Reader column: Miguel Cabrera couldn’t be happier that Victor Martinez is a Tiger
It’s always nice when somebody has your back.
Someone finally has Miguel Cabrera’s.
That, along with the surge from Justin Verlander, will be the main reasons why the Tigers win the AL Central.
Offensively, Victor Martinez has been worth every penny of his four-year, $50 million deal.
He’s hitting .329, providing support for Cabrera. Opposing teams can’t hand the Tigers first baseman a free pass as often as before — and if they do — Martinez makes them pay more often than Tigers fans are used to.
It’s amazing how much can change in a year.
Cabrera was intentionally walked 32 times in 2010, but the Tigers rarely made the most of it.
Now, already with 14 intentional walks, Martinez is making the opponent pay for the walk-a-Cabrera strategy, with six home runs and 46 RBIs.
Martinez isn’t the only one providing some pop in the bat, he’s just the backbone of it.
When I glance at the Nos. 3-7 hitters, it shows similarities to a Yankees or Red Sox lineup — at least the numbers do.
Brennan Boesch, Cabrera, Martinez, Jhonny Peralta and Alex Avila provide a relentless group of hitters — all hitting .300 or higher.
This team is poised for an October run.
The Kansas City Royals are slowly fading, the pesky Minnesota Twins are finally being tampered with by the baseball god’s with injuries that are plaguing their attempt to win another division title.
Cleveland is youthful and I expect them to fade like the Royals. It’s just taking longer than expected.
It’ll be a two-team race in September.
The White Sox haven’t reached their full potential. Their big free-agent acquisition, Adam Dunn, will eventually pay off. Carlos Quentin and Paul Konerko are having good seasons.
Both teams are built to win now. Both contain a mix of youth and veteran leadership. There’s quality pitching on both teams, but the Tigers are doing something that the White Sox aren’t: playing to their potential.
One free-agent acquisition for a DH is paying off, the other isn’t.
It’s sure nice when someone has your back.
Ask Cabrera or Konerko. They understand.
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