted .312 with 33 home runs of his own and 111 RBIs. The duo led the Brewers into the NL Championship series, where they were knocked by the eventual World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

"That's all his hard work paying off. I was just there to watch," he said.

Fellow Tiger Brandon Inge looks at Braun's appeal and sees proof that "the system is working" and isn't simply a deck stacked against the accused. Tigers reliever Daniel Schlereth agreed and added "I don't think any of us really know what was going on in his case. But I don't think we're really thinking about how we can beat the system . . . Obviously, they found something wrong with the test. That's good for Ryan, good for the Brewers, too, because obviously they would have missed him."