With the Dodgers and Giants tied for first place in the National League West, San Francisco outfielder Melky Cabrera, who has a .390 on-base percentage and .516 slugging percentage this season, has been handed a 50-game suspension for testing positive for testosterone in violation of the MLB drug policy. The suspension will end Cabrera’s regular season and potentially extend five games into the playoffs.
It’s the biggest suspension in the division since Manny Ramirez of the Dodgers was sidelined for the same number of games in the 2009 season. Los Angeles, of course, still managed to go to the National League Championship Series that year.
“My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used,” Cabrera said in a statement. “I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down.”
Kershaw CXLI: Kershaw Vie en Rose
Shane Victorino, LF
Mark Ellis, 2B
Matt Kemp, CF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Rivera, 1B
Luis Cruz, 3B
A.J. Ellis, C
Clayton Kershaw, P
Anonymous
I believe Cabrera has already gone through the appeals process. When the suspensions are announced like this, it’s a done deal.
Terry Pruett
Wow…and double wow. I’m going to be up there this weekend…should be an interesting atmosphere around town.
Anonymous
Andy Baggarly must be wondering if she rescind his apology:
http://www.csnbayarea.com/baseball-san-francisco-giants/giants-talk/A-public-apology-to-Melky-Cabrera?blockID=747609
underdog
Was just re-reading that. Then saw Baggarly on the Giants pre-game, to his credit wasn’t gloating but he did bring it up how Melky denied it when Baggarly confronted him about it back then.
Anonymous
“at least understand that my motivations
were not nefarious or self-oriented in any way”
That’s about as sincere as someone saying “I’m not using this as an excuse, but…”
The only thing more “self-oriented” than the original story (and the gratuitous mention that he has 30,000 followers) is the “please don’t hate me because I’m beautiful” faux-apology. And since the rumors turned out to be true, he also looks like a terrible reporter – buying what Cabrera was selling.
Anonymous
liked your comment; here’s the end of that piece: “I’m apologizing because it’s the right thing to do.
About that, I am certain”.
Jeffrey Thomas III
I guess those ‘Melk Maids’ were carrying something other than ‘melk’…
KT
^_^
Alex Chavez
Good thing the Dodgers could block a waiver-wire Alfonso Soriano-to-Giants trade.
Looks like SF will have to play .230-hitting Gregor Blanco.
Anonymous
May not be able to for long.
Terry Pruett
Very true…and I think Soriano could help them.
Anonymous
Soriano’s already said he doesn’t want to be a Gnat.
Brian Prince
I guess Balco Bonds was sharing his stash.
Anonymous
WHOA. This is huge
underdog
This does feel like karmic payback, schadenfreude, etc., but I feel a weird mix of disappointment–and elation. Huh. I’ll get through it, though.
Don’t count the iGiants out–I’m sure the Dodgers won’t. But with their pitching and they have some other good hitters now, and they seem a prideful bunch, they’ll still be in the hunt.
Anonymous
“Prideful” and “arrogant” are not synonyms. Please edit.
Anonymous
I wonder why the Gnats decided against pursuing a contract extension with Melky.
Anonymous
Wow.
Any rule 1 exemptions here, Jon?
I’m going to explain this one to my 7-year-old, and make sure to accentuate the part where we discuss how the giants are a club whose history, prestige and very essence is built on juiced outfielders.
Anonymous
That’s only been the case in SF.
Anonymous
You mean you don’t find that anti-pregnancy-symptom drugs take the edge off for you?
Anonymous
That is, the pre-SF Gnats (before 1958) cheated on the field, but not off it (so far as I know).
Jeffrey Thomas III
Looks like MLB network has Strasburg taking on the Melk-less Gnats this afternoon, should be fun.
Anonymous
I feel bad for being so giddy about this news.
Anonymous
“That’s the Melky Way!” just took on new meaning.
Anonymous
Well, Bud still has his job.
The golden age of roids will always and forever be the Bud era.
It isn’t like the longball era a decade ago didn’t help make him rich beyond his wildest dreams.
jasonu
I can’t think of a bigger suspension related blow in the history of team sports can you? This is the final two months of the season tied for first place
Anonymous
I’ll give you the final 2 months but Paul Hornung, Alex Karras, must be plenty of others that were the most important player on their teams
jasonu
two good ones! not sure about plenty of others though
Anonymous
Wow. Knowing makes me wonder why I didn’t wonder before..
Anonymous
My feelings exactly. I guess I thought nobody would be so dumb to still take PED’s with all the testing going on.
