Yardwork: Miguel Cabrera Picked a Fine Time for Heavy Drinking, “Domestic Dispute”
Baseball, Heavy Drinking October 5th. 2009, 10:30am
Detroit 5, Chicago 3: The Tiges, for at least anther 36 hours, have avoided one of the worst late-season collapses in MLB history on the strength of Justin Verlander’s arm (19th win of the season) and Ryan Rayburn’s bat (two homers). If you click on the photo, you can see some scratches on Miguel Cabrera’s face. What happened? He’s not talking, but police records show the boys in blue were called to his house early Saturday morning. Cabrera came home at 6 am, apparently trashed, and his wife called the cops. Cabrera blew a .26 (.08 is the legal limit) but wasn’t charged with anything. Cabrera, a noted party animal, went a combined 0-for-7 on Saturday and Sunday.
Minnesota 13, Kansas City 4: Behind Carl Pavano (!), the Twins swept the Royals to force a one-game playoff Tuesday. Jason Kubel and Delmon Young hit two homers apiece. The Twins finished the regular season winning 16 of 20. Odd stat – the Twins had a worse record (by one game) than the Texas Rangers, who won 87 games and missed the postseason. The Twins’ 86-76 mark would have placed them six games off the Wild Card pace in the NL.
Milwaukee 9, St. Louis 7: Prince Fielder launched two homers and to finish the season with 46 home runs and 141 RBI. The Cardinals, thought by plenty of folks to be the NL favorite to reach the World Series, go into the postseason having lost three in a row. The Cardinals open the postseason Wednesday in Los Angeles.
Cincinnati 6, Pittsburgh 0: Homer Bailey capped a brilliant with September by scattering seven hits over six innings. Bailey was 6-1 with a 1.70 ERA in his final nine starts of the season (four of those wins were against the Pirates). Reason to look forward to next season, or just an impressive run in a bunch of games that didn’t matter?
New York 10, Tampa Bay 2: AJ Burnett had his fourth straight solid September performance and the Yankees finished the season with an MLB-high 103 wins. A-Rod bashed two homers and collected seven RBI to finish with 30 and 100, respectively. It is the 12th straight season he’s reached those two plateaus.
53 Responses to “Yardwork: Miguel Cabrera Picked a Fine Time for Heavy Drinking, “Domestic Dispute””
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October 5th, 2009 at 10:34 am
have avoided one of the worst late-season collapses in MLB history
The 2007 Mets, 1964 Phillies, and 1951 Brooklyn Dodgers all think you’re going a little overboard with that description.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Odd stat – the Twins had a worse record (by one game) than the Texas Rangers, who won 87 games and missed the postseason. The Twins’ 86-76 mark would have placed them six games off the Wild Card pace in the NL.
Odd, stat. So would the Tigers!
October 5th, 2009 at 10:44 am
it’s funny to read how stupid fans can be. Comment from the Detriot News article linked above…
Seems to me this is personal stuff. I have no need to know
or interest unless it is affecting his performance which apparently it has not. There are more important things to ponder like Tuesday eve in Minn.
Less than 12 hours after blowing a .26, he goes 0-4 and strands 6 RISP. They win that game, he’s off Sunday and no playoff tomorrow.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:44 am
I’ll be @ game 2 of Yanks vs Twins/Tigers Friday.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:48 am
@jpq, but you heard the anonymous internet commenter, it didn’t affect his performance.
Reminds me of when two Astros got in a fistfight before a Padres game in 2000. One of the guys, Mitch Meluskey, was sent in to pitch with the Astros down a run and with two on in the ninth and he struck out looking on three pitches. The play by play guy said something to the effect of “wonder if the fistfight before the game affected his concentration”.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:48 am
pinch hit…not pitch. God this is the second straight post I’ve screwed up. Getting more coffee.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:49 am
MS – that’s why it says “one of the worst” … that means it is up there.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:50 am
I’m picking the Twins to beat the Tigers Tues
October 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
@TBL,
You can’t do that. You proclaimed the Tigers the champions last week. Sorry, you have to stick with what you originally (and a little arrogantly I might add) posted last week in that the Tigers will win the division.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
MS – that’s why it says “one of the worst” … that means it is up there.
