The "Adaptability" of Miguel Cabrera

  I was reading a piece on Miguel Cabrera's offseason goals a few days ago, and it got my brain thinking about his lengthy, distinguished career in Major League Baseball and how he himself has changed both as a player and as a person over the past decade. When he arrived in Detroit in 2008, he was accompanied by Dontrelle Willis in a package deal from the Florida (now Miami) Marlins, and the trade was widely praised around the Majors by GMs, the media, and knowledgeable fans. Cabrera had already spent time in Florida's outfield and third base by the time that he was traded to Detroit, but the writing was on the wall: Miguel Cabrera just wasn't good enough with the glove to be a full-time MLB third baseman, and would need to transition to first base or even designated hitter in order to truly excel for the Tigers. He would need to adapt.

  Fast forward to today. The 2019 Tigers were once again the worst team in the Majors, with a hobbled Cabrera painfully limping out hard hit balls for singles that other players could easily stretch into doubles during the entire year. His knees had begun to pain him each day, and even though he was determined to overcome the pain to lead the Tigers day in, day out, the pain he was playing through was causing his once rock-solid swing path to have holes in it, ones that opposing pitchers were learning to exploit in order to retire Cabrera, who during 2012-2013 was considered to be one of the toughest batters to get out in all of the MLB. When asked after the last game on September 29th, a 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox, about what he needed to do to prepare for the 2020 season, Miggy joked "No more arepas". However, anyone who has been around Cabrera during the past decade knows that he's always one to crack a joke, even while dealing with serious issues. And sadly, Cabrera knew then and knows now that once again, he needs to adapt.

  As a fellow big dude who once played baseball (I was scouted by the Atlanta Braves as a pitcher during my late teens growing up in Dacula, Georgia pitching against the likes of Jeff Francoeur, he of the nickname 'Frenchy' and the long, eventful career playing for the Braves and Mets and Royals), I know how having extra weight on the frame works to your disadvantage. Your knees bear way more weight then they can stand for extended periods of time, and eventually the cartilage dissolves, bones begin to grind against each other and the pain overrides normal thought processes that the player needs in order to be effective at their position. Miguel Cabrera has shown since 2014, after sustaining a stress fracture in his right foot that caused him to alter his stance and approach for the last half of the season, that the injuries he suffers definitely cause changes in his offensive and defensive output. And when a player plays as much as Cabrera has, totaling an even 2400 regular season games throughout his career, the grind of a full season causes small injuries and mental fatigue, all of which can cause even a Triple Crown winner to look mortal. Miguel Cabrera has to be willing to adapt to his new reality.

  Cabrera is 36 years old, and he knows that when he can't plant his right leg and balance his swing, he's not as good of a hitter as he is when he's fully healthy, like back in 2012 when he turned in one of the best full-season batting lines of the modern age, hitting .330/.393/.606 for an OPS of .999, along with 44 home runs and 139 runs batted in. Cabrera knows that he's going to have to change his swing style to something that doesn't put as much stress on his lower body. He proved that he can still track the ball and use his pure strength and hand/eye coordination to put the ball in play, but his barrel percentage was the lowest of his career (not counting 2018's extremely small sample size), at only 6.4% of hit balls fully "barreled" and hit hard. His exit velocity on batted balls was at 90.3 MPH in 2019, another low. He'll need to enter this offseason fully prepared to listen to his trainers, change his eating habits, sleep habits and exercise habits. Once again, Cabrera will have to adapt.

Thoughts On The New Arena

The news came in today about some details and pre-renders concerning the new Red Wings arena, and I, as well as a lot of my friends, are very excited about what this entails for the NHL club, the MLB Tigers and the NFL Lions, as well as the city of Detroit in general. Plans are for a complete redevelopment of a 40-plus block stretch of land in the area surrounding the Fisher Freeway (I-75) and Woodward Ave intersection, plus an additional 200 MM dollar investment in the infrastructure and housing sectors that goes above and beyond what the Ilitches previously agreed to invest in the area, as well as pushing the timeline forward by several years to get the area redeveloped. This is HUGE, and this only reaffirms the belief that Mike and Marian Ilitch and their children truly care about the city of Detroit.

