Alex Cabrera
Encyclopedia
Alex Cabrera is a Venezuela
n first baseman
and right-handed batter who played in Major League Baseball
and Nippon Professional Baseball. He is currently playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
after signing with them prior to the 2011 season.
as an amateur free agent
in 1991, and moved to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
organization before the 1998 season. Later, he signed with Arizona and before that, he also played for CPBL's Koos Group Whales
in 1999. After staying in the minors
for nine seasons, he finally got a shot in the majors in 2000. A muscular slugger (6' 2", 220 lb.), Cabrera hit a home run
during his first at-bat. He ended the season with a .262 average
, five home runs, 14 RBI
, 10 runs
, two doubles
, one triple
and a .500 slugging percentage in 31 games
. After that, the Seibu Lions of the Japan Pacific League
purchased his contract from Arizona.
In 2001, Cabrera batted .282, with 49 home runs and 124 RBI, and exploded with a .336, 55, 115 batting line in 2002, winning the Pacific League's MVP
award. His 55 home runs tied Japan's single-season record, equaling the mark set by the legendary Sadaharu Oh
in 1964 and matched by former big leaguer Tuffy Rhodes
in 2001. Like Rhodes, Cabrera would see few good pitches for the remaining games after tying the record. He maintained his form in 2003, batting .324, 50, 112.
On October 26, 2004, pitcher
Kazuhisa Ishii
went six strong innings and Cabrera hit a two-run towering homer as the Seibu Lions defeated the Chunichi Dragons
7-2 in Game 7 of the Japan Series
to win their first championship since 1992. The ball bounced off the glass-enclosed private boxes above the left field seats. It was Cabrera's third home run of the series. He also hit a grand slam
and a two-run homer in Game 3.
In six seasons with the Lions, Cabrera has been a .308 hitter with 246 home runs and 605 RBI in 708 games.
In January 2008, Cabrera signed a one-year contract with the Orix Buffaloes. It was reported that the contract had a requirement that Cabrera pass a drug test when he reported in February. He obtained free agency right in the 2009 season after playing 8 years in Japan (which removes himself as "foreign player" after the season ends), being the fourth non-Japanese players obtaining such classification in NPB.
, one of many MLB players so identified. The report detailed an incident in September 2000 when Cabrera was playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Team officials found a package that contained a vial of what they suspected to be anabolic steroids and several hundred pills. Clubhouse attendants claimed the package was intended for Cabrera. The contents of the package were tested and it was determined that the vial contained the legal, over-the-counter diet pills Winstrol. Before the tests came back, however, Cabrera's contract had been sold to the Seibu Lions, so he was never tested for steroid use. Cabrera denied knowing why the package had been addressed to him
After the report came out, Cabrera denied ever using steroids.
While playing in Japan, where they conform to Olympic testing standards, he has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
, signed his first pro contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates
organization in 2008, at the age of 18.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and right-handed batter who played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and Nippon Professional Baseball. He is currently playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
The are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. The team was bought on January 28, 2005 by the SoftBank Corporation.The team was formerly known as the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. In 1988, Daiei bought the team from Osaka's Nankai Electric Railway Co., and its headquarters were...
after signing with them prior to the 2011 season.
Baseball career
He was signed by the Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
as an amateur free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1991, and moved to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
organization before the 1998 season. Later, he signed with Arizona and before that, he also played for CPBL's Koos Group Whales
Chinatrust Whales
The Chinatrust Whales , formerly Koos Group Whales , were a Taiwanese professional baseball team. Originally founded as an amateur team in 1991, this club became professional and joined the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 1997. It is administered by the Chinatrust Financial Holding...
in 1999. After staying in the minors
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
for nine seasons, he finally got a shot in the majors in 2000. A muscular slugger (6' 2", 220 lb.), Cabrera hit a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
during his first at-bat. He ended the season with a .262 average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, five home runs, 14 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
, 10 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, two doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, one triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and a .500 slugging percentage in 31 games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. After that, the Seibu Lions of the Japan Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
purchased his contract from Arizona.
In 2001, Cabrera batted .282, with 49 home runs and 124 RBI, and exploded with a .336, 55, 115 batting line in 2002, winning the Pacific League's MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award. His 55 home runs tied Japan's single-season record, equaling the mark set by the legendary Sadaharu Oh
Sadaharu Oh
Sadaharu Oh, or Wang Chenchih , is a retired Japanese-Taiwanese baseball player and manager. He batted and threw left-handed and primarily played first base. Oh, who was born in Sumida, Tokyo the son of a Taiwanese father and a Japanese mother, had originally signed with the powerhouse Yomiuri...
in 1964 and matched by former big leaguer Tuffy Rhodes
Tuffy Rhodes
Karl Derrick "Tuffy" Rhodes is a professional baseball player. He played six years in Major League Baseball in the US, and eleven years in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan....
in 2001. Like Rhodes, Cabrera would see few good pitches for the remaining games after tying the record. He maintained his form in 2003, batting .324, 50, 112.
On October 26, 2004, pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Kazuhisa Ishii
Kazuhisa Ishii
Kazuhisa Ishii is a Japanese former Major League Baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Saitama Seibu Lions....
went six strong innings and Cabrera hit a two-run towering homer as the Seibu Lions defeated the Chunichi Dragons
Chunichi Dragons
The are a professional baseball team based in Nagoya, the chief city in the Chubu region of Japan. The team is in the Central League. They won the 2007 Japan Series and 2007 Asia Series.-History:...
7-2 in Game 7 of the Japan Series
Japan Series
, or is the annual championship series in Nippon Professional Baseball, the top baseball league in Japan. It is a seven-game series between the winning clubs of the league's two circuits, the Central League and the Pacific League....
to win their first championship since 1992. The ball bounced off the glass-enclosed private boxes above the left field seats. It was Cabrera's third home run of the series. He also hit a grand slam
Grand slam (baseball)
In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
and a two-run homer in Game 3.
In six seasons with the Lions, Cabrera has been a .308 hitter with 246 home runs and 605 RBI in 708 games.
In January 2008, Cabrera signed a one-year contract with the Orix Buffaloes. It was reported that the contract had a requirement that Cabrera pass a drug test when he reported in February. He obtained free agency right in the 2009 season after playing 8 years in Japan (which removes himself as "foreign player" after the season ends), being the fourth non-Japanese players obtaining such classification in NPB.
Mitchell Report
On December 13, 2007, Cabrera was linked to steroid use in the Mitchell ReportMitchell Report (baseball)
The Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball, informally known as the "Mitchell Report", is the result of former Democratic United States Senator from Maine...
, one of many MLB players so identified. The report detailed an incident in September 2000 when Cabrera was playing for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Team officials found a package that contained a vial of what they suspected to be anabolic steroids and several hundred pills. Clubhouse attendants claimed the package was intended for Cabrera. The contents of the package were tested and it was determined that the vial contained the legal, over-the-counter diet pills Winstrol. Before the tests came back, however, Cabrera's contract had been sold to the Seibu Lions, so he was never tested for steroid use. Cabrera denied knowing why the package had been addressed to him
After the report came out, Cabrera denied ever using steroids.
"I couldn't have used the substances that are identified. I never had possession of the alleged box that supposedly contained the pharmaceutical drugs."
While playing in Japan, where they conform to Olympic testing standards, he has never tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.
Personal life
Cabrera's son Ramon is also a professional baseball player. The younger Alex, a switch-hitting catcherCatcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
, signed his first pro contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
organization in 2008, at the age of 18.