In Defense of Melky Cabrera

By Elizabeth Finn



Much has been made about the Johan Santana trade possibilities this off-season. In Yankee-Land, Phil Hughes seemed to be the sticking point, from Hank's initial hesitancy to include him in a deal, to Brian Cashman's insistence that the club take a trade centered around the 21-year old off the table for good. Throughout the months-long saga, the media checked in with Hughes more than a few times, culminating in a Sports Illustrated article focused on Hughes's reactions a day after the trade.

Amidst all this hoopla, and all of the attention that's been given to cultivating young talent and "growing your own," little has been said about another Yankee player: one who contributed heavily to the Yankees' 13th straight playoff appearance and could have been on his way to the Twin Cities had events played out differently back in early December.

Melky Cabrera, who is about to start his first full season as the Yankees' full-time centerfielder, has never really been included in discussions about the league's best young talent. Critics point to his lack of power, his struggle to come in on the ball, and his streaky hitting. Some have even predicted that his value is now at its peak, making him excellent trade bait, though not for long.

A closer look at Cabrera tells a very different story; one that many fans who watch him every day have no doubt realized: The kid can play ball.

Yes, his 2007 line of .273/.327/.391 isn't at superstar level. In fact, it would seem to support the claims that he's not a prime young hitter. But remove his shaky April, when he didn't have a set position, and his slump of a September, and you're left with four solid months of baseball at .313/.369/.491. The Yankees needed help from his bat in the middle of the summer to climb their way back into playoff contention, and Melky delivered. Furthermore, from early May, after he knew he would be playing center field every day, he hit close to .300. His rough goings in April dragged his stats down for the year, but the 23-year old is assured a starting spot in center field going into 2008.

Delving deeper, Melky's average for the 2007 season spiked above .300 when the score was tied or within one run. Anyone who sat through the four-plus hour marathon of a game on September 22nd saw evidence of this. Melky racked up five RBIs, all of them either tying the game or putting the Yankees ahead, including the winning hit. Who says the kid ain't clutch?

Power? Okay, the critics can have the fact that he only belted eight home runs in 2007, most of the line-drive variety. But the switch-hitter can rip the ball down the line with the best of them, to the tune of 24 doubles and 8 triples, which tied him for sixth in the league. Interested in the number of triples his teammate Alex Rodriguez hit in 2007? Zero. And let's not forget that his home run in game 2 of the 2007 ALDS stood up as the only run the Yankees would score in that game.

He may not be Alex Rodriguez, but every aspect of Melky's game is designed to help his team win. From his ten sacrifice hits (good for fifth in the league in 2007), to his 16 outfield assists (which tied him for third in the league), Melky has proven he has the talent to do whatever it takes to win games. With respect to his arm, John Walsh, from The Hardball Times, ranks Cabrera as having the sixth-best center field arm in all of baseball. (Check out his assessment here) In this modern sports era, home runs often take center stage, dominating the highlight reels. But, as any true baseball fan knows, watching your team's catcher raise the ball in triumph after a runner has been gunned down at home is a thrill unlike any other. Still not convinced? See: Jeter, Derek. 2001 ALDS.

The center fielder, though not lithe like Jeter or long-legged like Johnny Damon, can also hold his own on the basepaths. He stole 13 bases in 2007, and showed good baserunning sense, scampering from second to third on wild pitches (not always easy to do with close backstops) and scoring on dribblers in the infield. On one particularly memorable occasion, against Kansas City on September 9th, he scored on a fielder's choice that barely left home plate.

But dump all that. Dump the stats. Dump the leaderboards. Dump the mid-range numbers that have the naysayers itching to send him on the nearest plane to Texas or Minnesota, or whichever all-star-possessing team wants him in a trade package. Because Melky Cabrera's value lies in his energy, in his grit, in his determination. In short, Melky's value lies in his heart.

It's the reason why stats-keepers will never understand why the Yankees would give him their starting center field job, a position patrolled by the greatest of the Yankee greats. It's the reason why someone who has never seen him play a game could easily approve of him as a throw-in for any trade that could bring the next power-hitter to the Bronx. It's Melky fouling a ball off his shin only to rip a triple to center field on the next pitch. It's Melky climbing the outfield wall to snag fly balls that were destined to be round-trippers. It's Melky doing more to acclimate Alex Rodriguez to New York than any 50-home run season ever could. It's one of the reasons the Yankees will be contenders in 2008.

Intangibles are as much a part of baseball as the sound of ball hitting glove. They endear players to us. They make children imitate at-bat routines and outfield swaggers. They're why, in the end, we watch the game. Joe Torre once called Melky Cabrera "a breath of fresh air." If things go their way, the Yankees know they can let that infusion of life carry them all the way to October.