Miggy

I was thinking about the Detroit Tigers.  They are only two games behind in the American League Central and have been playing some pretty good ball as of late.  Of course, the addition of Prince Fielder to the defending division champs prompted many to crown the Tigers as potential AL pennant winners, but contending for a playoff spot is still very good.  The Tigers started out the season playing terrifically average baseball, replete with down years/regression from Alex Avila, Jhonny Peralta, and Brennan Boesch.  The defense has not been all that it could be, the bullpen is prone to blowing a few games, and the offense still, even with the uptick in wins since the All-Star break, has a few holes in it.  But the one constant through everything has been #24, Miguel Cabrera.

This is not intended to be some sort of sappy opus to Cabrera and all his fans.  Rather, I'm just trying to point out how criminally under-appreciated the man is!  This is his fifth season in Detroit, and all he's done so far is lead the league in home-runs once, in RBI's once, in batting average once, and in on-base percentage twice.  He was born to hit the baseball.  Sure he's had his run-ins with the law, but he's apologized and worked through it.  That off the field stuff, to me, is not relevant when it comes to his on-field performance.  But when people undervalue him as a ballplayer?  That's what gets me riled up!

I was listening to the sports yak the other day and they were talking about a prominent ESPN baseball writer leaving Cabrera off his top five in MVP balloting.  In fact, the writer went on to say, Cabrera wasn't even the best or second best player on his own team!  The writer put Justin Verlander and Austin Jackson in front of Cabrera, emphasizing the importance of defense and UZR and WAR and BABIP and all those other stupid acronyms that are starting to blur the line between what we actually see on the field and what we see on paper or a computer screen.  One of the biggest losers in this statistical revolution has been Miguel Cabrera, who excels in traditional statistical metrics, hits for average, hits for power, hits in the clutch, and understands baserunning (though he is not fast, by anyone's definition).  True, his defense leaves something to be desired, but it's perfectly passable.  He's not throwing the ball into the stands on every play and he has pretty good instincts, putting him in position to make most plays.  And his hitting exploits!  It seems every time the Tigers are down, Cabrera cracks a dinger to win the game, or strokes a timely hit to start the Tigers winning rally.  This is coming from someone who watches every Tiger game he can, not one of those ESPN national pundits who has to balance 30 teams but focuses mostly on the Yankees and Red Sox.  I am a bona-fide Tiger fan, and I'm telling you that Cabrera deserves more love!  Granted I don't really have the chops or professional experience to have an opinion that matters, but I'm still putting it out there.

Cabrera embodies, to me, what a baseball player is supposed to be.  He shows up to play, he has fun, and he's startlingly consistent.  He has no injury history (at least 150 games every year as a Tiger) and he is willing to put the team first and put in the extra effort (witness his transition to third base this winter after the Prince signing, without the slightest hint of a complaint...Hanley Ramirez could've learned a thing or two).  And he hits.  I've said it before but I'll say it again...the man flat out hits.  The "old-school" statistics tell the story.  Solid batting average, low strikeout numbers, hits for power (oh boy does he hit for power), and a discerning batting eye.  Year in and year out we know what to expect from him.  Is that why he doesn't get any love?  Is he not a story?  Every year some player does something tremendous that gets the sportscasters talking.  This year it's Mike Trout.  Last year it was our own Justin Verlander.  It seems that consistency is a passe trait when it comes to evaluating the best seasons.  But when I get a chance to watch that man in action on the diamond, I can only marvel at his bat and his incredible skill set.  And at least I can find some sort of solace in the fact that here, in Detroit, he gets his just rewards.

MVP!!