He said he spent all of the off season working out with Alex Rodriguez and his cousin
Melky Cabrera suspended 50 games for testosterone
Melky Cabrera, whose breakout season with the San Francisco Giants was highlighted by his MVP performance in the All-Star Game, has been suspended 50 games for testing positive for testosterone, Major League Baseball announced.
CAPTION
By Daniel Shirey, US Presswire
Cabrera, a 27-year-old outfielder, has produced a major league-leading 159 hits this season, along with 11 home runs and 69 RBI. Acquired by the Giants in the off-season from the Kansas City Royals, Cabrera was on his way to a career year prior to being eligible for free agency this winter.
Now, he will miss the remainder of the season plus the first five games of either next season or any Giants playoff run. He and the Giants had exploratory discussions on a contract extension over the All-Star break before talks were tabled until after the season.
Cabrera's loss will be a devastating one for the Giants, a pitching-dominated team who in Cabrera finally found a potent offensive weapon to pair with Buster Posey in the middle of their lineup.
Instead, they will try to maintain their position atop the NL West - they are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers - without their most productive player this season.
Cabrera released a statement through the major league players' association accepting full responsibility for his positive test:
"My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I 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."
The test result ends what was shaping up to be a dream season for Cabrera.
Earlier this year, Cabrera lauded the influence of his mother on his career after he won All-Star Game MVP honors.
Then, he talked of a career change he made following the 2010 season, when he spent the winter in Miami rather than return to the Dominican Republic, working on conditioning with a trainer and focusing on improving his skills.
"I didn't make big changes," Cabrera said then, "but I worked out harder and started eating better."
The results were particularly evident this season.
Cabrera was a lifetime .275 hitter before this year, but he was hitting .346 this season. And his 2012 numbers were a significant improvement over his 162-game average from 2006-2011, roughly the span in which he's been a full-time player:
Full season average entering this season: 139 hits, 67 runs, 43 extra-base hits, 10 home runs, 60 RBI.
Projected 2012 stats before his suspension: 220 hits, 116 runs, 64 extra-base hits, 15 homers, 83 RBI.
Cabrera will now see those numbers bear great scrutiny when he hits the free agent market.
His suspension is the most significant in-season ban by MLB since Manny Ramirez received his first 50-game suspension in 2009. Reigning NL MVP Ryan Braun successfully appealed a positive test for elevated levels of testosterone in February.
Cabrera's suspension takes away an MVP-caliber performer on a contending team, as well as a player whose popularity was burgeoning in San Francisco.
He was regaled by fans who called themselves "The Melk-Maids," and dressed the part, during games at AT&T Park.
Before today's game against the Washington Nationals, Giants players and officials refused comment on the Cabrera test. The ripple effects were already being felt by fans, however.
Giants fan Tom Snow of San Francisco found out about the news from his 19-year-old son, Jack, who he said was "crestfallen."
"He knows it's a death blow to the team, but also in terms of, 'Here we go again with more cheating,'" says Snow. "For me, I'm his dad and I'm die-hard Giants fan. I kind of feel the dual effect.''
Added Bob Perkins, a Dodgers fan visiting from Los Angeles: "I do love the race being neck-and-neck. This screws up that race. It's awful.
"It hits on so many levels. How dare you do this to this beautiful pastime?''
