Orlando Cabrera will tell you what he thinks, whether you want to hear it or not. If you can listen, you might just be a winner like the Indians second baseman is.
View full size"Sometimes people don't want to hear my [stuff]," Indians second baseman Orlando Cabrera says. "But I always let them know. If I see things wrong, I will let them know."CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Someday soon, Orlando Cabrera will probably say something that will make someone mad.
That's what the Indians infielder does. He chirps incessantly in teammates' ears. He yaps non-stop at coaches and managers. He does not cease talking in the clubhouse, on the field, on the bus to hotels or on the plane to faraway games.
At some point, something Cabrera says is likely to inflame or irritate. It also will probably bring out the best in his teammates, create a bond among players that draws them closer, and, if past performance is any indication, it will result in another division title for Cabrera's team.
Because that's what he does, too.
"Sometimes people don't want to hear my [stuff]," Cabrera said. "But I always let them know. If I see things wrong, I will let them know."
Cabrera, a 36-year-old second baseman, has found the secret to the kind of delicate leadership that can make whatever team he plays for successful. In the last seven years, five of his teams have won divisional titles. The other two finished second.
One of those second-place teams, the Boston Red Sox, won the World Series in 2004.
He offers advice and chides teammates, unsolicited. Sometimes it gets him in trouble. Most often, it yields success.
"We're not here to make friends and be liked," manager Manny Acta said. "We're here to be professionals and to win and help our teammates. People sometimes are not going to appreciate the way somebody goes about their business helping them. Too bad."
Cabrera did it in Chicago, when he twice asked for over-rulings on scorer's decisions and clashed with fiery White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. His outspokenness resulted in just one year, 2008, spent in the Windy City.
He did it with the Red Sox, when Manny Ramirez famously wanted to skip a playoff game because of a headache. Cabrera told the talented hitter to endure the pain and play. He did.
He did it in Cincinnati last season, when he teased first baseman Joey Votto so mercilessly during a game that Votto began screaming at his fellow infielder.
"It's one of those things where he plays better when he's distracted, and Orlando knew that," his wife, Katie Cabrera, said.
In Cleveland he has latched onto Asdrubal Cabrera, the young shortstop he refers to as "nephew," though they are not related. He's encouraged Asdrubal Cabrera to swing for the fences, a new power approach that has yielded a .270 batting average, five home runs and 22 RBI in the season's first five weeks.
In return, Asdrubal Cabrera has begun to emerge from his quiet shell. After Orlando made the mistake of mentioning he was close to 2,000 career hits, Asdrubal began a vocal countdown for the second baseman. Asdrubal Cabrera knows his "uncle" is 18 hits from the milestone, and makes sure to remind him of it often.
View full size"He's a winner, he knows how to play the game," Manny Acta says of his second baseman. "He rubs these guys the right way when it comes to playing the game right."Whatever secret Orlando Cabrera has discovered, it is precisely what the Indians were searching for when they signed him to a one-year deal. The Tribe's roster averages 27.7 years old; only three major-league teams are younger. Acta, who was a coach for the Montreal Expos when Cabrera played there at the start of his career, knew the infielder could bring veteran leadership to a team that desperately needed it.
Even if it meant moving Cabrera to second base from his longtime shortstop position, where he's won two Golden Gloves, the last in 2007.
"He's a winner, he knows how to play the game," Acta said. "He rubs these guys the right way when it comes to playing the game right."
Which is not to say such vocal leadership is always appreciated. After his season in Chicago, whispers of being a clubhouse troublemaker plagued him. He has played for four teams since then, none for more than a year -- though Cabrera says he has been the one who has chosen to move on.
The frequent movement and perception of disruptive behavior is shrugged off by Cabrera.
"I just think when you take the lead, there's always going to be people kicking you from behind," Cabrera said. "That means you're leading. There's nothing you can do about it. When you're trying to be a leader, there will always be people behind you."
He is the kind of player who will not be loved by all, but the results of his influence are undeniable. When Cabrera played for the Los Angeles Angels from 2005-07, manager Mike Scoscia moved young second baseman Howie Kendrick's locker next door solely for the off-field influence.
"I don't know why or how he does it, but he does," said Katie Cabrera, his wife of four years. "And it works."
Which is why Katie Cabrera should have known better. The Cabreras are expecting their first child, a girl, on Oct. 1. When Orlando first signed with the struggling Indians in the off-season, she assumed that she would be long gone from Cleveland when their child was born.
Now, with the 22-11 Tribe leading the American League Central, Katie can only laugh at the potential playoff run that always seems to come with her husband's team.
"I don't know why I thought I'd be home then," she said, sighing.
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2011/05/orlando_cabrera_is_the_clevela.html
Canada Stock markets Weir Strictly Come Dancing Horse racing Milan Baros
No comments:
Post a Comment