I was working the second of two games on Saturday, the 19th of July when a fan and I started talking about the future of the Tigers. He believed that Detroit would pick up Troy Tulowitzki from Colorado and Miguel Montero from Arizona, and that in a few years, the Ilitches would sell the team. I scoffed at the notion, telling him that A) the money and prospects just weren't there for the trades and B) the Ilitches aren't going to sell the team. They're invested in the NHL, the MLB and Detroit, and they practically run the city. This is a great situation for them, and they're ready to repay the boons they've been given by the citizens. This new arena  is just the start.

Identity

Again, I know my blog posts have been few and far between this season. I have no real good reason for this, to be honest. I've been working a lot, and most days I don't necessarily have the creative spark needed to type up a post of any sort. But I have noticed a trend these past few days, and that's the shared identity between Detroit and its sports teams.

As I watched the Tigers today thank the fans by literally giving selected ones the shirts off of their backs, I looked out over to left field, at the Monument Wall. Motion statues depicting Tigers legends make their homes out there, with the names and numbers plastered on the wall underneath. My gaze stopped on Willie Horton and Al Kaline, two surviving Tigers greats who are still involved with the organization to this day, and I thought about what they mean to the franchise and the city of Detroit. Honestly, these two men are part of the reason that I've always been proud to say that I'm from the City of Detroit (not the suburbs, born INSIDE the City limits), and they're part of the reason that I've fought to return to Detroit, and part of the reason that I grew up feeling alone in Atlanta.

In 1968, Kaline and Horton, along with Mickey Lolich and Denny McLain, led the Tigers to a World Series championship. But just a year prior, in mid July of 1967, Willie Horton finished a game, drove a few miles to the site of the Detroit riots and stood on his car, in his Tigers uniform, and pleaded with residents to stop the mobscene. These riots did horrendous things to racial tensions in the city, and caused a lot of people to turn their back on Detroit permanently. My own grandfather was a worker for Ford Motor Company, and to this day, hates when I talk about Detroit. It doesn't matter that I've gotten so many more chances to be something in life when I've lived here, all he sees in his mind are the black people that ruined things for everyone. It's very sad, and it's something I know I'll never be able to get him to forget and forgive. Maybe it's part of the reason he still has a hard time being around me, I don't know.

The 1967 riots were horrible, yes. But the 1968 championship served to help bond Detroiters once again. For a short time, there were no black and white people, there were only Tigers fans cheering their team on to the title. It was their assumed identity.

I see that the city is hurting. The former mayor is in jail for embezzlement and other charges, there are deserted buildings in downtown that look like they could fall at any moment, and the emergency manager is struggling to find the money to turn street lights back on and properly fund fire departments throughout the city. But there's hope. Because of the sports teams, portions of the city are being revitalized. A new hockey arena is about to be built just a few blocks away from where Comerica Park and Ford Field currently reside. Businesses are springing up in the city, Fortune 500 CEOs are relocating offices downtown. And it's the Tigers, Red Wings, and Lions who are helping to rebuild the city and its image.

I look at Cleveland, which is supposedly more vibrant, more liveable than Detroit. And then I see that for their baseball team, the Indians, who are chasing a wild-card spot in the playoffs, they can barely managed to draw 12,500 people some nights? I really start to wonder if this is just more Detroit-bashing in the media, and I can't help but be offended. Maybe it's because I see 37,000 - 42,000 on a nightly basis walking through our turnstiles... or maybe it's because I'm from Detroit and those claims are an attack on me, on my identity.

