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Detroit Tigers outfielder Miguel Cabrera might have been the American League’s most valuable player in 2012, but one teammate says Cabrera could have been a better leader.
Tigers’ veteran leader Octavio Dotel, is still upset that Cabrera refused to agree to

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Detroit Tigers outfielder Miguel Cabrera might have been the American League’s most valuable player in 2012, but one teammate says Cabrera could have been a better leader.
Tigers’ veteran leader Octavio Dotel, is still upset that Cabrera refused to agree to

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Everybody is aware that the Toronto Blue Jays’ Edwin Encarnacion went all Bautista on us in 2012 as he suddenly became a premier slugger in baseball. Everyone is aware that he hit 42 homers and slugged .557 en route to a .941 OPS. Everybody also wonders if he can repeat those numbers after coming from nowhere to have that kind of season. But there are things that you probably do not know about Encarnacion which may just hint that he is not a fluke.

1. Edwin Encarnación hardly ever hits the ball on the ground. Of all qualifying batters in 2012, only Josh Reddick of the A’s had a lower ground ball to fly ball ratio and lower ground ball percentage. Only 33% of Encarnación’s batted balls went on the ground for a ground ball to fly ball ratio of 0.67. And since 18.6% of those fly balls went over the fence, that is a good recipe for hitting homers. This is not a fluke as his career ratio is 0.80 and has been under 0.70 in two of his last three seasons.

2. He also has …

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DETROIT — Two generations have passed since somebody last won baseballs Triple Crown.

That 45-year absence since Carl Yastrzemski captured it with a long-shot champion Red Sox team has heightened the anticipation as Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera chases it.

Yastrzemski clinched it on the same sunny Fenway Park afternoon in 1967 that his team beat the Twins to win the American League pennant — although Yaz and his teammates had to wait at the ballpark after their triumph to see if the Tigers could force a one-game playoff by winning the second game of a doubleheader with the Angels.

The Red Sox popped the champagne corks after hearing that Tigers second baseman Dick McAuliffe hit into a season-ending double play.

As for the Triple Crown celebration, Yaz — speaking at an All-Fenway Team celebration last week — said that his personal title received so little attention that nobody asked him about it on the final day of the season.

The one thing thats going to help (Cabrera) is, hes in a pennant race, Yastrzemski said. Plus, theres so much more publicity nowadays with people following him and everything else. I mean, you get a report every day and so forth.

“But in 67, the Triple Crown wasnt even mentioned once. We were so involved in the pennant race, I didnt know I won the Triple Crown until the next day when we read it in the paper.”

Yaz, also a brilliant left fielder, easily won the batting title in ’67, hitting .326 to runner-up Frank Robinsons .311. Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline finished third at .308.

Yaz’s 121 RBIs provided plenty of breathing room between him and the rest of the league, too. Twins first baseman Harmon Killebrew finished second with 113.

The close race was in the home-run category, where he finished tied at 44 with Killebrew.

Cabreras quest will also likely come down to the homers — or as Tigers TV analyst Rod Allen refers to them, the big flies.

Cabrera crushed No. 44 on Monday, helping the Tigers clinch the AL Central with a 6-3 victory at Kansas City and putting him one homer in front of Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton with two games left.

Cabrera’s 137 RBIs are well ahead of Hamiltons 127, and Cabreras .329 average gives him the edge over Angels center fielder Mike Trout, who is second at .325.

When asked what he knew about Yaz on the recent home stand, Cabrera smiled and said, A lot.

He offered no nuggets of wisdom in that regard, but if Cabrera follows all the reporting this week, he’ll learn much about the man whose feat he’s trying to duplicate.

Ive spoken with Yaz twice in the last 45 years, and both were memorable experiences.

In the final weeks of that 67 pennant race, we went to Metro Airport to pick up a family member arriving on a flight from Boston. Word spread around the gate area that the Red Sox were aboard, and as a young baseball fan, I was thrilled.

I didnt have anything to write on, but took the liberty of grabbing a Pan Am airline timetable for my autograph pursuits.

First, I got Lonborg, the Cy Young Award winner that year, to sign. He smiled while making small talk about the Tigers.

Yaz came off right behind him, a leather bag slung over one shoulder. I told him that we shared a Polish heritage. He seemed like that, but didnt smile much and wasnt as talkative as Lonborg. Yaz is stoic by nature.

We met again in 1991, on Ted Williams Day at Fenway.

I went into Boston manager Joe Morgans office when the clubhouse opened and was surprised to find Yaz sitting on the couch to the left. The Splendid Splinter himself was on the couch to the right. I sat on the same couch as Yaz, trying not to act completely flabbergasted by my great fortune.

They allowed me to enter into their conversation about the game, and Yaz didnt say much again. We all enjoyed Williams, a great storyteller, spinning his yarns about hitting and more hitting.

