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| 2010 Topps Attax Miguel Cabrera "Hot Streak" |
It's been quite the month for Miguel Cabrera. As MLB.com reports, despite going hitless on Wednesday and Thursday:
[Cabrera] still leads the league in RBIs (25) and is second in doubles (10). Cabrera also ranks among the leaders in a host of categories, including batting average (.330), on-base percentage (.419), hits (30) and total bases (55).
But wait, there's more:
Cabrera's April ranks with the best in franchise history, as he ranks second on the Tigers' charts in doubles (10), third in RBIs, fourth in extra-base hits (15) and seventh in total bases.
The best April in the history of the franchise which, last I checked, is not full of slouches. That's amazing. And I heartily agree that Cabrera has been incredible so far this season. But I think that many people don't realize just how good he is and, just how criminal it is that he hasn't sniffed an All-Star roster in his two seasons in Detroit. Back me up, stats:
What's more, Cabrera leads the league in home runs (76) and RBIs (255) since the start of 2008, when he became a Tiger.
Aka, Miguel Cabrera has been the most prolific power hitter in the American League since he joined the league two years ago. Detroit fans, please nod in knowing agreement. Everyone else, you may continue furrowing your brow in a futile attempt to understand.
Obviously, All-Star appearances are not the end all and be all of baseball, and it is mostly a popularity contest anyway, but you'd think that a player like this just might be able to squeeze onto a roster at some point.
Seems to me that this has been a little more than just a "Hot Streak."
Finally, for anyone who still harbors some bad memories following Cabrera's late season issues last year comes this bit from Lynn Henning, buried in an article about Big Ten Expansion:
Miguel Cabrera's recovery has been so complete and so convincing that I never hear the subject discussed, even privately. It was hashed out thoroughly during TigerFest in January. It was re-visited during spring training. But with Cabrera continuing to personally look like a new man, and with his hitting again on a different scale from the mere mortals who play baseball, the topic of his past alcohol abuse appears, happily, to be old news.
I think we can all agree that that is a good thing for everybody involved. Viva Miguel!
