Melky Cabrera holds up the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award after the National League won 8-0 during the 83rd MLB All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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By Matt Spiegel-
(CBS) A culture of cheating has always been present in the game we love.
Gaylord Perry was lauded, celebrated, and rewarded for his genius at sliming his pitches.
Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Round The World” in 1951 came in part because his coaches had developed a system to steal signs from the opposition at The Polo Grounds.
A short list of players proven to have “corked” their bat includes Norm Cash, Craig Nettles and Sammy Sosa.
Sosa leads us to the predominant cheating methodology. Performance enhancing drugs loom over the record book, and even the current standings in the National League West.
Melky Cabrera’s 50-game suspension this week brought baseball’s cheating culture back to the conversational fore. Cabrera had been a serviceable pro, until greatly improving last season in Kansas City. This year he’s a star in San Francisco, and may still win the batting title.
His ascension to excellence is now insidious.
For the rest of Matt’s column from the Daily Herald, please click here.
