When Pissing in a Cup Goes Bad: The Melky Cabrera Edition
Melky Cabrera was on top of the baseball world this year.
After years of being the fourth outfielder for the New York Yankees and one
uneventful year with the Atlanta Braves, Cabrera had a pleasant 2011 season
with the Kansas City Royals. He was traded to the San Francisco Giants this
off-season, hoping to cash in when he became a free agent in 2013. In San Fran,
he was having a career year (leading the NL in hits, competing for the batting
title, winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award at the All-Star Game, and a
viable candidate for regular season MVP.) All that changed on Wednesday when it
was announced he’d be suspended for 50 games for failing a drug test. Cabrera
admitted to taking a substance that unnaturally increased his testosterone. The
black cloud of drugs in baseball is back folks.
Granted, we are nowhere close to where we were in the
1990s-early 2000s, when performance enhancement drugs (PEDs) were being used
like vitamins. That era can defined by three things; Brady Anderson’s 50 home
run season of 1996 (he never hit more than 24 in any other season), Barry
Bonds’ head can be seen from outer space, and Jose Canseco becoming the
Woodward and Bernstein of our generation. After owners and players finally
turned a blind eye to this issue, they allowed Major League Baseball to test
for PEDs with severe penalties in 2006. Since then, we have had many slapdicks
suspended, but there has only been one notable player to fail until Cabrera.
In 2009, Manny Ramirez failed a drug test and was suspended
for 50 games for taking a women’s fertility drug (50 games is the penalty for
first time offenders). Many in the industry say the drug is used after a
steroid cycle to restart the natural production of testosterone. He used the
most popular excuse upon hearing of the suspension: he used a medically
prescribed prescription which contained an unknowingly banned substance. This
seems to be the go-to excuse among failing a test. It would have more
credibility if professional athletes weren’t surrounded by multiple medical
experts who can examine anything and verify if it is legal or not. In 2011,
Ramirez failed a second drug test and was suspended for 100 games. Rather than
honor the suspension, he retired. He attempted a comeback in 2012, where he
served a 50-game suspension (MLB gave him lighter punishment since he sat out
all of 2011). Ramirez was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame until these two failed
tests.
Anyone who has been accused of using PEDs has not been voted
into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmiero are members of
the 500 home run club, which usually means automatic induction. Steroid use has
always been rumored with McGwire and Palmiero failed a drug test late in his
career. It is no coincidence that they are the only two members of the 500 club
who are eligible for the Hall of Fame and not in it. In fact, their low vote
totals the last few years suggest entry won’t happen anytime soon. 2013 should
be very interesting as it is the first year of eligibility for Sammy Sosa,
Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens. All three have the stats that should make them
unanimous selections but all three have the stink of PEDs on them.
Two of baseball’s current stars already have the scarlet
letter of drugs on them. Alex Rodriguez has been accused of using steroids
during his Texas Rangers days and admitted in 2009 that he did use a banned
substance in the early 2000s. While he has been somewhat vague, many have taken
that as an admission of steroid use. Despite A-Rod being fifth all-time in home
runs, many are speculating his Hall of Fame candidacy with this admission. 2011
NL MVP Ryan Braun failed a drug test in December 2012, but had the suspension
overturned when the collecting protocol was violated. There is no evidence to
suggest this violation could have tainted the sample. Some in the sports media
suggested Braun be stripped of his MVP award due to the previous failed sample.
That’s what drug use in baseball comes down to; perception.
Steroids don’t improve your hand-eye coordination. They just help in adding
mass. Human growth hormone doesn’t add break to your curveball. It just helps
in recovery. PEDs won’t turn me into a major leaguer, but they can give a boost
to a fringe player. Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez were two players deemed
first ballot Hall of Famers before rumors of steroid use. Now, people wonder
what parts of their careers, if any, were aided by PEDs. Would Barry Bonds be
the all-time leader in home runs if he didn’t juice up? Would A-Rod be chasing
Bonds if not for his boost in Texas? No one knows for sure, but the use of PEDs
taints their career accomplishments.
People will be quick to disregard Melky Cabrera’s season due
to his drug suspension. He’s a cheater. He tried to ruin the integrity of
baseball. He was trying to steal money from owners with his impending free
agency, based off the stats of a liar. Am I going to defend Melky for taking
PEDs? No. He got caught and will serve his punishment. He didn’t hide behind an
excuse, he owned up to it. However, do Cabrera’s 2012 numbers really look out of
whack? Not really. They seem like an improvement from last season, but nothing
jumps out at you except his .346 average. His power numbers have been pretty
consistent throughout his career. There is no Brady Anderson-like spike for
him. You can make the argument that Cabrera starting using PEDs last year since
2011 is when his overall improvement began, but there is no record of him
failing any 2011 tests. It is possible for a 28 year old to improve his batting
average throughout his maturation, but any benefit of the doubt went out the
window when his piss came back lousy with testosterone.
We now get to watch baseball games where we suspect everyone
is juicing, just like a few years ago. A world we can’t accept pleasant
surprises, like Joey Batista or Mike Trout, without suspecting someone of
taking PEDs. If they are guilty, we knew it all along. If they are innocent, we
wonder how they are getting away with it. Thanks Melky for opening up this can
of worms again.
-Written by Marcus Boyd 
No comments:
Post a Comment