WEIGHTING AROUND

By:  Holly Horning

Actions speak louder than words, they say. If you’re going to talk the talk, you better be walking the walk. And in this case, Miguel Cabrera has once again promised that he’s going to come back better and stronger for the next season.

He said the same thing a couple years ago when he needed to strengthen his core. He dutifully posted pictures on social media almost daily of workouts at the gym back then. But before the 2019 season, there was nothing showing him working out. Conceivably, those two legal battles encompassing his personal and business lives were keeping him busy.

And at spring training, it was reported that the Tigers were really shocked at how much weight he had gained in the off-season.

And that is why there is a continuing problem.

Everyone, except for the local papers, of course, noticed. Even Jack Morris skewered him recently on a broadcast, laughing when it was mentioned that Miggy is listed at 250 lbs. Morris said that he was 250 and that Miggy weighed way more than that.

Morris also said, along with an anonymous Tiger staffer, that Miggy’s girth this past year was so significant, that he was unable to fully get around on a pitch. That his reaction time was much slower as a result. That opponents realized this and thus threw him more fastballs.

Yet Cabrera threw his teammates under the bus this year by stating the lack of protection in the lineup was the reason he wasn’t hitting for power. Not the excessive weight.

Nor was it about the deteriorating knee that is used to generate power. A bad knee the Tigers knew about back in 2018 (at the latest) which generated comments from Ron Gardenhire about spelling Miggy at first base and Al Avila’s request of Nick Castellanos to move there from the outfield.

This year, the team finally officially revealed that Cabrera has a serious, permanent issue with his knee.

Even if your only exercise is to fetch coffee in the morning, we all know that the heavier you are, the more strain and pressure that is put on your joints. And the more likely you are going to have joint issues if the problem is not addressed. It’s one thing if you are an average human being and a totally different conversation if you are an athlete and your career, teammates and baseball organization depend upon you to perform.

And the real concern is that the Tigers knew about his knee last year and sent him home without a plan to preserve it as much as possible. Not to mention the 2 herniated disks in his back that are also impacted by weight.

In fact, he came into 2019 at his worst shape ever. Several journalists have speculated that he is 40-50 lbs. overweight.

Does a coach’s or trainer’s job stop with the last day of the season? Do they take the winter off and not check in with their players? Of course, not. There are plenty of stories about other trainers who sit down with each player and carve out a winter fitness strategy. Many of them travel the country to personally check in on their players, too. Whether the Tigers do that doesn’t seem to be supported by their reactions or by the initiative that other players take during the off-season.

But Miggy is not the only example of a player who has come to spring training significantly out of shape. There was Bruce Rondon and more recently, Joe Jimenez.

You would think that one of baseball’s most expensive players would be receiving some guidance from the team. It’s called protecting the investment. Especially when it is well known that Miggy has a very hard time guiding himself when he’s not playing in a game.

We’ve now been privy to the carnage resulting from his lack of discipline when it comes to his family life and now, his business. Even his financial dealings with the Tigers when the team had to go after him because he owed them a big chunk of change for promoting his candy and had not paid them.

Miggy is one of those people who has a hard time controlling and guiding himself. Unlike someone such as Justin Verlander who is so disciplined and goal-oriented. All the more reason to be proactive.

And unless the Tigers are blind, they’ve seen it, too. There’s really no excuse to give a free pass to him instead of implementing more structure and accountability in the off-season. There is now proof that they don’t monitor him in the off-season.

Until now, presumably, when his physical condition has become such a great concern.

A little too late.

It has been suggested that Cabrera will focus on strengthening his lower half this winter, increasing his flexibility and range of motion. The Tigers want him to become stronger and leaner overall.

What took them so long?

And who is going to tell Miggy to lose weight? Doug Teter?

I want to make it clear that my intent is not to shame or discriminate against anyone. But everyone has to represent their job without being hypocritical. A physical trainer who is significantly overweight and has a hard time climbing up the dugout steps is a concern. The same as a doctor who chain smokes and lectures patients about adopting healthy habits. Or even an image consultant who is a shabby dresser, rude and slurps his soup while trying to convince a potential client that he can elevate their professional image to the top levels.

Take one look at the head trainers for professional baseball (PBATS) and everyone, save one, all appear to be in peak physical form. Watch the games when a player gets hurt and other trainers run out to check on them.

Teter has been with the Tigers for 27 years. And this is the second part of the problem in addressing Miggy’s physical health.

There have also been revelations that Miggy was playing with injuries that could have been exacerbated while he played. The hernia, broken foot and knee were ignored until they couldn’t be. Was it the priority to have him play and fill the seats or was Miggy preventing them from taking action to get him the necessary medical care?

You have to wonder about the strategies the team uses – or doesn’t – with Miggy. Do they try to guide him? Do they simply leave him alone? Do they treat him differently from the other players because he is a star? Did Miggy come to the Tigers similar to how he is today or did the Tigers simply look the other way because of his production and “face of the franchise” status?

Does the organization feel they need to appease him? It was very curious that the Tigers nominated him for this year’s Roberto Clemente Award instead of Matt Boyd, who is deeply involved in 2 charities including adopting dozens of girls, setting up schools and homes in an effort to prevent them from being sold into sex slavery.

MLB says the Clemente Award is “the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”

Uh, huh. Riiiight.

And the Tigers made a presentation to him at a game which was not mentioned in a single Detroit media publication the next day. Appeasement or an attempt to bury his recent problems and rehabilitate his image?

And there it is. That lack of urgency the Tigers have repeatedly shown over the past decade. Waiting too long until something becomes a significant problem. And often, the results have not been good ones.

In Miggy’s case, there are two issues the Tigers need to address. One is offering him guidance and enough structure in order to prevent yet another personal implosion similar to the incidents involving the incidents surrounding drinking, spousal abuse, arrests, baby mama drama and failed business dealings. Personal character is a factor in election to the Hall of Fame and Detroit already has experience with another great, whose personal dealings tarnished his eligibility for baseball immortality.

The final factor involves how much longer he will be able to play as well as how productive he will continue to be. Remember the pace Miggy was on just a short couple of years ago? That pace has slowed down considerably with some records verging on possibly becoming doubtful.

And that would be such a shame for one of baseball’s greatest players.

And for the fans, too.

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