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The road trip was a nightmare. Nine games, just two wins, and a host of injuries to the pitching staff. And as per usual, the offense struggled mightily to dent the scoreboard.
The Tigers trudge home tonight as the “second place Detroit Tigers,” a title they have not worn often over the last handful of years.
They need someone, something, to grab them by the collective throat and shake them out of this mess they’ve created. And there’s only one man for the job.
It’s Miguel Cabrera.
Been Merely Human
In 2014, the superhero has been merely human. And it’s not to say that he hasn’t been very good.
He’s batting over .300. Only one player in the majors (Jose Abreu) has driven in more runs. He slammed a critical home run in the All-Star Game.
But when you are a two-time defending MVP, a former Triple Crown winner, a man that has socked close to 90 round-trippers in the prior two years, “pretty good” can wind up looking “pretty average.”
He’s been so good for so long that greatness is not something we wish for. It’s what we expect.
It’s why he’s the only man for this job.
Cabrera needs to become a destructive force again in the middle of this lineup.
He needs to find his 44 HR power stroke of the last two seasons and apply it to the pedestrian 17 he’s whacked this summer.
This team, and more specifically, this lineup, simply can’t survive without it.
Different Than 2006
It was a different story when the Tigers went to the World Series in 2006. The back end of the lineup was crammed with legitimate offensive thunder. Craig Monroe, Brandon Inge, and Marcus Thames all chipped in with 25+ homers to prevent the need for any one guy to have to carry the load himself.
Miguel Cabrera in 2014 is not blessed with such a luxury. There is no balance. There are no unsung heroes in the bottom third. Even fellow sluggers like J.D. Martinez and Torii Hunter have suffered extended slumps.
So fair or not, Miguel Cabrera needs to do more.
Three home runs since July 1? Not good enough.
A .258 average from the seventh inning on? A semi-obscure stat, but again, it has to improve.
It all does. The club has had 117 games to prove they can get by with a good-but-not-great Miguel Cabrera, and they’ve failed the test.
His body might still be in recovery mode, but his game cannot afford to be. He needs to go out and crack 15 homers in the last 45 games; drive in runs like Hank Greenberg circa 1937; grind through at bats and refuse to strike out.
Starting pitching never will be a problem for this team. Even with minor injuries to Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander, the staff will be fine. They just need proper support from their better half.
Offense will be what lets this team make a deep postseason run, or it will be the primary reason they are sent packing before the leaves begin to fall.
But it’s not going to be a balanced effort. We know that now.
It’s Miguel Cabrera to the rescue . . . or else.
