Orlando Luis Cabrera, nicknamed "O-Cab" and "The OC", (born November 2, 1974 in Cartagena, Colombia) is a Colombian Major League Baseball shortstop for the Cleveland Indians He bats and throws right-handed. He won a World Series championship in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox. He has also played for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins, and Cincinnati Reds. Cabrera is the younger brother of Jolbert Cabrera. At his stature of 5' 9" and 185 pounds, Orlando Cabrera is a skilled contact hitter and base stealer.
He won the Gold Glove Award in 2001 and in 2007. In 2002 he led all Major League shortstops with 29 errors, and had the lowest fielding percentage among them (.962), though his defensive contribution was considered a key to the Boston Red Sox World Series victory in 2004.
Baseball career[]
In 2003, he finished second among the league shortstops in batting average (.297), slugging percentage (.415), runs batted in (80), and in stolen base percentage (24-to-26). Besides this, he is one of four Montreal Expos players to have ever played all 162 games in a season, and the first to do it twice. Also, his 17 home runs in that season were the most ever by a shortstop in the Expos history.
After the Expos traded him at the 2004 trade deadline, Cabrera has had the unique coincidence of making the playoffs at least once with every team he spent the end of the season with (2004 with Boston, 2005 and 2007 with Los Angeles, 2008 with Chicago, 2009 with Minnesota, and 2010 with Cincinnati).
Boston Red Sox[]
Cabrera was traded by Montreal to the Boston Red Sox in the summer of 2004, on the last day of the July trading deadline. Cabrera made Boston fans forget previous, long-time shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, also a part of the four-team deal, as he batted .294 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 58 games with the Red Sox. He also brought stability to the shortstop position, which delighted the Red Sox pitchers. The trade, which also netted first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz from the Twins, shored up Boston's infield defense and energized the team, which went 42-19 after the deal to win the American League's wild card (56-45 before the trade). "He is a game-changer in the field for me," Curt Schilling said. He hit a home run on his first at-bat with the Red Sox on August 1, becoming the eighth Boston player to accomplish this feat. In Game 2 of the 2004 ALDS, he hit a bases clearing double, as the Red Sox went on to sweep the 3 game series from the Los Angeles Angels. Boston went on to win its first World Series title since 1918 with a four game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, cementing Cabrera a place in Red Sox lore.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim[]
Following his 2004 World Series victory with the Red Sox, Cabrera signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Angels organization. He replaced fan favorite David Eckstein at the shortstop position. While it took Angels fans a while to warm up to Cabrera, he eventually became a fan favorite himself after an excellent defensive season in 2005.
In his first game back to Fenway Park as an Anaheim Angel in June 2005, Cabrera was greeted with a standing ovation which lasted 30 seconds before he walked to the plate. Red Sox fans continue to give him standing ovations upon each plate appearance at Fenway Park. In 2007, Cabrera led qualified AL shortstops with a .983 fielding percentage and a league-low 11 errors earning him the American League Gold Glove for shortstop. Also, he stole 20 bases for the third straight year and the fifth time overall.
Cabrera had a 63-game on-base streak in early-through-mid 2006, which was among the top five streaks of all time. Ted Williams holds the Major League record with 84 straight games reaching base by a hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch. Cabrera also had a straight steal of home plate on July 2, 2006, the first such time it had happened by an Angels player since 1997. Not only was it a straight steal, but Cabrera scored without a throw.
Chicago White Sox[]
Cabrera with the Chicago White Sox in 2008.
On November 19, 2007, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox along with cash considerations for Jon Garland. Cabrera's one season with White Sox was marred with controversy: arguing with manager Ozzie Guillén, leaving the clubhouse early to avoid the media,[1] calling the press box to have errors overturned,[2] questioning his teams winning attitude, and kicking dirt at Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Grant Balfour during an at-bat in Game 1 of the AL Divisional Series.[3]
2009 season[]
On March 6, 2009, Cabrera signed a one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics.[4][5]
On July 31, 2009, Cabrera was traded to the Minnesota Twins with cash considerations for SS Tyler Ladendorf.
In 2009 Cabrera led all major league shortstops in errors, with 25. He had a solid offense year finishing the season batting .284, 186 hits (4th among all shortstops), and 77 RBIs (1st among AL shortstops and 4th out of all shortstops).[6] His seventh-inning, two-run home run in the American League Central Division's tiebreaker game on October 6, 2009, kept the Twins in the game, which they later won, 6-5, in the 12th inning, to advance to post-season play. [1]
2010 season[]
On February 1, 2010, Cabrera signed a 1 year contract with the Cincinnati Reds.[7] Cabrera spent the season as the Reds shortstop and posted a .263 average with four home runs, 42 RBI, and a .303 on-base percentage. Cabrera played in only 123 games due to a strained oblique muscle that kept him on the DL from August 3 to September 3.[8] The injury continued to bother him in September and into the playoffs, culminating with Dusty Baker giving him the start in game three of the NLDS despite Cabrera mentioning pain. In the first inning Cabrera made a high throw to first that allowed a run to score.
While on the disabled list, Cabrera spent one game in full bat boy uniform, bringing balls to the umpire and collecting bats.
The Reds declined the option for 2011 on his contract with a $1 million buyout. Reds GM Walt Jocketty expressed that he wanted to bring back Cabrera at a price lower than the $4 million option.[9]
2011 season[]
On February 10, 2011 Cabrera signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians.
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- ↑ http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101103&content_id=15981174&vkey=news_cin&c_id=cin
- ↑ http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20101103&content_id=15981174&vkey=news_cin&c_id=cin