Williams dropped his chin and peered at me over his glasses after a few minutes, saying, You a reporter? You are, huh. Well, these are great stories. Im even being nice to reporters today.

Yaz, Morgan and Williams laughed, and I hesitated before joining in. What a Field of Dreams cornfield moment that was.

One of the reasons Yaz’s Triple Crown didn’t bring much fanfare was because the Orioles’ Robinson had won it the year before. Yaz won the crown for the fifth time in a 25-year period, also joining Mickey Mantle (1956) and Williams (1942 and 1947).

I thought somebody would have won it a long time ago, Yastrzemski said last week. And the surprising thing about it is, when Mantle won it and Williams and Frank, you had a higher mound.

“You know, Id like to see what some of the pitchers would throw today, with their speeds if they came off the higher mound. I could see (Justin) Verlander probably throwing 100 miles an hour or more on every pitch. So, like I said, Im surprised its lasted this long.

Mounds were lowered after the 1968 season, when Denny McLain won 31 games, Bob Gibson had a 1.12 ERA and pitchers were dominating.

Well, Yastrzemski said, somebodys gonna do it. Whether its Cabrera this year or whether its gonna be next year.

“Im surprised that its gone this long, to be perfectly honest. And when (Pete) Rose broke (Ty) Cobbs hit record, I never thought that would happen. And then when (Cal) Ripken broke (Lou) Gehrigs consecutive game record, I never thought that would happen either. So its gonna happen.

Yaz, Robinson and Mantle — the last three Triple Crown winners — also led their teams to the World Series.

Cabrera will tell you that getting there is what he plays for, not some glorious string of statistics.

But only 13 men have claimed the crown. Coronations like that are special.

It would likely stamp Cabrera as the best hitter of his generation.

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CINCINNATI Homer Bailey was pulling off his cowboy boots Tuesday afternoon in the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse when he spotted a player in a far corner.

Whos that new guy? Whos that No. 19? he asked with a broad smile slashing across his face.

Bailey knew who it was as well as he knew in bottoms of his cowboys boots. It was his first baseman, Joey Votto, his first baseman who helps him win games with his bat and his glove.

Votto returned Tuesday to put on his familiar No. 19 Reds unform for the first time in six weeks after left knee surgery and after a week of minor-league rehab.

He wasnt in manager Dusty Bakers lineup Tuesday night but the plans was for his return Wednesday afternoon against the Philadlephia Phillies.

Asked what he is most curious about concerning his return, it was expected he would say something about his knee passing all the tests. But he issued a stunner.

Im really excited to hear the fans reactions, thats why Im most curious about, he said. I miss them and I miss playing here. I love the support and I love playing in front of the fans who come to his ballpark to cheer for the team and me.

The plan is to go slowly with Votto and Baker is a man with a plan.

Dusty is the guy who pencils the lineup, but I think working me in gradually is a wise move, said Votto. The knee is good, getting better, but it is not 100 per cent yet. Thatll come in time.

Baker knows Votto is full-go and full-bore, bur 85 percent of Votto is better than 100 percent of many players.

He is not 100 percent sharp-sharp yet, but he is Joey Votto, said Baker. We have a plan, but we cant tell you because that plan changes every day, depending on how he feels and how his body feels. We have to watch him, make sure he doesnt get sore, doesnt make a wrong move. We have preserve him and work him back in there.

The full recovery time, though, might not come until aftrer the season after the playoffs and, if the Reds are there, after the World Series.

The 100 percent isnt physically and I dont think Ill see 100 percent until the off-season, he said. Im talking about being able to play baseball. Id like to think Ill be able to get through all the games and continue to recover through the end of October.

Votto played two games for Class A Dayton and two games for Class AAA Louisville and was asked if he was able to test the knee under stress or unscripted play.

A couple of times, but I didnt get on base enough when I was down there, he said. I wasnt put in enough challenging positions. Ill encounter them in Cincinnati and I imagine Ill get through them.

Votto was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts for the Louisville Bats on Monday after going 1 for 3 with a home run and a walk Sunday.

Baker ignores hat Votto did at the plate and said he was more concerned with Vottos physical well-being that the prouction from a bat in his hand.

Votto, a proud guy, didnt exactly agree.

The minor-league at-bats do matter, he said. Going 0 for 3 is not good. I didnt have a good game. It is not more difficult to hit in the minor-leagues. It is more difficult in the major-leagues. I was given too much credit, but hopefully Im saving all my hits for the Cincinnati Reds.

Incredibly, when most observers belived the Reds would bend like a billfold without Votto, they actually went 32-16 without him and built their lead into the National League Central from one game to as many as 9 .

And during his residence on the disabled list, second baseman Brandon Phillips batted third. Baker is expected to move Phillips to leadoff when Votto returns to the lineup.