Anonymous
Could he still win the NL batting title? Cabrera is currently second in the NL, with a no-longer-surprising .346 average, behind Andrew McCutcheon at.359. But averages tend to come down at the end of the long season. It’s possible that McCutcheon fades down the stretch, leaving Cabrera with the best average in the league.
To qualify for a batting title, a player must have 3.1 plate appearances per game. Assuming the Giants play all 162, that’s 502 appearances. Cabrera has 501, or 1 short of the minimum. Even if you give him one more out, his average only falls to .3456.
Will baseball allow this to happen? It would be a terrible black eye. But attaching asterisks to records compiled by suspended players opens a whole can of worms. Baseball had better pray McCutcheon continues to hit. Or find ways to help him.
More at dodgersdiaries.com
Anonymous
Why would Melky Cabrera winning the batting title be worse than Barry Bonds owning the career home runs record?
Eric Enders
Because Bonds was actually a good player naturally, at one point?
Anonymous
He was a good player, but never truly elite on the level of Mays, Aaron, etc. Two words: Sid Bream.
Anonymous
While I agree with you wholeheartedly, Bonds never failed a baseball related PED test. At least not one that has been made public. I also believe that baseball will credit Cabrera with one more out and if .3456 wins the batting title, so does he.
Anonymous
Because baseball never caught him.
Anonymous
But the Feds did.
Anonymous
Except they didn’t.
Anonymous
Easy – being one short of the minimum AB’s, all the Commish has to do is make sure Giants make up any rainouts – at all costs.
Anonymous
It doesn’t work that way. Players who are short PAs get outs added to their total until they reach 502 (or 3.1x number of games played). If their average is still high enough, they qualify. It’s done to allow somebody who misses games due to injury to qualify for the batting title. Kemp, for example, needs 225 more PAs to qualify for the batting title, which he’s unlikely to get in the Dodgers remaining 45 games. But if he were to fall, say, five short, MLB would just add five outs to his total and recalculate his average. If it were still high enough, he’d qualify.
Anonymous
Ah – I did not know that.
Anonymous
Tony Gwynn the Elder won a batting title in 1996 using this rule. He had 498 PAs that year. But adding a 0 for 4 would have still left him ahead of Ellis Burks that year.
Jeffrey Thomas III
So Kemp would need 5 PA’s per each remaining game to qualify. While maybe not likely it is definitely possible. If it were AB’s and not PA’s it would be much harder.
Anonymous
It’s PA’s not AB’s so as not to penalize a player for walks, sac flies, sac bunts, etc.
KT
or that Matty gets enough at bats to qualify
Anonymous
Very interesting question: How long has he been using it? Doesn’t seem to be an ovbious start in his career stats, given his young age.
Anonymous
Seems quite obvious, actually. He, like Roger Clemens and so many other users, was at a crossroads in his career when the Yankees and then the Braves dumped him. He could continue being a mediocre fourth outfielder and be out of baseball before the age of 30, or he could become a better baseball player and win a starting job somewhere.
The narrative he’d have us all believe, just like Clemens’ narrative, was that he rededicated himself to training and got in terrific shape through good old-fashioned hard work and punching a barrel full of rice. But the truth is they got their training regimen out of a bottle.
I have more contempt for the guys who lie about the reasons for theiir supposed renaissances.
jasonu
And if he got away with it for just 2 more months he would be looking at a huge pile of cash..
Anonymous
And that is why some players take these kind of chances. I before team except after me.
Anonymous
And if the Pirates fell out of it and the Giants won the West, the BBWAA would name him the MVP.
Anonymous
you are saying that Cabrera has been taking barred substances for at least 17 months which I find ridiculous. I know players are tested during spring training; how often after that I don’t know.
Anonymous
I’m saying Melky Cabrera never hit above .280 in his life until last year. Then all of a sudden, around July 1, he starts turning it on and hits .305 and slugs .470, also a career high. I have no evidence of when he started doping, but I’d certainly start looking around then. It’s entirely possible that he tested clean around the ASB last year, then figured he was unlikely to be tested again, and started experimenting. Finding that his experiments worked, he might have resumed them this year.
In 2012, his avg. was below .300 and his OPS below .800 until May 2; they’ve not been below either of those numbers since. Coincidence? Perhaps. But again, that’s where I would start looking.
Anonymous
Actually May 4
He SLGed 466 in May of last year
Tell me how often the players are tested before drawing your conclusions. For all I know, and I presume you as well, it could be quite frequently which imo makes your comments of no value.
