MLB: Melky Cabrera created fake website, product to cover his tracks

An associate of San Francisco Giants All-Star Melky Cabrera purchased a website and attempted to create evidence to support a claim that the outfielder inadvertently took the substance that caused a positive drug test, Major League Baseball officials said last night.

Baseball officials uncovered the scheme as Cabrera prepared to challenge the test. Cabrera's grievance then was dropped, and MLB announced a 50-game suspension Wednesday.

The Daily News first reported on the scheme yesterday.

A team of six-to-seven investigators from MLB spent several weeks working to uncover the plan, a baseball official familiar with the probe told The Associated Press.

The person said baseball had referred the case to federal investigators.

A second baseball official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said additional discipline against Cabrera was unlikely.

Cabrera, MVP of the All-Star Game last month, tested positive for testosterone, MLB said.

The person said Juan Nuñez, who works with Cabrera's agents, purchased an existing website and attempted to alter it in a manner that would allow Cabrera to claim the positive test was caused by a substance obtained through the website.

"If you create a new website, you would know when the website was created," the baseball official said. "At least they were smart enough to buy an existing website."-- AP