I have to talk to him (Phillips) before I tell anybody else, said Baker. Third is Joeys spot. Im sure Ill get a lot of help on what my lineup should be, as usual. And please dont ask me every day.

Of that, Baker can be certain. And Vottos condition will determine the mixing and matching Baker does.

Hey, Joey Votto is Joey Votto and they dont make them like him too much, said Baker. We welcome him back. Were a better team with him.

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On Thursday, Ryan Braun won his appeal after testing positive for a banned substance.

On Friday, his new ordeal began.

Brauns offseason was awkward, to say the very least: He was named the National Leagues Most Valuable Player but couldnt enjoy it while he waited for an arbitrator to decide whether he would serve a 50-game suspension.

But Braun was shielded from the public eye over the past several months, avoiding media interviews and team events while the case was pending. He cant use that as an excuse anymore — even if Major League Baseball is reportedly considering an appeal of arbitrator Shyam Das ruling.

Braun arrived at the Milwaukee Brewers spring headquarters this morning with a smile and addressed teammates in a players-only meeting.

They needed to hear it, manager Ron Roenicke said. With the outcome of it, I dont think he needed to explain anything. But he wanted to. The players probably appreciated that he did. I thought it was great.

The general public will be a more skeptical audience. Braun painted a plausible scenario in a late-morning news conference today, hinting strongly that his urine sample was tampered with before being shipped to a Montreal laboratory for analysis. But the unvarnished truth remained elusive, as Braun declined to answer specific questions about the collector who was in possession of his sample for nearly 48 hours.

Braun maintained his innocence, saying, If I had done this intentionally or unintentionally, I would be the first to step up and say I did it … I would bet my life this substance never entered my body at any point.

Braun didnt mention the substance by name, but ESPN previously reported that it was synthetic testosterone.

Braun was believable … but probably not convincing to the most ardent skeptics. He will begin the 2012 season with much to prove: He must continue performing at an MVP level, or else critics will argue he was juicing after all. And he needs to do it without the feared Prince Fielder hitting behind him.

In that sense, Brauns reputation along with his teams fate will be at stake every time he steps to the plate.

Good luck.

He has a unique ability to separate things thats what makes him so good, Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy said this morning, before a larger-than-usual group of reporters in the Milwaukee clubhouse.

He doesnt let outside distractions come into his head and mess with him. Hes able to block everything out, no matter whats going on. Hes one of the very few guys who can do that. Thats why hes so good. I think hell be just fine. I dont worry about him at all.

Brewers left-hander Manny Parra, a teammate of Braun’s since 2007, said Braun puts so much pressure on himself, anyway that it may be no different this year.

In a still-murky situation, about the only thing we know for sure is that the Brewers are happy. For months, it seemed likely that they would lose Fielder and Braun at the same time, at least to begin the season.

Now that Braun can be counted on for the Opening Day lineup likely protected by new third baseman Aramis Ramirez a repeat NL Central championship doesnt seem so farfetched.

Everybodys happy and positive a lot of people smiling today, Lucroy said. Whenever you have such a big piece of the ballclub in jeopardy, then all of a sudden he gets thrown back in, its like hitting the lottery.

Other than Brauns legal team, the Brewers may have been the only clear winner in Das ruling. Braun didnt win, because plenty of people still believe he used performance-enhancing drugs. MLB certainly didnt win, because a chain-of-custody issue with Brauns sample was the reason the suspension was overturned, thus exposing a loophole in a policy celebrated by baseball officials as being the toughest in North American professional sports.

MLB, in fact, issued a statement saying it vehemently disagrees with Das decision.

I was disappointed in that, Lucroy said of MLBs reaction. It was almost like a sore-loser move. It was a low blow. I dont think it was right to do that. This is the process both sides agreed to. The process worked in favor one time for an MLB player. To say something like that, I dont think thats right.

Parra said hes disappointed that a players privacy was not respected at all. Everybody has a right to privacy, to a certain extent. Thats what bothered me. … ”

“This is justice. He went through the process. You have these rights, and you have them for a reason. I respect the way it went. Im extremely happy that hes going to be with us.

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It’s pretty clear to Jose Reyes why he’s not a New York Met any more.

“They didn’t make me an offer,” Reyes said Wednesday at a news conference introducing him as a Miami Marlin at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. “They didn’t want me.”

Reyes agreed to a six-year, $ 106 million deal with the Marlins after the Mets decided to not make the shortstop an official offer, since GM Sandy Alderson said he knew the team wouldn’t match what Reyes was looking for.

“I’m not going to say I’m disappointed,” Reyes said after putting on the Marlins’ new jersey and hat. “They had their own choices. I have to move on.”

After the news conference, Reyes was asked by the MLB Network if he was surprised the Mets did not put in an offer.

