Why the Oakland A’s retirement gift to Miguel Cabrera is receiving criticism
Cabrera, 40, is nearing an end to his 21-year big league career
The Detroit Free Press reported last season that Miguel Cabrera, who has previously been treated for alcoholism, celebrated his 3,000th career hit with non-alcoholic champagne in the clubhouse.
The Oakland A’s didn’t let that stop them from giving Cabrera a bottle of wine as a retirement gift on Thursday night.
Cabrera, who is nearing the end of his 21-year major league career with the Detroit Tigers and will retire at the end of the season, met with A’s manager Mark Kotsay on the field before the A’s lost their eighth straight game on Thursday.
Kotsay presented Cabrera with a bottle of what appears to be a cabernet sauvignon from Rutherford’s Caymus Vineyards. The bottle costs around $80 online.
On Friday, fans and members of the media took to social media to express their displeasure with the gift.
While the gift from a $1 billion franchise to a slugger who has made more than $400 million in his career may appear frugal, especially for a team known for its austerity, there is also the issue of Cabrera’s alcoholism.
Cabrera was arrested in 2009 after his wife filed a domestic abuse complaint, and he spent three months in an outpatient treatment program that offseason before speaking publicly about his decision to get sober the following spring.
Cabrera was arrested in Florida during spring training in 2011 and charged with driving under the influence and resisting arrest. According to the police report, Cabrera drank from a bottle of scotch in front of a deputy while sitting in his car.
However, the A’s aren’t the only team that has overlooked Cabrera’s history by giving him alcohol as a retirement gift.
Cabrera, 40, has remained silent on the gifts.
He went 0-for-3 on Thursday, dropping his season average to.256 with three home runs and a.652 OPS in 339 plate appearances.
Cabrera has hit.262 with a.707 OPS and 62 home runs in his last seven major league seasons, earning more than $180 million.
He has 3,167 hits and 510 home runs in his career, along with a.307 average and.900 OPS.
