Spring training is just a few days old, but there is certainly no shortage of storylines to talk about for baseball fans. However, there is one story that really got my attention and got me thinking about athletes in general. No, it’s not the Albert Pujols contract situation. I’ve gotten a bit tired of talking/hearing about that, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that regard. Unless you haven’t turned on your TV or gone on any sort of sports website or read the sports section of any newspaper recently, you probably know exactly what story I am talking about. For those of you who guessed Miguel Cabrera’s arrest, you can claim your prize by clicking here (No thanks required).
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Here we go again. Another sportswriter is going to take shots at Cabrera and bash him for his drinking problems. Like I haven’t read this before.” I get the sense that many people have had enough of the relentless criticism directed at Detroit’s slugger, but bear with me. I do not intend to bash Cabrera for his alcohol-related issues, nor do I intend to focus solely on his situation. If anything, I will do my best to support Miguel. Why? Because he needs it. Negativity will only make things worse in this case. If you’re Miguel, and everywhere you turn you find criticism from the media and the fans, wouldn’t you be more inclined to drink away your problems?
First of all, let me start by saying that I think many people have gotten completely carried away with this story. Many folks are angry at Cabrera, which is understandable, but others have taken this way too far and displayed malice intent toward one of baseball’s biggest stars.
Personally, I think disappointment is the best word to describe this situation as a whole. After an alcohol-related incident with his wife in 2009, Cabrera went through regular outpatient treatment during the offseason. The counseling had him on the right track, and Cabrera appeared to have put everything in the rear view mirror on the way to arguably the best season of his eight year career. In just his third year with the Tigers, he hit .328/.420/.622 with 38 homers and 126 RBIs. I guess I shouldn’t forget that the guy was an all-star, finished second in AL MVP voting, and won the Silver Slugger. In short, Cabrera really began to reach his full potential as he established himself as one of the most dominant offensive weapons in the game.
Obviously, on Wednesday night, everything came to an abrupt halt. There have been various reports about the events leading up to Cabrera’s arrest, but it seems as though he was headed to spring training in Lakeland when police found his smoking car on the side of a road near the Florida turnpike. Apparently, the radiator of his car broke down and his cell phone wasn’t working, but I’m not going to speculate on that because quite frankly, I don’t know what happened.
Anyway, Cabrera was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and resisting an officer without violence. People are free to make all the assumptions they want about the details of that night, but the fact of the matter is, the only person who truly knows what happened is Miguel himself, and even he may not remember clearly.
Just in case you missed it, here is some of what Dan Dombrowski, president, GM, and CEO of the Tigers, had to say.
"We had conversations between the Commissioner’s Office, the Players Association, myself and Miguel’s representative, and basically, we’ve all decided that it’s best he be continuing to visit and really find out what’s taken place, and be in a position where [doctors] can meet with him and completely assess what has taken place. Until that happens, we’ve all decided that it’s better for him to do that away from camp, even though he would love to be here and is capable of playing at this point. But he even acknowledges that he’ll do whatever he needs to do, and is willing to work with everybody for whatever needs to be done. There’s complete cooperation with all of the groups. We’re all on the same pages. The doctor that does the evaluation will be coordinated by the Commissioner’s Office and the Players Association, and he’ll make his recommendation on what needs to be done. He realizes he’s had an alcohol problem in the past that he’s addressed, and has worked through, and he fell off of that program. He acknowledges that and will do what’s necessary to get him back on track. I talked to him on the phone a couple of times. I talked to him on the phone later [Friday]. He’s as down as can be. He feels terrible."
So, why has there been such uproar around Major League Baseball about this incident? Well first of all, because it is not the first time Cabrera has had this type of slip-up, if you will. One incident might fly under the radar, but when there’s a second, we have a serious problem. Cabrera didn’t consider himself to be an alcoholic before, but now, I think it’s safe to say that he is.
Secondly, Cabrera’s star status is, in my opinion, a key part of why such a big deal has been made of this whole thing. He is one of the top players in the league, and he is the Tigers’ superstar. This isn’t some guy that nobody knows about. This is Miguel Cabrera. Not to mention, the disturbing image of Cabrera smiling in his mugshot doesn’t really help his cause.
I may sound crazy trying to defend Cabrera, but that’s exactly what I’m about to do. Look, the man is just 27 years old and the spotlight is shining on him brighter than ever before. For the first time, he is somewhat of a household name. But wait, there’s more.
I am certainly no expert on drinking, nor will I pretend to be. The only reason that I could even name more than about ten beers is because I work at a restaurant with a sports bar. However, I do know this: Alcohol (Drinking) has the ability to completely take over a person’s life, and without proper guidance, it can become extremely dangerous. People like Cabrera can simply dig themselves into a hole that is nearly impossible to climb out of, and it’s really quite unfortunate.
All I’m saying is, Cabrera is an alcoholic, and we can’t just expect him to change in the blink of an eye as critics continue to take shots at him. He has a problem that should not be taken lightly and one that may have gotten out of his control. The process ahead will be anything but easy, so I think it is crucial that we put ourselves in his shoes and realize what he’s going through.
With that said, the last thing I want to do is make excuses for Miguel. He is a man, and he needs to handle this situation like a man. Likewise, he is a professional athlete, and he needs to start acting like one. I’m sure that many kids look up to him as a role model, and behavior like this is simply unacceptable. He let his fans, family, and most importantly his teammates down, because now he will miss at least a few days of spring training and his situation has already become a distraction. Rather than talking about the start of a new season, reporters around the team are talking about one player’s arrest. By the way, that player is owed more than $106 million over the next five years.
Now, as promised, I will look at this in a much larger sense. It doesn’t take more than a few seconds for any fan to name an athlete with recent off-the-field issues. The first person that probably comes to mind is Michael Vick and his dog fighting actions. However, there was Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg, Gilbert Arenas bringing a gun into the locker room, and Donte Stallworth killing a pedestrian with his car. We also shouldn’t forget about Josh Hamilton and his alcohol-plagued past. Honestly, I could probably sit here for hours naming similar situations that have occurred just in the past decade.
It is common knowledge that being a professional athlete comes with great responsibility, and today’s athletes are held to higher standards than ever. It seems logical, doesn’t it? If these guys (And girls) are making all this money and getting all this exposure, they should be expected to handle themselves a certain way. For the most part, I think we can all agree on that.
However, what if, in today’s dangerous and trouble-filled society, these athletes can’t meet such strict demands? Not everyone can be a well-rounded person. It just can’t happen. Just because someone is an outstanding athlete does not mean that they are a great person. Athletes get paid for their performance on the field, not their actions off it. Yes, their off-field actions are a part of their contracts, but they don’t make millions of dollars to avoid driving under the influence.
Could it be possible that we need to lower our expectations for the world’s greatest athletes? Think about it this way: If you had to chose between watching some of the most talented athletes on the planet on a day-to-day basis or seeing them suspended (Or even banned) from their sport because of a wrongdoing that basically goes unnoticed when committed by an average person, which is it going to be? I’m not saying that I have an answer one way or the other, but it is really interesting to think about. Should we just love, respect, and enjoy athletes and the entertainment that they provide, or should we put them on trial for the whole world to see when they make a mistake away from the game?
For now, let’s just hope that Miguel Cabrera gets the help he needs to get out of the mess he’s in right now. I wish him the best, because the dude has a hell of a future in MLB.