Anonymous
I don’t think there is much science behind fans’ belief that steroids can be the difference between a replacement-level journeyman and a 150 wRC+ hitter. Melky Cabrera always had the talent and he is in his hitter’s prime. There’s no reason to think his improvement is 100% due to his use of PED.
Jeffrey Thomas III
Nats put up 2 so far in the first on Lincecum.
Anonymous
maybe their minds are elsewhere
Anonymous
Aaaaaah – good ‘ole Lincecum.
Anonymous
Can’t deny it is nicer up there this month. I hate LA in august.
Anonymous
I don’t know what you’re talking about. LA west of the 405 is delightful in August. San Francisco in August can be foggy and cold, leading Twain to rhapsodize about the coldest summer he ever spent.
Anonymous
That, apparently, was a manufactured quotation, though I can’t recall by whom. Here in the East Bay, it’s mild and sunny, with a slight cool breeze.
Terry Pruett
Here in Redondo it’s nicer than it ever is up there.
Anonymous
Right, the coastal part of LA, where the lucky 10% of you live!
At least God balances out with the traffic.
Anonymous
I often ride my bike between Santa Monica and Redondo, and see little difference weatherwise.
KT
When I heard the news I could just feel the air being let out of SF’s balloon
Anonymous
Giants left fielder suspended for taking performance enhancing drugs …. five years too late.
Anonymous
Well, 19 years too late, really.
Anonymous
Are you suggesting that Bonds should’ve been suspended for breaking a rule that did not exist?
Jeffrey Thomas III
Now 4-2 Nats over Gnats.
KT
Nats up again…now 4-2
Terry Pruett
I just went on McCovey Chronicles. Carnage.
Anonymous
Almost feel sorry for them. Not.
Jim Hitchcock
Grant Bisbee was very sympathetic when Ramirez got slapped with his (2nd?) suspension, saying something along the lines of `I want the Giants to win, but not this way’.
Anonymous
By Gnatfan standards, semi-reasonable people.
Anonymous
Some creative work over there:
“Melk treated with rBST”
Like.
Vail Beach
This is a unique circumstance to my memory of a player being discovered as a cheater when his team is in a close race for the pennant and wild card slots. The legitimacy of the Giants’ pennant run is now in question. A lot of people are feeling sorry for Giants fans, but the way I see it, Cabrera kept a mediocre team near the top.
foul tip
A bit OT, as much as anything involving Vin ever can be on a Dodger blog. (Bonus: Alyssa Milano).
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/extramustard/hotclicks/08/15/vin-scully-discussses-63-years-as-dodgers-broadcaster-alyssa-milano/index.html?eref=sihp&sct=hp_bf1_a3
Bob Bartholomew
Lincecum hit for in the 4th.
Anonymous
Arias batted for Lincecum and fanned to end the 4th. In four innings, Lincecum threw 96 pitches. Strasburg has thrown 72. Still 4-2, Nationals.
Anonymous
Make that 5-2
Anonymous
Quote of the day, from the SF Chronicle’s Splash blog: “Melky should have claimed he stepped in some “clear” out in left field that was left over from the Bonds era.”
Anonymous
Through seven in Seattle, Felix Hernandez with an extraordinarily interesting game.
Anonymous
Felix Hernandez pitching very well today
Anonymous
Embarrassingly, Cabrera’s new found excellence and all star performance was a surprise to me and yet it never crossed my mind that he might be using illegal enhancements.
Anonymous
Honest, moral people are definitely operating with a handicap, we just don’t think about others not being as we are.
Terry Pruett
I think we assume testing has made everybody clean. But, people are periodically caught because everyone thinks they can game the system. There may even be Dodgers doing it. Nothing should surprise us.
Anonymous
If the Cubs put Soriano on waivers, would the Dodgers risk blocking him, assuming they can? The Giants probably wouldn’t hesitate to take on his contract, after all, they were going to give Cabrera a bundle this winter. Would the Dodgers risk blocking the Giants’ waiver claim?
Jeffrey Thomas III
It was announced earlier that he has already cleared waivers. He can go anywhere now. Though he did say before the deadline he didn’t want to play for the Gnats.
Anonymous
I think he can veto a trade to the Gnats.
Anonymous
Can Bud take away any at bats, hits, etc. that followed the date the drug test wwas given, so he has a much harder chance of getting the batting title? Seems like they probably did not draw the blood today or yesterday?
Anonymous
Bud took away the first 5 postseason games if my math is correct. That’s a bit of a knife-twist.
David Farinella
Let’s be clear, as much as I dislike him as a Commish, Bud did not take anything away. Melky took it away.
