So What's your take on the Fielder/Garcia/Cabrera "Scandal"

Brother Tom posted a juicy tidbit on FB a week or so ago about how Prince Fielder was in a funk last year, not just because he was going through a divorce, but teammate Avisal Garcia was having an affair with Fielder's wife. According to the story, Cabrera pulled his groin or intestinal muscle in breaking up a clubhouse brawl between the two.

The episode led to the immediate trade of Garcia, and the eventual trade of Fielder.

All very salacious. I have two questions:

Was it true? 

Why didn't the Detroit media report on it?

Perhaps if it was the product of some blogger's imagination, it doesn't warrant any media coverage. 

If it is true, I can't imagine the media covering it up. This isn't the era of Mickey Mantle's binge drinking being ignored. 

Stories of marital infidelity pop up all the time, but if this is true, it clearly had an impact on the field. 

Which tends to lead me to think this is a gross work of fiction.

What do you guys think?     

Verlander has a Special "Nurse" for Rehab

It sucks to be Justin Verlander. The latest from US Magazine.

Kate Upton On-Again With Ex-Boyfriend Justin Verlander: Details from Their Sexy Vacation.


January 22, 2014 6:00 PM

Kate Upton On-Again With Ex-Boyfriend Justin Verlander: Details from Their Sexy Vacation.Discreetly dating! Kate Upton and Justin Verlander are on-again after the two were spotted "looking very cozy" together in the Bahamas last weekend, a source confirms to Us Weekly.

The buxom model, 21, and the Detroit Tigers pitcher, 30, "spent all weekend in the Bahamas together" on gorgeous New Providence Island, the insider tells Us. "We spotted them looking very cozy having dinner at the restaurant Mahogany House near Lyford Cay," says the eyewitness. Upton, who had her hair in a bun with a blue scarf, and Verlander, wearing a white button-down shirt, were "sitting on the same side of the table" for the romantic meal.

The Other Woman actress and Verlander first met while shooting a commercial for MLB 2K12 back in 2012. While their initial breakup timeline remains unknown, the Sports Illustrated model split from DWTS alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy after a six-month long relationship that ended in December. Rumors of Upton's potential rekindled romance with Verlander were sparked after the athlete and blonde bombshell were snapped together by an eagle-eyed Flyers fan who was at a hockey game in Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 11.

Verlander is currently in Philly recovering from a core muscle repair surgery performed in a local hospital last Wednesday following a December injury. The pitching ace shared a cute picture of himself relaxing and smiling in a physical therapy room on Tuesday, Jan. 21: "'They try to make me go to rehab and I said'…. Yes, yes, yes," he wrote two days after exchanging flirty football-related tweets with Upton.

The MLB player, who calls himself a "semi-pro golfer" in his Twitter bio, is also looking to buy property at Albany, a luxury resort community in the Bahamas, that was co-created by Tiger Woods, the source adds. The resort is located on the island of New Providence and features a championship golf course.

Fellow sports enthusiast Upton has been busy immersing herself in the sports world after she shared a recent photoshoot with New York Jets and Giants players for Vogue magazine on Monday, Jan. 20.




HOF Ballot Time

Well, only one of us has a Hall of Fame ballot (and I'm curious about your picks, Jeff) but it's always fun to think about what we would do on the ballot.

This year's ballot is chock-a-block full of greats. (See http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof_2014.shtml)

IMHO, that's a real problem for our Tigers, like Jack Morris, who faces his last shot at the hall before waiting for an old-timers selection. (Only 10 nominees may be selected from the ballot.)

Although it won't be his last opportunity, the same problem for Alan Trammel.

Yes, I would pick both of them.

Sean Casey? I was surprised he was on the ballot, but when I looked up his record, http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/caseyse01.shtml I could see that by the time he hit the Tigers, his glory days were in the distant past. He had a good career, with a lifetime average of .302 but I just don't think he had a HOF type career. 130 home runs over a long 12 year career just isn't that great. Nice guy, but just doesn't cut it.

Similarly, Todd Jones, who had three tours of duty with the Tigers, and a good career, but an ERA of almost four, and an overall losing record don't make him the Christy Mathewson. 

Kenny Rogers is probably the toughest pick of our Tigers. He had a long career (20 years) and won more than he lost. He was certainly a guy you'd want in your rotation for most of these years, but with an ERA north of 4, I don't think he's HOF quality.
BTW, I ain't voting for anybody who even sniffs like PEDs. (But I'll let you do so if you think it's no big deal.

So what other eight players would I vote for?

*Craig Biggio
*Jeff Bagwell
*Curt Schilling
*Greg Maddux
*Frank Thomas
*Mike Mussina
*Tom Glavine
I'm torn between Edgar Martinez and Lee Smith. 

Cast your vote, even if you don't get around to it until after the election.