Football season has come to a close, the NBA is in full swing and pitchers and catchers have reported to training camp.

Meanwhile, Ryan Braun is doing his best to repair his torn image not only in Milwaukee, but around the league.

As most of you remember, the Brewers slugger served a 65-game suspension last season for his use of performance enhancing drugs, ending his season early and giving him plenty of time to think over his mistake.

However, over the off-season Braun has dedicated himself to hard work and gaining back respect by greeting and speaking to fans at Brewers on Deck and calling season ticket holders personally.

Braun took the league by storm in 2007, winning the rookie of the year. During his campaign he posted a .634 slugging percentage and a .324 batting average, something people had never seen before. Braun suddenly became the star of an up-and-coming Brewers squad loaded with young
talent.

Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks and Yovani Gallardo are just a few of the guys who became a part of Braun’s supporting cast. Between 2007 and 2011, Braun became the franchises go-to-guy, singlehandedly carrying the Brewers into the playoffs thanks to his clutch performances at the plate.

Snap back to reality. It’s 2014 and the Brewers are in a totally different place now than they were just a few years ago. Prince Fielder is on his third MLB team, Lyle Overbay is a Brewer again, Rickie Weeks is a bench player and the team’s new second baseman is named Scooter.

This Brewer team is  filled with new talents, and the best thing that Braun can do is embrace changes and try to regain what he had in 2007 with his fans and his team.

One of the things most people don’t notice when they analyze Braun is that he is not strictly a power hitter. Braun is a five-tool player blessed with speed, arm strength, great fielding ability, and he hits for average and power as well.

The only thing people seem to care about though is his power numbers. But realistically, Braun has put up amazing numbers, hitting for a high average to every area of the ballpark.

As Braun arrives at spring training this February, he will have plenty of work cut out for him. Proving the doubters wrong is something that in my mind will only fuel Braun to work harder and maintain the numbers he has put up throughout his entire career.

The speculation going around is that Braun will struggle to continue to put up consistent numbers like he has in each of his previous seasons, but I think that prediction is wrong.

There is a reason Braun was drafted fifth overall by the Brewers in 2005, and by 2007 was the cornerstone of the franchise.

Braun, with drugs or not, is a top 15 player in the MLB and comes into the 2014 season with a big chip on his shoulder.

Rekindling his relationships with fans and players simply isn’t enough. Braun must do something unexpected, and that is carrying his young Brewers back to the postseason.