Wikipedia Commons
The Phillies have a gaping hole in center field going into next season. The biggest possible names floated around included Michael Bourn, Melky Cabrera, and B.J. Upton. One of them just got suspended 50 games for testing postiive for Testosterone.
In the Twitter world there was a rumor about Melky Cabrera testing positive for PED use with the process being in appeal. One columnist, Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area, decided to ask him about it.
Friday… I chose to ask Melky Cabrera about rumors that I had heard from several different readers who had contacted me via email and my Twitter account over the past few days. I had no idea where these rumors started, but the questions were starting to mushroom about whether Cabrera flunked a drug test and would face a 50-game suspension.
Baggarly ended up facing criticism by asking the question after debating whether or not it was worth approaching him about it:
I wasn’t 100 percent sure what to do next. On one hand, it’s my duty to serve readers who look to me to provide accurate information about the team I cover. On the other hand, knocking down the rumors would serve to give greater voice to them.
Ultimately, I decided to serve the truth.
Baggarly went truth, but then apologized for it.
So I feel it’s important that I issue a public apology to Melky Cabrera for giving greater voice to a rumor that, to the best of my knowledge and on his word, has absolutely no basis in fact.
I can only hope that he, and the rest of the Giants clubhouse, coaches and front-office personnel, at least understand that my motivations were not nefarious or self-oriented in any way. I wasn’t looking to create a story. I was trying to squash one that has no basis in fact.
Unfortunately, it sure had a basis in fact. Perhaps that is one name the Phillies can cross off from their center field shopping list going into next season. It's unfortunate but he's probably a risk the Phillies cannot take.
Cabrera was contending for a batting title and was the All-Star Game MVP.
