Kirk Gibson: MLB needs ‘much stronger’ penalties for failed drug tests

In the wake of Melky Cabrera’s 50-game suspension for elevated levels of testosterone, you can easily understand why some of the teams who have played against the Giants would be upset. As is the case with any player who used illegal performance-enhancing substances, the Giants technically cheated during the games in which Cabrera played. If the substance is helping the player pitch or hit more effectively, it is directly impacting the outcome of the game. Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson says the penalties need to be harsher for that reason.

“He’s had a huge impact against us,” Gibson said Wednesday according to the Arizona Republic. “And then you go back to 2008 with the Manny (Ramirez) thing. Huge impact. You compare like in the NCAA with Penn State. All those people are gone and Penn State is paying for it. Here it’s just tied to the individual. I think we need much stronger ramifications for that type of activity. It just absolutely cannot be tolerated.”

While there is no way to compensate the teams that were affected by Cabrera’s cheating, the penalty is fairly harsh. Gibson likely believes players should be suspended for a full year right off the bat, and I’m sure a number of people feel the same way. However, a 50-game suspension is extremely significant — especially at this point in the season. The Giants will now be without arguably their best hitter down the stretch and into the early part of the playoffs. The suspension could have an enormous impact on their team going forward, as it should.

H/T Eye on Baseball
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