Andrew McCutchen: Why Buc's All-Star Is MLB's Manny Pacquiao

Wednesday, the Associated Press reported MLB Commissioner Bud Selig will not bar suspended San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera from winning the 2012 NL batting title.

Cabrera, who is serving a 50-game suspension for PED use, is currently batting .346. Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen trails Cabrera by seven points entering Wednesday’s action.

Here is Selig’s take:

"

We generally don’t interfere in that process. We’ll take a look at it at the end of the year…You can't change records because once you get into that, it would never stop. It would create more problems than it would solve.

"

I see Bucs fans seething. For Selig’s decision makes it very possible for McCutchen to lose the batting title to a ballplayer that knowingly and admittedly cheated.  

What is wrong with this picture?

An even better question—where the heck is common sense in all this?

ESPN Baseball Analyst Terry Francona asks this same question:

"

It seems a little odd. And I’m sure there’s things Mr. Selig is dealing with we probably don’t know. It just seems like common sense would say going forward, that if you were suspended for substance abuse or performance enhancing, then you wouldn’t be eligible to win an award.

"

I agree with Francona’s assessment. Selig’s decision to not interfere does seem odd.

What also seems odd is that people seem to think Selig’s hands are tied in making the decision to say straight out:

"

Mr. Cabrera.

You cheated.

No batting title.

"

The comical thing here is that Cabrera would not disagree with Selig's decision if the commissioner were to take this route.

Now I get the whole collective bargaining agreement, and many of the complexities that this and player contracts can create. But the way some are making this sound, putting Cabrera in batting title detention is more complicated than writing foreign policy.

And why wait to the end of the season? Just do it!

McCutchen has worked his tail off. And he has done it with integrity. Should McCutchen fall just short of topping Cabrera, he should not be subjected to "what could have been."

Nor should Mccutchen be thrust into the same category as men like Manny Pacquiao.

Even the most casual boxing fans know Pacquiao stomped Timothy Bradley in June. But corruption followed by status quo inactivity emerged victorious in the face of doing what was right.

The same thing applies with McCutchen. This guy has put the Pirates on his back this season. He has been a rock. He is a winner. And he stands at the threshold of achieving one of the great feats in sports.

I hope people with the power to do the right thing step up and give McCutchen the credit he deserves.