Agree to disagree TBL. The Tigers had a bad stretch, but I don’t think anyone thought they had the division as sewn up as everyone in the world thought the Mets in ‘07, the Phillies in ‘64, or the Dodgers in ‘51 did. Those are just on a whole other level in my opinion.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:52 am
lost the fantasy baseball championship, 7-5.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:53 am
That 51 Dodgers collapse is still stuck in my craw.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:54 am
wait … i thought the Tigers were a lock, then they choked. and now im picking the twins to win because Detroit is pitching a rookie (albeit a good one) Tuesday? i can’t pick the twins?
October 5th, 2009 at 10:56 am
The Tigers are finished. The worst thing about this Cabrera story is that it will probably force Leyland out, which is a shame.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:57 am
How could the Twins possibly lose that playoff? I give the Tigers a 5% shot. It isn’t happening.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:58 am
The Tigers didn’t choke. They played .500 ball in September and the Twins went batshit crazy like they do every other year. This should not be a surprise at all. To anyone.
Cabrera has played like crap the past week. The domestic shit has clearly affected his play. I want to know what the fuck he was doing trashed at 6 a.m. when he’s got a game 13 hours later. As jpq said, all he had to do was keep his shit straight enough to knock in some runs and he’s off until Wednesday. Damnit.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Cabrera was out in my neighborhood. My parents live about two minutes away from Townshend Hotel.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I placed in every league I was in.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:00 am
To look at it objectively, rather than Maggs’s doom and gloom (not that I blame you):
Starting pitcher: Favors the Tigers. Rick Porcello has like 14 wins or something. That’s amazing. Plus his ERA is pretty good.
bullpen: we all know the most important part of a bullpen is the closer: Fernando Rodney has 37 saves. He is amazing
offense: Tigers all the way, no question. Morneau, the Twins best hitter, is out.
defense: wayyyyy Tigers.
I see no way they lose this game
October 5th, 2009 at 11:01 am
The Mets of the 80s laugh at this.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:03 am
@Fetch,
I like your reverse psychology on this one.
/doesn’t really know if fetch is kidding or not.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:05 am
I’m about the same, Ty. Rumor has it that the 3:30 a.m. call involved several other Tigers. Also rumored that there was some sort of clubhouse rift because some of the Latin American players were out partying with some of the White Sox, including Freddie Garcia. Awesome timing for all this.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:05 am
From the “noted party animal” link…
That doesn’t describe a party animal.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:05 am
fetch – sounds like a bet is in order then
October 5th, 2009 at 11:06 am
absolutely not pki. Porcello has 14 wins. What’s the objective? To win the game. What’s the objective of a closer? To save the game. Common sense.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:07 am
He is. The reverse jinx. Last time he did this, the Twins took 2 of 3 at the dome.
Jesus christ. I hope its just a rumor. Nothing more. Freddy pitched against them on Saturday, right? Why the fuck would you party with a guy the night before? God damnit.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:09 am
lost the fantasy baseball championship, 7-5.
TBL: I think that ranks up there on the all-time collapse list as well
/please don’t ban me
October 5th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Who names their daughter the same thing as the mother? Is there even a “junior” type term for that?
October 5th, 2009 at 11:12 am
OGIE’ BACK IN THE HOUSE!!!
now I know who he is
/TBL After Dark
October 5th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Who names their daughter the same thing as the mother?
Southerners.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Well in that instance it makes sense because the father is naming her after the grandmother as well.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Sort of damning for Detroit that teams need to stay 45 min from the ballpark and an hour from the airport to find a decent hotel.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Dombrowski had to pick up Cabrera from the police station.
http://blog.mlive.com/cutoffman/2009/10/reports_miguel_cabrera_parties.html
October 5th, 2009 at 11:32 am
Mother fuck.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:34 am
I am liking this story more and more. I am being 100% sincere. Cabby is just like me!