Something Special

There's a lot of talk going on in the media regarding Miguel Cabrera recently. The man is just... on fire. He's nearly eclipsed his Triple-Crown winning numbers from last year, and there's still over a month left in the season. What makes him even more remarkable is that he's been continuing to produce big hits and clutch RBIs while battling injuries. He's raising the bar for athletes throughout the sport, and I have to say it's been an honor to work for the Tigers while Cabrera has decided to write his own chapter in baseball history.

On Friday night, Cabrera decided that he really didn't want to play extra innings, so he ended the game in the bottom of the 9th inning. I was working that night, and heading on my way from my spot along the Tigers' dugout to the left field grandstands in order to get into position to clear out Tigers fans once the game was concluded, regardless of the actual victors. I had been talking with another usher, and shaking my head at the seemingly simple conclusion everyone but me had seemed to already arrive towards: Cabrera was going to win the game and we would be heading home at a decent hour. We were making our way around the lower bowl walkway when Cabrera muscled-up a 3-1 pitch the opposite way and put it into the right field camera well. All I could do was smile, shake my head and clap as the stadium around me erupted in celebration.

Saturday night was another absolutely memorable moment for Cabrera. Knowing that his team needed the early boost in offense, Cabrera stepped up to the plate and stared down Bruce Chen of the Kansas City Royals, waited on the first pitch, and effortlessly smacked a high and outside 85 mph "fast"ball to left field for a two run shot. 2 pitches, 2 nights, 2 home runs. Again, all I could do was smile, clap, and shake my head in disbelief. As Mario Impemba of the Fox Sports Detroit baseball broadcasting team said; "Apparently this is a video game. It's just that easy."

Maybe for him, it -is- that easy. Maybe he's holding back on us. Maybe he's found the cheat codes that don't involve PED's.  But this is his world right now. I'm just an usher at his ball park.

Inevitability

Tonight was a good night for the Tigers. The offense churned out 10 runs against a reeling Phillies pitching staff and Max Scherzer, Al Alburquerque and Evan Reed held their hitting to 2 hits and no runs at all. But that's not really what kept running through my mind tonight.

The city of Detroit lost two iconic citizens last night. "Eat 'Em Up Tigers" James and "Dreadlock Mike", two famous buskers, were killed in a hit and run incident on the east side of the city around 3 AM on the morning of July 27th. Both men were fixtures around events in downtown Detroit, and you couldn't help but feel bad for them. Mike got around in a wheelchair because he had no feet. He was always emaciated, frail, and you knew that he was actually in need of every cent he was given. James was a bright spirit, always chanting outside Comerica, his enthusiasm for the team evident in every syllable he spoke. He never had a bad word for anyone, and was always quick to bless you and your family as you walked past, whether or not you had a dollar to spare for him. Both men were gracious, even as their hard-luck forced them to panhandle, you'd never think that they were anything but thankful for the time they spent with us.

Now, thanks to someone who took the role of God into their own hands, they're gone before their time.

It's inevitable, I guess. Death. We live to die. But I think this is hitting hard for me right now, because of what I'm going through in my personal life. My grandmother is succumbing to Alzheimer's disease, and it's hard to fathom that such a beautiful soul will soon be gone. You always think you have more time...

But you don't. It's inevitable. And it's something we all have to deal with eventually. Time for me to step up to the plate, I guess.

*if you would like to help donate to James and Mike's funeral costs, purchase an "Eat 'Em Up Forever" t-shirt from www.downwithdetroit.com*

All-Star Break

The Detroit Tigers rode a strong Justin Verlander performance and some power displays by Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta to a 5-0 win today, finishing the first half of their season at a win-loss record of 52-42, still in first place in the AL Central.