KT
David how did you link your name to a web page..I thought I figured it out but it doesn’t appear blue to me. I tried to link it to my facebook page but i don’t want all my comments to show up on my time line
David Farinella
KT, it seems like I did it in my Discus or whatever profile
KT
I think I figureed it out with the help of Link
David Farinella
Just saw you got it done … Okay, see you later.
jasonu
Felix Hernandez in Seattle has a chance today do something real awesome… He needs 5 more outs. 3 more. he just struck out the side in the 8th.
jasonu
struck out looking to end it. ouch!
Anonymous
Have there ever before been two perfect games in the same ballpark in a single season?
Jim Hitchcock
This year, Safeco. Throw in a no hitter also.
Anonymous
Must be a pitcher’s park.
Anonymous
there were 2 perfect games in 1880. the next season with more than 1 was 2010 which had 2. This year there has been 3. Never before 2 in the same season in the same ballpark
Anonymous
Rule 9 only applies to PGs in progress, right?
Anonymous
Wow – – got chills watching Felix close that game out – that was awesome.
Anonymous
I’m glad the al west is expanding (if that is the case).
The M’s are just a depressing club, I feel bad that they’ve wasted Ichiro and Felix all these years. Maybe splitting a season series against another bad club will make them a little less horrible.
Anonymous
Gnatfans appreciate their heroes. B*nds appears at The Phone Booth and gets an ovation.
Anonymous
Nationals lead Giants, 6-3, after eight innings. Strasburg went six.
KT
6-4 because LaRoche misses a routine popup that would have ended the game…and they still oplay the defensive indeference card
KT
Nats win
Anonymous
At virtually the same time that the first-place Dodgers begin to play.
KT
Good job Shane
Good hit Mark
Come on Matty
KT
Matty with the RBI
Mark taking out his fellow 2ndbaseman like green did to him…Clean play
KT
Mark was safe at second
KT
wish I had the dodgers feed
Ump blew that call on ellis
Anonymous
The ostensible “catcher” who can’t block the plate K’s to end it in SF.
Anonymous
As I said before, I am confident that Posey is under orders to try not to get hurt because his bat is so important to his team. I remember when Pedro Guerrero crashed into the stands to catch a foul ball while I was screaming that the out wasn’t worth his getting hurt because he was the Dodgers’ best hitter but he did get hurt. Looking at his stats this was either ’85 or ’88.
Anonymous
By any standard, the guy’s a below-average defensive catcher. And you can’t just let runners have home plate.
KT
Of course the show the Hanley replay over and over
Good hit Dre
KT
Love this post from McCovey Chronicles:
“Did the Giants just set a record by having two guys on the 25-man roster get suspended for PEDs in the same season? Really?”
Good inning Clayton
KT
Nice hit Clayton
KT
Another good one from the chronicles:
“Ryan Braun says Melkys biggest mistake was not using FEdEx’s weekend service”
Some of these guys are really funny
KT
3 deep drives and a Ground rule double
Clayton not really fooling anyone this inning
KT
Good hit Mark
Anonymous
Yes good hit. But M.Ellis looked pretty slow on the two plays after that. But he scores on a fly, and that is what counts
KT
Good eye Hanley
Come on Dre
KT
Good hit Dre.
Come on Juan
Anonymous
No ground ball, Juan.
KT
Way to go Juan with the SAC!!
KT
Come on Luis
Anonymous
Not sure I liked that force on Ethier. I hope I see it again.Wonder if they will show it.(and if it is meaningful if they don’t).
KT
He was out by about a foot the 2nd baseman kept his foot on the bag
KT
Clayton with his second hit
Shane doing the same
Come on Mark
KT
Mark making wandy work
KT
Matty!!
Come on Hanley
Dr. Rockso
:-)
KT
Hanley!!
Come on Juan…I mean Dre
Anonymous
Very nice.
Anonymous
KT, you make the call. Did Dre have a beef? (Never mind, they showed the replay. Got him by this much).
KT
no out by about 6-8 inches
KT
I check all the close calls
How are you doing tonight Bob
Anonymous
Pretty good. A lot of traveling (Indonesia and Mexico). Also, as much as we Eastcoaster complain about 10pm starts, just not used to these early ones.
KT
Throwing off your schedule
It throws off my afternoon nap schedule…I’ve been in total disarry this past week
Anonymous
8 hits so far from our top 5 and 2 from Kershaw as a bonus, I think it’s official, the team is starting to gel quite nicely thankyou very much ;)
KT
At least it was a solo shot
Anonymous
Reminds me of the Toy Cannon.
