So I don't suppose anyone's up for a discussion of how Detroit Tigers middle infielders bat with two strikes after the sixth inning against Minnesota Twins relief pitchers? No, tonight's probably not the night for that.
I'm sure we'd all like to get back to talking about baseball, especially in regards to tomorrow's tiebreaker for the AL Central at the Metrodome. And we'll get to that. Believe me. But for now, this Miguel Cabrera situation is still heavily on people's minds. (If you think I'm misreading Tiger Town's pulse, please inform me otherwise.)
Let's go over the latest developments surrounding Saturday morning's incident, most of which were linked to in the comments of our previous post. Thanks to those who shared the news with everyone.
First, Cabrera issued a statement through the Tigers' public relations department earlier today. From Jason Beck's report:
"There was an incident that took place on Saturday and it is a personal matter. I am sorry this has become a distraction, and I apologize to the Tigers, my teammates, and all of the fans. I would appreciate it if you would respect my family's privacy as I prepare for our next game."
There has been no official statement from the team, other than what Dave Dombrowski said to the media following yesterday's game: "We had a conversation of a personal nature. I am aware of what took place."
(And now, of course, we know just how aware Dombrowski really was, given that he was the one who picked Cabrera up from the Birmingham Police Department on Saturday morning.)
Additionally, the Detroit News reported this afternoon that Cabrera had a previous altercation at the very same Birmingham bar where he was drinking on Friday night. Back on August 31, as reported by Mike Martindale, Cabrera taunted a teenager about his weight, eventually leading to a confrontation in which Cabrera reportedly challenged the person to a fight outside the bar.
Following the incident, Dombrowski and a team lawyer met with Cabrera and he was told to stay away from the Rugby Grille at the Townsend Hotel. Police were told that Cabrera blamed the incident on his performance in a weekend series against Tampa Bay (1-for-14) and troubles with his wife, who had returned to Venezuela.
And that's where things stand. At least for now, unless other statements are made or additional news is reported.
- At The Detroit Tigers Weblog, Bill Ferris feels cheated as a fan, and also thinks Dombrowski and Jim Leyland are culpable for playing Cabrera on Saturday night.
- FOXSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi shares in the outrage toward Cabrera, and feels sitting him out tomorrow would send the right message. Unless Cabrera wants to make more of a public apology - not an issued statement - to his teammates, management, ownership and fans.
- At Tigers Tracks, John Parent believes this matter isn't really any of our business, but feels Cabrera could go a long way toward answering for his actions to the team with a great game tomorrow.
I would like to say, however, that I thought the BYB community had a great discussion about this today. There was a wide difference of opinion, ranging from outrage to sympathy. Some were furious over what happened, while others were disappointed. There are those who feel Cabrera should be suspended, and those who believe he's already suffered enough public humiliation. It's also interesting to see how different life experiences shape perception of the matter.
But despite all the disagreements, the conversation didn't turn ugly. People expressed their opinions, bringing several different perspectives to this, and good back-and-forth discussion ensued. Maybe a couple of unfortunate things were said, but things never got personal and insults were never traded. And to me, that's exactly what this community should be about.
It got pretty nasty here over the weekend, as tempers flared and frustrations boiled over. As a result, I've been thinking that we might have to re-evaluate some things for next season. But for today, I tip my cap to you guys. Those 300+ comments made for some fascinating reading, and a level of discourse far above the stuff I heard on Detroit sports talk radio this afternoon. You raised the bar today, and I think that should be acknowledged.