October 5th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Mother fuck indeed. Not very good judgment exhibited there.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:35 am
You have Latin American friends on the White Sox too?
October 5th, 2009 at 11:39 am
If Cabrera were not on this team we wouldn’t even be this close. So he fucked up. Who cares? I fuck up all the time and I am guessing all of you have as well. He is a young millionaire partying with his boys. Get off your moral high horse.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:42 am
there goes his get out of jail free card
October 5th, 2009 at 11:43 am
If Cabrera were not on this team we wouldn’t even be this close. So he fucked up. Who cares? I fuck up all the time and I am guessing all of you have as well. He is a young millionaire partying with his boys. Get off your moral high horse.
Fair point, but doesn’t he have an obligation to his team to keep playing at his best level possible throughout the season, especially if they are in a tight penant race? He couldn’t wait like a day to party?
October 5th, 2009 at 11:45 am
Fail. Porcello is a rookie facing intense pressure on the road against Scott Baker who has 15 wins himself.
Fail. Nathan has something like 46 saves which is more than 37. The rest of the Twins bullpen is dogshit though.
Fail. Morneau disappears like my dick in cold water in September anyway. Jason Kubel is the most underrated player in the AL.
PUNTO, PUNTO, PUNTO!!!
Twins win 6-5.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:47 am
Yes, Fetch. I did detect your sarcasm.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Good point; but if he was out with his teammates, it’s kind of negated.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I don’t even think that’s a “fair point.” So he gets a pass for acting like an idiot during the Tigers most important series of the year just because he played well up to that point? Really? There are 24 other guys on the team that worked very hard to get to that point. Just because he happens to be one of the most talented doesn’t gove him the right to not only do something that affects his own performance, but also that is going to cause a huge distraction over the next two days. I don’t see it as being on a “moral high horse.” No question that I’ve had my share of nights of drinking more than was necessary. The difference is, being a responsible adult, I tend not to do those sort of things when they affect my job. Maybe I’m just a little old fashioned that way.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:58 am
I tried to get laid by a six on Saturday night. If it wasn’t for her massive boobs, the rating would plummet to four. That’s a fuck up, fail and FML all rolled into one.
Cabrera has an obligation to his career. I don’t go out and get friggin bombed on a Tuesday night when work beckons me at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, especially when Wednesday is the huge board meeting and my one-on-one with the CEO.
See what I’m getting at? Cabby could’ve put off drinking (a .26!!!!) this weekend, as every game was a must-win for the Tigers to clinch the division. When you’re the big shit on the team, you gotta’ play like it and act like it. He didn’t. Beyond terrible judgment.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:59 am
+eleventy
October 5th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
@tkmsu, I should’ve been more specific. I was agreeing with Maggs about this not being an moral issue. But I do think it is a contractual issue since he is being paid millions of dollars to perform and he’s undermining that by going out and partying his ass off during his team’s most critical part of the season.
October 5th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
+eleventy right back at ya, NDub
October 5th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Odd that the Twins have run off this strech (16-20) with very little help from superman Joe Mauer (and Morneau for that matter). He has 1 homerun over this time while watching his average drop 11 points, and his slugging drop over 20. So he is an MVP that plays better when his team loses?
October 5th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
@ms621 – I gotcha, although I do think that in the scenario of team sports, you do have some sort of obligation to your teammates (and maybe the fans) to not do something like this, especially when the stakes are so high
October 5th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
The fact that the Tigers (Dombrowski, etc.) are livid with him says plenty about how stupid Cabrera was on Friday night/Saturday morning.
October 5th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
although I do think that in the scenario of team sports, you do have some sort of obligation to your teammates (and maybe the fans) to not do something like this, especially when the stakes are so high
tkmsu: agree. Miggy is now officially the scapegoat, right or wrong, if the Tigers lose tomorrow. Fans have short memories
October 5th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
This kind of thing would never happen to Albert Pujols.