CLOCKWISEFROMTOPLEFT:MCTVIAGETTY IMAGES;MARKCUNNINGHAM/DETROITTIGERS;GETTY IMAGES
MIGUEL CABRERA
TexasRangerswereintownandnewpitcher
YuDarvishwasonthemound,Cabreraflied
out in the sixth inning and, while jogging
back to thedugout, he appeared tomouth
somethingtoDarvish.Smacktalk?“Ithink,”
saidDarvishthroughasmilingtranslatoraf-
terward,“hewasaskingmeaboutaJapanese
restaurant.”Forgrinsandgiggles,Cabrera
evenenjoysmakingagameoutofsomething
asdryasbattingpracticebyattempting to
hithome runs toeachneckof theballpark,
moving fromone foulpoletotheother.
Baseball issaid tobegrown-upsplaying
akidsgame.Buttoomanyplayers losesight
ofthatinatsunamiofagents,endorsements,
contractnegotiations andhangers-on.Not
Cabrera.Headoresthegame,histeammates
andespeciallyhis fans.He feelsguilty ifhe
misses evenonekid seekinghis autograph.
Healsogivesback, via children’s charities.
Andhedoesitall—onthefieldando—with
a 1,000-watt smile that could light up the
NorthPoleduringwintersolstice.“He’sfun
tomanage,”saysLeyland,who’shadhisfair
shareofgreatplayersonhis teamsover the
years, includingBarryBonds,GarySheeld
andBobbyBonilla. “He’s abig teddybear.”
Cabrera,though, ismuchsmarterthanyour
averageteddybear.
In recent years, baseball has, inmany
ways, been taken over by technology. Yet
Avila says he can’t remember ever seeing
Cabrera in the team’svideoroom—outside
ofthepre-serieshittersmeetings,ofcourse.
According toAvila, Cabreracan remember,
without thebenefit of theprinted scouting
report, howeachopposingpitcher gothim
out in the past, thenmake the necessary
adjustments. RodAllen, ananalyst for the
team since theTigerswere awful and set-
tinganAmericanLeague record for losses
inaseason (119 in2003), saysCabrera isso
smartwhen it comes toopposingpitchers
thathe’llsitonthebenchandtellteammates
thatnext timeup,he’s looking foraspecific
PITCH
PERFECT
Thereareseveral
grateful pitcherswith the
Tigers—grateful, of course, that theydon’t
have to face star sluggerMiguel Cabrera. But
what if theydid?Howwould theygethimout?
“I’dgowithmybestpitch,” says teamvet-
eran
RICKPORCELLO
, “andpray!”
Ace
JUSTINVERLANDER
,who,withboth
anMVPawardandaCyYoungaward tohis
credit, has little troublegetting toanyone—
andwantsnopartof thishypothetical. “I don’t
want to,”he says, smilingat the ideaofpitch-
ing toCabrera. “I don’thave to.”
Catcher
ALEXAVILA
,who’soften re-
sponsible for settingup thegameplan toget
opposinghittersout, hasnoclueeither.And
it’sbecause therearenoevidentweak spots in
Cabrera’s swing. “Thereare timeswhenhe’son
ahot streak, [opponents]will comeup tome
andaskhow togethimout,”Avila says. “Just
from talking toother catchersandpitchers, if
it’shardand inside, he’ll turnon it andhit it
over the left-field fence.OK, sodownandaway
withanoff-speedpitch?Buthe’s so strong,
he’ll goover the right-field fence.”
Late in the season,Avilaheardopposing
players talkingaboutgettingCabrera tochase
high fastballs. So they threwoneuparoundhis
neck.Andpredictably, it landed in the stands.
jacketandgloves.Puthim inasnowmobile
suit ifyou like.He’dprobablystillhit .300.
WHAT CABRERA LACKS
inhisau-
tobiographical skillshemakesup forwith
hisplayfulness.FewMajorLeagueBaseball
playershaveasmuchfunwhileonthe jobas
Cabrera—whether he’s snatching a “Fire
Leyland” (Tigersmanager Jim Leyland)
sign froma fanwhileworkinganautograph
line inChicagoonlytoeventuallybustouta
hearty laugh andhand the signback, find-
ing theclosestcameraandstrikinga funny
posewithPrinceFielder(duringagame,no
less) or throwingbattingpractice tooneof
his teammates’ youngchildrenand raising
hisarmsas ifhe’swonaWorldSerieswhen
onegets ahit. “When therearekids in the
clubhousebeforebattingpracticeandstu,
he just kindof gravitates toward themand
theytowardhim,”Avilasays.“He’sabigkid;
that’swhathe is.”
The goofing around isn’t limited tohis
ownballclub either. Last April, when the
CLOCKWISEFROMTOP:
Cabreraand teammate
Omar Infante (No. 4) celebrate theTigers’ 6-3
victoryover theKansasCityRoyalsonOct. 1,
2012, awin that gave them theALCentral Division
championship. Cabrerahitshis 300th career home
run, against theChicagoWhiteSoxon July22, 2012.
Cabrera (left) andTigerspitcherAl Alburquerque
enjoya late-seasonwinover theMinnesotaTwins
last year.
50
APRIL 01, 2013
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