There's not much I can say about these guys but I'll try. There's an ASTOUNDING level of talent present in Detroit these days. With Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Austin Jackson and Omar Infante playing well, Victor Martinez heating up finally, and Torii Hunter showing glimpses of the player he'd been for the past decade with Minnesota and Anaheim, the team that hits the field every day is definitely one of the most talented lineups in all of Major League Baseball, possibly one of the best lineups on paper of the past several decades. Cabrera is the first modern batting Triple Crown winner, which is an amazing feat in this day and age. And as far as the starting pitching goes, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are basically Ace-A and Ace-B while leading the pitching staff to some of the best starting pitching numbers in all of MLB. Yes, there's a few problems with the team, mainly the ineffective bullpen and lack of depth in the outfield, as well as the drastically-underperforming Alex Avila at catcher, but this team is built to win and go deep into the playoffs. I believe in them.

As far as work goes... I've seen some wonderful things lately. I see something new, something heart-warming every time I go to the ballpark. I look at kids hanging out with their parents, riding the ferris wheel or the carousel, eating cotton candy with a big smile on their face, or getting autographs from the players before the game, and I remember that this truly is a game. It's entertainment. It's supposed to relieve us of our burdens for a few hours at a time, make us happy. Kids seem to get that more than adults, who sometimes use the goings-on on the field to exacerbate their own problems in life. Alcohol also plays a factor.

Personally, I've been having issues with my own life. Fatigue has set in from working two jobs. Stress is everywhere, with a car that's been needing its fair share of repairs lately, and a family that seems to be falling apart. My grandmother is suffering from Alzheimer's and might not have much longer to live. It's sometimes hard to gather myself together to work day in, day out. But then I remember that when I get to the ballpark, I'm surrounded by Tigers fans, and I'm getting paid to be a part of the Tigers. That helps make me happy, regardless of the outcome on the field.

I Feel Awful...

Today was a good day for the Tigers. Today was a bit of a letdown for me, however, as I came to the realization that I'd neglected this blog for too long. I did have (do have?) several good reasons for the neglect, however. I've been working two jobs. One is at Comerica Park, naturally, and the other is as a delivery driver for Jimmy John's. Between working both jobs on a near-daily basis, and dealing with a nasty tension headache/loss of vision/pinched nerve in my back causing me a lot of constant pain and forcing me to curtail my hours worked and leaving me on my back for a lot of time, I've been dealing with a lot.

I was finally able to work a full game today. The Tigers hosted Photo Day, which allowed fans to gather on the playing field and take pictures with a good number of players. I think the only players that didn't show were Alex Avila, Jose Valverde and Austin Jackson, and each had their reasons for staying out of the spotlight. But before the fans got a chance to hassle the Tigers, I had my shot. As I walked down to field level to start checking out the seats and manning the gate that would allow (or disallow) fans access to the hallowed grounds, I got a wild hair up my rear and started chatting up the pitchers as they were finishing their pre-game workouts. Max Scherzer was my first victim; as he finished his long-toss and walked over to the dugout, I took the opportunity to talk with him about hopefully seeing him out in public for a charity appearance. He seemed really cool about it and actually talked with me like a regular person rather than dismissing me like they would a typical fan. Next was Rick Porcello, fresh off of his quality start on Saturday and a stint of wind sprints today. I congratulated him on his performance the day prior and he had a surprised smirk on his face before answering. I guess people don't talk to him as much. Finally, I shot an innocent Taco Bell-based question to Justin Verlander. He grinned and said something about a Gordita Crunch. Figuring my luck was running out, I went back to work much as they did.

The game was a blast to watch. It's pretty rare for the Tigers to have a rookie come out and pitch a quality start on their first time out, but that's exactly what we got today thanks to Jose Alvarez. Unfortunately, we had to deal with Ryan Raburn hitting a home run again and ruining the kid's no-hitter. Thankfully, Don Kelly had a rare burst of power and put the Tigers up 4-1 for good. The brooms were out, the kids got to run the bases post-game, and everyone but the Indians left happy.

I'll get back to updating this blog more often after I complete my move at the end of the month. It's gonna be a trying time around here until then.