Touch 'Em All: Giants' Cabrera draws 50-game ban

Major League Baseball has caught up with another big-time cheater - All-Star Game MVP Melky Cabrera, who on Wednesday was suspended for 50 games without pay after testing positive for testosterone.

Cabrera, who is in his first season with the Giants, had 51 hits in May, batting .429 with three homers, five triples, seven doubles, and 17 RBIs. For the season, Cabrera is batting .346 with 11 home runs and 60 RBIs. He is five hits shy of 1,000 in his big-league career.

That is a great improvement from 2011, when he hit .305 with 44 doubles, 18 homers, and 87 RBIs for the Kansas City Royals. Before 2011, his most productive season was 2006, when he hit .280 in 130 games for the Yankees.

To be sure, there is no doubt about his guilt. In a statement released by the players union, the disgraced ballplayer said in total:

"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 Giants expressed a similar sentiment, which we also present in total: "We were extremely disappointed to learn of the suspension of Melky Cabrera for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game. Per the protocol outline by Major League Baseball's Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Giants will not comment further on this matter."

Cabrera will miss the final 45 games of the regular season and serve the remainder of the suspension at the start of next season or during the postseason, depending on how the Giants' playoff fortunes go now that they've lost their best hitter, albeit one who cheats.

In his short time in San Francisco, the 28-year-old became a marketing bonanza, inspiring nicknames such as: "Melk Man," "Melky Way," and "Got Melk?"

Some wags have offered a new slogan: "Got testosterone?"

Detroit's Miguel Cabrera (who we will call "the good Cabrera") has become the first player in Tigers history to reach 30 home runs in five straight seasons. He did it Wednesday in the Tigers' 5-1 victory over the Twins.

Cabrera also singled in the fifth off Cole De Vries (2-4) to push his RBI total to 103 - tops in the majors.

Up in Chi-town, summer is the time of the year when the Cubs traditionally begin cleaning house. And just in time Wednesday, club president of baseball operations Theo Epstein fired vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita, and afterward said that more front office changes were imminent for the 45-70 Cubs.

Fleita also was the manager of the club's class-A affiliate and oversaw extended spring training. Fleita was given a four-year extension last September before Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer were hired.

Epstein said Fleita was "free and clear" to pursue opportunities with other organizations.

That's some comfort.