I'm going to step away from war stuff for a little bit.
For those that do not follow sports, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers just became the
first player since 1967 to win the American League's "Triple Crown."
That means he lead the league in batting average, home runs, and runs
batted in...in other words, the 3 biggest offensive statistical
categories. It has now only happened 18 times in about 140 years of
baseball.
Those who know me know my love for the Detroit Tigers. I used to live a stone's throw away from Comerica Park and enjoyed many evenings at the corner of Witherell and Adams. I grew up playing baseball and looking up to guys like Trammel, Sweet Lou, and Fielder (the daddy). Even through the terrible years of the 90's I enjoyed Tiger baseball.
Then came Miguel Cabrera. I've been following him since he exploded onto the baseball scene with the Florida Marlins 10 years ago. When Detroit made the move to acquire him I was a big fan of the trade. He was a rising star, and though many people questioned the young talent they gave up for him I supported the move.
Cabrera came to Detroit as a young man with a lot of talent. Sometimes stars struggle when they are in the spotlight. Detroit has an incredible list of superstars that were able to shine on and off the field. To get your name on a list that includes Steve Yzerman, Barry Sanders, Al Kaline or Joe Dumars, you have to be REALLY good at everything.
Cabrera struggled with alcohol in 2009. There was a very public incident between him and his wife that lead many to question whether he was worth the insane amount of money he was being paid. People questioned if he could ever overcome alcohol and weight gain and be "great" at baseball. Again in 2011 alcohol became a problem when he was arrested for driving under the influence. We all have demons, but how we face them defines us.
"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom." -General George Patton
Then 2012 came along. Cabrera is sober. He is a leader. He has put in time away from baseball to improve the lives of many in Detroit and Florida. His perfection of his baseball craft parallels the improvements he has made in his personal life. He now defines a "superstar" both on and off the field.
I too have faced demons, and struggled to get them out of my life. I can relate to being a young man with opportunity, and throwing it away. That is why I take so much pride in the story of Miguel Cabrera. He's shown that overcoming the things that hold us back can take us to remarkable places. It's something we can all aspire to apply to our own lives.
When we were kids we all had heroes. We had people to look up to as examples of the right way to do things. Too often our heroes turned out to be two sided. Miguel Cabrera is a person that I look up to now, as someone who has faced his demons and worked hard to be better in all facets of his life. I think his 2012 season and what it took him to get to this point is something that we can all relate to.
I'll be watching the Tigers 1st playoff game this Saturday. It will be 2:30 in the morning, but I'll be watching...sporting the Old English D here in Southern Afghanistan.
Go Tigers!
Until next time...
Chris
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