KT
I loved watching Jimmy hit home runs
Anonymous
Those high lofty shots. Saw him hit his three against the Pads in ’74.
Anonymous
Game 1 of the 1974 World Series. My only better memory of that series is the Ferguson throw to get Bando at the plate. Jimmy was the guy Fergie cut off on that play.
Anonymous
My best memory of that Series, as I attended all three games in Oakland.
Anonymous
That’s a pretty good compliment for McCutchen.
Linkmeister
Except McCutchen’s about 30 pounds lighter, right? My memory of Wynn is that he was short and stocky. McCutchen’s wiry.
Anonymous
You may be right, but they list Mac at 185 and TC is listed at 160. (JP listed at 175).
Linkmeister
Huh. Well, even at 160 Wynn’s more than I am these days. Here’s a link to a picture of him in Dodgers uniform: http://www.halloffamememorabilia.com/p-429044-autographed-hand-signed-jimmy-wynn-los-angeles-dodgers-8×10-photo-mla-5139.aspx
Anonymous
So this newish feature (edited by author __ minutes ago) shows up the bad typists and/or the people who type before they think :)
KT
or the people who try to post too fast
Anonymous
Yes, a few times in my haste I have done that, looked at what I wrote, shook my head and then fixed the typos.
KT
Good inning Clayton…59 pitches after 5 ^_^
Anonymous
3 hot hitters coming up (led by Kershaw)
KT
Love DP’s that are supposed to be turned when they actually are
KT
Beautiful pitch…Kershaw at 77
KT
Good hit Hanley
Come on Dre
KT
Good hit Dre
Come on Juan..correction James the pinch hitter Loney
KT
Nice hit James
Come on Luis
KT
Luis!!
Come on AJ
KT
terrible play by Jones
KT
Good SAC AJ
Come on Clayton bring him home
KT
Clayton with the SAC!! ^_^
KT
Shane!!
Anonymous
dare I say, we are cruisin !!
KT
There are so many things I wanted to say about our offense lately but I didn’t want to jinx it
Anonymous
everyone with a hit and/ or and RBI, now thats teamwork!!
KT
Can anyone tell me how to link your name to a web page..I thought I figured it out but it didn’t appear blue to me. I tried to link it to my facebook page but i don’t want all my comments to show up on my time line
Linkmeister
Did you type the http part too? Try this: https://www.facebook.com/kmt59
KT
does it work?
Linkmeister
Does for me.
KT
Thanks Link…I was afraid if I was logged in it would automatically open because when I was logged out it didn’t open
Anonymous
I’ve predicted the Dodgers to win the division by five over the Snakes, with the Gnats hanging onto third. I may have been pessimistic.
KT
OK time for the DP
Anonymous
Did a Pirate just take a base on defensive indifference in the 8th inning? If so, that is troubling.
KT
I know I hate that unless we are up by at least 8 runs
KT
1 more Brandon
KT
Another good win
Going for the sweep tomorrow…too bad I scheduled my Physical Therapy at 1200
Oh I forgot to mention…1st Place Baby!!!!
Anonymous
The Dodgers are alone in first place. Order is restored in the world.
Anonymous
and I can concentrate on work!
underdog
And guaranteed being alone in first going into Atlanta series, even if Dodgers lose tomorrow!
Today, well, to quote Ice Cub, it was a good day.
Anonymous
I didn’t know polar bears could talk and, in an era of global warming, this sounds implausible.
KT
I saw it but let it pass ^_^
underdog
I fixed it. :P You guys were fairly obnoxious here tonight, btw, but I love ya anyway. ;)
KT
Last 3 games against the Pirates: Dodgers 25 runs 37 hits…Pirates 7 runs 19 hits record 3-0 and going for the sweep…Current road record 5-1
Where did this offensive juggernaut come from?
Anonymous
A checkbook somewhere in Chicago?
KT
Snakes lose 5-2…now 6.5 back
Anonymous
After going 1 for 4 yesterday, Yasiel Puig singled in his first at bat tonight for Rancho Cucamonga. So he’s already hitting .400. :) You can follow tonight’s game at http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t526&t=g_log&gid=2012_08_15_stoafa_rcqafa_1
“Go Dodgers!” – Olympic Gold Medal Winner Misty May-Treanor
Anonymous
Going to fantasize about him forcing his way onto the roster next year. Followed shortly thereafter by the Seager kid at 3B
Anonymous
The Snakes also lost, it’s a good day from every perspective.
Jon Weisman
NPUT