Game 163: Tigers Lose! Tigers Lose! Tigers Lose!

Baseball is a team game. No one person should shoulder all the blame for any team's victory or defeat. In a 162 game season, somebody else has to pick up the slack from time to time. The Tigers, as a team, choked. Not in the great game 163, but in the last two weeks of the season. The team went 4-6 over the final ten games, when all they had to do was go .500 and there never would have been a game 163. That's 6 games in the final 10 where any Tiger could have popped a sacrifice fly instead of hitting into a double play. So every man, from 1 to 25 on the Tigers' roster could justifiably be a scapegoat.

But I'm going to pick Miguel Cabrera. It's all his fault. Miguel Cabrera acted like a tool.

Rick Porcello, the 20 year old rookie, pitched like a wily veteran, giving up only two runs on the most pressure packed day of the Tigers' season. Surely the loss can't fall squarely on his shoulders.

Justin Verlander wasn't even pitching--he just made sure there was going to be a game 163.

Magglio Ordonez, who seemingly couldn't hit a beach ball a few months ago, was on a 12 game hitting streak.

No, I blame Cabrera for the Tigers being in game 163 at all. In the last week of the season, including Cabrera's now infamous 6 am party night with the Chicago White Sox, when the Tigers could have one any of the five lost games before 163...Cabrera barely showed at all.

On September 27th, the last game in Chicago, with the magic number under 10...the Tigers lost 8-4, and "Miggy" went 0-3 with a BB and 2 K's leaving 2 on base. He was less than clutch.

On September 29th, after a day off and the opening of the biggest series of the year, the Tigers opened up at home against Minnesota, up by only 2 games. They lost, 2-1...Cabrera was 1-4 with a BB. Not a difference maker.

October 1st, game 4 of the Twins series, the first opportunity for the Tigers to clinch the AL Central Title. Tigers lose 8-3. Cabrera goes 2-4 with a walk, hitting into two double plays and stranding 2 more runners on base.

October 2nd, opening of the Chicago White Sox Series, Tigers need only to win 2 of 3 from Chicago. Any combination of Tigers victories or Twins losses equaling 2...White Sox crush the Tigers 8-0. Cabrera...0-4, 1 K, strands 4. A trend?

October 3rd, supposedly the "day after", where Cabrera was hauled away from his home by the police in the early hours after spending all evening drinking with players from the Chicago White Sox. He was taken to jail after his wife called the police...a domestic dispute. According to public record, Cabrera had a blood alcohol level of .26, more than 3 times the legal limit.

Cabrera was released and picked up from jail by Tigers' GM Dave Dombrowski in what had to be one of the most awkward car rides of all time.

The magic number still stood at 2...

The Sox pound on the Tigers, winning 5-1. Cabrera again goes hitless, 0-4 with 1 K. He hit into 1 double play and left six runners stranded on the day.

So collectively, over the five losses, of which any one could have propelled the Tigers into the playoffs, Cabrera went 3-19 with 0 RBI's, 4 K's, hit into 3 double plays and stranded 14 runners.

Miguel Cabrera was less than clutch...and a tool. This is the best hitter in the Tigers' lineup and he let the team down in so many ways over the last week that questions start to creep up in the average fan.

1. How can any of Cabrera's teammates believe in him? A man who threw away a season of their careers to get drunk with the opposing team?

2. Does he deserve a second chance? Well, actually a third chance, because several papers are reporting that Cabrera was told not to go back to the same Birmingham night spot after a similar occurrence back in August.

3. Is he even worth the trouble? Has he burned his bridges?

Miguel Cabrera is an undeniable talent. He came back in game 163 and hit a two run shot while going 2-4...but as the game progressed and the pressure mounted...how did Cabrera do?

0-2 and a walk.