Braun clears air with Dino Laurenzi

— -- MILWAUKEE -- Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun said Wednesday that he's "made amends" with the collector he accused of mishandling his urine sample, which produced a positive drug test as part of Major League Baseball's Biogenesis doping scandal.

Braun was taking part in a food drive at Miller Park and spoke publicly for the first time since accepting a season-ending suspension for violating baseball's anti-drug agreement. He said he is "deeply remorseful" and eager to get back to playing after serving a 65-game penalty.

The five-time All-Star tested positive for elevated testosterone in October of his 2011 NL MVP season, but his 50-game suspension was overturned when an arbitrator ruled the urine sample was mishandled. All along, Braun maintained his innocence and heavy criticism fell on the urine sample collector, Dino Laurenzi Jr.

Asked if he apologized to Laurenzi or offered him compensation, Braun said Wednesday, "I have not made any payments to him. I've had some really productive and positive conversations with him. The Laurenzi family was actually gracious and kind enough to have my fiancée, Larisa, and I over to their house for dinner last night, and we had some really good conversation.

"We've made amends and I think we're both excited to be able to move forward and put this behind us."

Braun had earlier railed against baseball's joint drug agreement, calling it "fatally flawed" and suggesting players are "100 percent guilty until proven innocent."

"We won because the truth is on my side," he said at the time.

"I wish that I hadn't done the press conference," Braun said Wednesday. "It was a big mistake. I deeply regret having done it, and a lot of the things that I said that day."

Braun has returned to Miller Park on a few occasions, personally called some Brewers season ticket holders and met with a local charity. Until Wednesday, he had not taken questions about the scandal.

"Because it was an ongoing investigation I wasn't allowed to say very much at that time," Braun said. "Basically based on what I had learned from both Major League Baseball and the players' association, it wasn't in anybody's best interest for me to make any statements at that time. It wasn't about waiting or anything like that. I've been here a few times but I think this is the first time that everybody's been aware that I'm here."

Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.