Giants' Cabrera ruled ineligible for batting title
San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera won't win the National League batting title. That much is assured.
Cabrera, suspended for 50 games for violating testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, asked to be disqualified from the race, according to a CSNBayArea.com report, citing sources.
Cabrera asked the players' association to express his desire to be removed from consideration on Wednesday, and his representatives notified the commissioner's office. An agreement was reached Friday.
The switch-hitter was batting a league-leading .346 average when he was suspended Aug. 15 for testing positive for testosterone. That number leads Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen by seven points, entering Friday.
Cabrera will finish one plate appearance short of qualifying for the batting title, but under Rule 10.22(a), a player can be recognized as the official winner if extra hitless at-bats are added to his average and it remains higher than any qualifying player. (Cabrera's average would fall from .3464 to .3456 -- still .346 when rounded up).
As per Friday's deal, MLB and the union agreed that the sentence won't be applied this year, meaning Cabrera will fall one plate appearance short of qualifying.
