was a long-term

MILWAUKEE - While Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun doesnt think he can ever stop apologizing, hes also ready for a new chapter in his baseball career. USA Soccer Store . Its been a unique off-season for Braun, the 2011 NL MVP trying to make amends with fans and teammates following his 65-game suspension last year for violating Major League Baseballs anti-drug agreement. "I dont ever know if I could apologize enough for whats occurred, you know? I just continue to move forward and obviously Ill be apologetic," Braun said Sunday morning before an appearance at Brewers On Deck, the teams annual off-season fan event. Save for one heckler, Braun received a relatively warm welcome. At one point, he got a standing ovation when introduced on stage for a "Hollywood Squares" type game show. "I wish I could go back and do things differently, but I cant. All I can do is move forward and make the best of the opportunities presented to me," Braun told reporters. The event at a downtown Milwaukee convention centre was Brauns first major public appearance since his admission last year that he took performance-enhancing drugs and accepted his suspension in late July, abandoning claims he was innocent. Since then, Braun has kept in touch with management and teammates. Hes made at least one low-key appearance for a charity, and spoke to the media the day before Thanksgiving at a food drive at Miller Park. "Ive been hanging out with him. Its all good. I think hes just ready to move on like we all are," catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. Braun said he thinks hes called every suite holder and many season ticket holders, and he said it he had one "really challenging conversation." It matters what people think, he said. "Ive always taken tremendous pride in being a role model. I made a huge mistake. Ive paid a great price for that mistake," he said. "I deeply regret it. I wish I could change it." Despite all thats happened, there were still a fair number of fans wearing No. 8 Braun jerseys on Sunday. When asked his first question on the mock game show, a heckler from the audience yelled "You know hes lying." Braun ignored the jab but played it off his next time up. "As a fan so graciously pointed out, Ive gotten in trouble in the past for not being completely forthcoming," Braun said. Manager Ron Roenicke said it was important for Braun to build his relationship with fans the community, though getting back to the level of interaction and acceptance from before the suspension wont "happen overnight." "Hes served the penalty Major League Baseball has come up with, and hopefully thats beyond what we need to address now," Roenicke said. Suspension aside, a thumb injury also limited Braun — part of a litany of injuries that hit the Brewers. Braun hit .298 with nine homers and 38 RBIs in 61 games, by far the worst production of his career. That was in left field. This year, hes moving to right. The Brewers are realigning their outfield following the trade of Norichika Aoki to Kansas City and the emergence down the stretch of rookie Khris Davis in left. Braun isnt worried about a drop-off in production. "No, I think Ill be better than Ive ever been. Very confident in that," he said. The thumb feels good. Braun also got married in the off-season. Spring training starts in a less than a month, and he hasnt been this eager to get started since 2011. Braun declined comment when asked about the 162-game suspension of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who is suing to get his punishment overturned. Braun said "he hasnt really paid close attention to his situation." AP freelance writers Andrew Wagner and Joe Totoraitis contributed to this report. Sean Johnson Jersey . - Loosening up for their first training camp practice, the Miami Dolphins high-stepped sideways up and down the field while House of Pains song "Jump Around" blared on the loudspeakers. Auston Trusty Jersey . -- The Guelph Storm are moving on to the Western Conference final after defeating the London Knights 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action.MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves best days came with Flip Saunders on the sideline. Now that the organization is shrouded in uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of star forward Kevin Love, Saunders is returning to the bench to try revive a franchise that hasnt made the playoffs in 10 years. With the teams coaching search complicated by Loves status, the Timberwolves decided the best course of action was to have Saunders, who was hired last season as president of basketball operations, step in for a second stint as coach until the situation stabilized, two people with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not officially announced the move. A news conference was scheduled for Friday. Saunders previously coached the Timberwolves from 1995-2005. He won 411 games in 10 1/2 seasons in Minnesota and guided the Wolves to the only eight playoff appearances in franchise history, including the Western Conference finals in 2004. He has a career record of 638-526 in 16 seasons as an NBA head coach, a career that also includes stops in Detroit and Washington. Saunders is joining a short list in the NBA of coaches that also have final-say executive authority, one that includes newly hired Stan Van Gundy in Detroit, Doc Rivers with the Los Angeles Clippers and, to a certain extent, Gregg Popovich in San Antonio. Saunders will continue to work closely with GM Milt Newton in the front office while handling coaching duties. When Rick Adelman retired at the end of the regular season, he did so in part to try to help the Timberwolves move forward with a plan to show Love, a three-time All-Star who can opt out of his contract next summer, that there was a long-term plan in place for success. But Loves tenuous situation didnt help the search process, with trade rumours serving as a caution sign for several high-profile candidates. Saunders was in the market for a coach with extensive head coaching experience, either in the NBA or at a major college program, one that could command the respect of a young locker room and also handle the media scrutiny that comes with the questions surrouunding Love. Matt Miazga Jersey. Names like Tom Izzo, Billy Donovan and Fred Hoiberg came and went without any traction. The Wolves hosted Memphis coach Dave Joerger for an interview two weekends ago, but Grizzlies owner Robert Pera sweetened his contract to keep him around. Sam Mitchell, Lionel Hollins, Scott Skiles and several others received consideration as well. Unable to find what they felt was the right fit for a delicate job, Saunders and owner Glen Taylor met this week to reassess the situation. Taylor said when he brought Saunders back as team president that he would not put him back on the bench. He fired Saunders as coach once before, in 2005 when Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell, unhappy with their contracts, submarined the follow-up to the teams stirring run to the Western Conference finals. Saunders was also hopeful that he could find someone other than himself to take over the team. But with Loves status preventing them from pursuing the coaches they felt would fit best, the two decided that Saunders should take over for at least this season if not longer. The Timberwolves have not given up on convincing Love to play out this season in Minnesota and re-sign next summer to a contract that can pay him and extra year and about $26.5 million more than any other team. It was not immediately clear what the appointment of Saunders would do for Loves desires to stay or go. Love has yet to make the playoffs in his six seasons in the league and is believed to be growing impatient with the Wolves, who finished 40-42 and in 10th place in the West this year. Love created a stir when he spent last weekend in Boston, where the Celtics are rumoured to be making a run at trading for the 25-year-old power forward before the June 26 draft. Just how long Saunders will coach remains to be seen. There is the possibility that Saunders will add assistants to his staff who could be groomed to eventually take over. The Wolves were expected to reach out to Mitchell, a former Timberwolves player and Raptors head coach, and David Blatt, who has spearheaded Russias return to Olympic relevance and coaches in Israel, to gauge their interest in joining his staff. ' ' '