Cabrera ruled ineligible for batting title; McCutchen new NL leader
By Matt Shetler
All of the potential drama that could potentially surround the National League batting title appears to have been put to rest as suspended San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera is now ineligible to win the crown, according to a report from The Associated Press (per ESPN).
Sep 17, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen reacts after being hit by a pitch during the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE
With Cabrera’s exclusion, that leaves Andrew McCutchen in the driver’s seat. “Cutch” currently leads the majors with a .339 average, but the Giants’ Buster Posey is closing in fast, hitting .335. Cabrera was hitting .346 at the time of his suspension for PED’s and needed only one more plate appearance to qualify for the batting title. Per MLB rules, he could have taken an 0-for-1 in order to qualify.
But don’t give Major League Baseball and Bud Selig credit for doing the right thing.
The AP’s report suggests it was all Cabrera’s doing. Cabrera reportedly asked the players’ association to convey his desire to the commissioner’s office and that an agreement to make him ineligible was reached Friday.
Selig was prepared to award the title to Cabrera as he said on Wednesday, “we generally don’t interfere” in the batting title issue.
What Cabrera did was save Selig from looking bad once again, which wouldn’t be the first time because he’s made a career out of it.
That brings us back to McCutchen, who now has a better-than-average chance of leading the majors in hitting, but will have to get hot to do so. In the past 10 games, Cutch is 12-for-38 (.316) while Posey is 17-for-39 (.436) in the same span.