Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Tigers' spring training buzzkill

Here is how the Tigers thought they could win the AL Central this season: power arms in the rotation and bullpen, three big bats (Magglio Ordonez, Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez) in the middle of the lineup, fill out the lineup with gloves and OK bats.

It's fun to be drunk and in jail, right, Miggy?
It could work. Or Miguel Cabrera could get arrested for drunken driving before he ever gets to spring training.

This is not good on any level. Taking a swig out of a bottle of scotch in front of the officer is ... bizarre. Stupid. Self-destructive.

Two years ago, Cabrera's drinking got him arrested in the middle of the final series of the regular season — a series in which the Tigers got swept, a sweep that forced Detroit into Game 163 against the Twins, a game that cost Detroit the divisional title.

He was supposedly clean and sober since. If so, not anymore. And the Tigers have a multi-million dollar problem on their hands.

At this point, it's unclear what the Tigers will do with him, but I would assume that it's going to be awhile before their best player shows up in camp. As with CBS and Charlie Sheen, Cabrera is too valuable not to have at work, but also far too valuable to let him drink himself to death. He needs rehab — but that's only going to work if he wants it to work.

1 comment:

  1. As a recovering alcoholic myself, I wish Cabrera lots of luck with his recovery. As a Twins fan, I hope Verlander is one of his drinking buddies.

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