“At least — I’ve been there my whole career,” said the 2011 National League batting champion.

Although Reyes did not receive a no-trade clause from Miami, the deal is back-loaded. Reyes will get $ 10 million in each of the first two years, $ 16 million in 2014 and then $ 22 million each season from 2015-17. There is an option for a seventh season at $ 22 million or a $ 4 million buyout.

Reyes also will have to lose his dreadlocks, since the Marlins have a team policy forbidding long hair.

Reyes repeatedly mentioned the Marlins’ move to begin recruiting him at 12:01 a.m. on the first day of free agency, with team owner Jeffrey Loria and other team hierarchy going to the Hotel Carlyle in Manhattan to meet Reyes.

“That was huge for me,” Reyes said. “That showed they wanted me.”

Reyes thanked the Mets for giving him an opportunity to play in the majors and the New York fans for standing by him throughout his years with the Mets.

“The fans showed me a lot of love,” Reyes said. “In good times and bad times, they never walked away.”

Reyes also said he hasn’t had a chance to speak with his new teammate, Hanley Ramirez, who is reportedly upset about having to move from shortstop to third base.

“I’m looking forward to playing with one of the best players in the game,” Reyes said.

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SERIES AT WRIGLEY FIELD

WP: Humber (8-4) | LP: Garza (4-7) | S: Thornton (3)

Philip Humber didn’t have All-Star stuff, and he still led the White Sox to a 1-0 victory Saturday against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Which is a big reason why catcher A.J. Pierzynski almost demanded that Humber be named to the American League All-Star team today and why pitching coach Don Cooper called Humber’s seven scoreless innings one of his best outings in a remarkable season.

“If Phil Humber’s not on the All-Star team – and he deserves to be on the All-Star team – there shouldn’t be an All-Star Game,” Pierzynski said. “Because he’s been that good for us, stepping in for guys that have been hurt and really being the guy that’s pitched great for us from Day 1.”

Humber (8-4) led the Sox to their fourth consecutive victory and second in a row against the Cubs , lowering his ERA to 2.69 and finally getting the Sox (42-42) back to .500.

“Listen, he’s pitched a lot of good games, but this one is way up there for me because he didn’t have anything rolling,” Cooper said. ”That’s the sign of a guy making the next step into being a really solid guy. A game like that, in a big setting, big arena, Cubs , [hot] weather and all this stuff, what he did was impressive.”

Humber fell behind hitters early on, but he kept the ball down and was bailed out by double-play grounders in each of the first three innings.

“I don’t know how A.J. knew what to call back there because I didn’t have anything working,” Humber said. “As the game wore on, we kind of figured out that my changeup was getting some weaker swings, and it got us out of some jams. I just kept mixing it up, and the last couple of innings I was making better pitches and had a little better curveball, which I didn’t have at all to start the game. It was just a battle out there, to be sure.”

With Cubs starter Matt Garza having better stuff and no-hitting the Sox through five, Humber found a way. In a 2-1 loss to the Washington Nationals last Sunday, Humber said he had much better stuff but got beat on a bad home-run pitch.

“Today I didn’t make the mistake that cost us the game,” he said.

Humber struck out four and walked three. Three of the five Cubs’ hits were infield singles, including a bunt by Carlos Pena, who laid one down toward third base, which was unoccupied with an infield shift on.

“He wasn’t as sharp as we’ve seen him, but to maintain, not lose focus and battle not only the opponent but the [warm] weather, it just continues,” Cooper said.

“He’s certainly an All-Star for us. I’d like to think he’ll get recognized, but we’re in it to win championships, not personal stuff. But he certainly deserves consideration. That’s all that really matters.”

Humber’s struggle after being a No. 3 overall draft pick by the New York Mets is well-documented. His lows as a professional are what keep him on an even keel during this 2011 high, he said. That he has been the Sox’ best starter after making the team as a fifth starter is one of Chicago’s best baseball stories. Humber’s 2.32 ERA since April 25 is the sixth-lowest in the American League in that span behind Erik Bedard, Justin Verlander, Jered Weaver, Josh Beckett and James Shields.

“Anybody would like to [make the All-Star Game], but at the same time there are a lot of guys having good years,” Humber said. “Where I came from, I’m just thankful to be here and to pitch in the big leagues. Honestly, that’s the furthest thing from my mind.”

“I hope he does,” manager Ozzie Guillen said. “That would be great for baseball and great for the kid. This has been so great for us that it’s been unbelievable. Today is the day he didn’t have much stuff, and he still won the battle. Hopefully he does make the All-Star team. Why not?”

After throwing 114 pitches, Humber turned the ball over to left-hander Matt Thornton, who pitched two perfect innings for his third save. The Sox have beaten the Cubs 15 times in the last 20 crosstown games, including four of five this season.

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