Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers
When is it time to retire?
Pat Caputo, a long-time Detroit sportswriter and radio host, posed this question on his radio show about the status of Miguel Cabrera, who has won two MVP awards as a Detroit Tiger. He has slugged 500 home runs and racked up over 3,000 hits, including 600 doubles..
Caputo, an award-winning sports commentator with Hall of Fame ballot credentials, wonders if Cabrera – at age 40 and with a bum knee – is more a liability than an asset. Cabrera is a shadow of the player of his Triple Crown year, hitting under .200 and unable to hit for power.
The question of retirement is relevant to us all. One factor Caputo mentioned is to consider is the issue of respect, so let’s explore it.
Respect for the game. Cabrera will make $32 million this year. That's a lot of money, even in baseball terms. His contract was negotiated a decade ago by the late Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Tigers. Cabrera was wise to sign the deal; Ilitch was foolish to offer it. Too much money for too little productivity shows too little respect for the integrity of the game.
Respect for the organization. An unproductive player on the bench denies another player the opportunity to produce for the team – on the field and at the plate. A major league roster contains 26 spots. It is up to management – general and on field – to determine when to pull a player's roster spot.
Respect for self. Cabrera was lean, agile, and powerful when he entered the league at 18. Twenty-two years later, he is heavy, slow, and weak at the plate. Some say that kids watching him now see an "old man," not a graceful and gifted athlete. Is he harming his reputation by hanging on?
Stay the course
Cabrera is revered – and rightly so – by baseball fans in Detroit and elsewhere. He is the best position player I have seen in person, including players like Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Al Kaline, to name just three. In his prime, Miggy was like the big kid in Little League that no one could get out. As Caputo notes, there was a sense of electricity about his every plate appearance and a sense of joy that he radiated playing the game he loved. His enthusiasm lifted his teammates and his fans.
The counter-argument is that he is an ambassador for the Tigers, an icon representing athletic prowess and a solid team ethic. Miggy is what baseball people call a "clubhouse guy." He is a team-first player and a mentor to younger players. That said, by remaining on the active roster, the question becomes, at one point does he become more mascot than the player, and if so, when does he make way for the next guy?
Application to leaders
Leaders, considering stepping down, can ask themselves this question: am I respecting the community, organization, and myself? It is better to answer that question for yourself in ways that respect the needs of the whole rather than have others make it for you. “Everyone should be respected as an individual,” said Albert Einstein, “but no one idolized.”
As the saying goes, Father Time does not play favorites, even fan-favorite ball players.
