This article is from mlb.com. Nice read.

 

SAN FRANCISCO -- Felipe Alou heard the question but couldn't come up with an answer right away.

 

The 70-year-old San Francisco Giants manager needed a moment to collect himself, so he took a deep breath and paused sat back in his chair. Then he threw his hands up and shook his head, almost speechless.

 

"He's something," Alou said. "He's a phenom."

 

Alou, of course, was referring to Miguel Cabrera, the 22-year-old Florida Marlins outfielder who blew into San Francisco this weekend, mangled Giants' pitching for three games, then went on his merry, baby-faced way.

 

Here's some backstory: In the winter of 2004, a few months after he helped the Marlins to the 2003 World Series title with an opposite-field home run off Roger Clemens, the kid was relaxing in the sun of the Dominican Republic, playing for the Venezuelan champion Aragua Tigers in the Caribbean Series.

 

He was 20 and looked like he was about 14.

 

Cabrera sat down with MLB.com in between prodigious hacks in the batting-practice cage and said he had a lot to learn.

 

"I need to cut down on my strikeouts," Cabrera said then. "They say the second year is always tough, but I don't think it will be. I'm going to keep working hard. I just hope I get to play every day."

 

This from a 6-foot-2, 185-pound wunderkind who had hit 12 homers and driven in 62 runs after being called up from Double-A, then hit .333 with three homers and six RBIs in the National League Championship Series while facing a Chicago Cubs pitching staff featuring Cy Young Award candidates Kerry Wood and Mark Prior.

 

The Marlins won the Series, Cabrera went back to baseball-crazy Venezuela, and he suddenly faced the rigors of newfound stardom.

 

Cabrera became only the fourth Venezuelan -- joining local legends Magglio Ordo?ez, Andres Galarraga and Luis Sojo -- to sign a lucrative endorsement deal from the popular non-alcoholic beer Malton. He was named "Venezuelan Sportsman of the Year."

 

"I want to stay in the big leagues for a long time," Cabrera said then. "I don't want to talk about numbers. I just want to go out and do it, and the numbers will happen if I work hard."

 

Then came 2004.

 

Cabrera started strong and finished strong, batting .294 with 33 homers and 112 RBIs. He scored 101 runs and drew 68 walks. He struck out a lot -- 148 times -- but still had a .366 on-base percentage.

 

Then came 2005.

 

Cabrera has filled out his frame to 210 pounds of muscle and seems a lot more grown-up. In other words, he looks like he's at least 16.

 

He has been on a relentless assault of National League pitchers since the beginning of the year, but nothing has compared to what he's done in his last road trip, particularly these three games in San Francisco.

 

He finished 2-for-4 for the day, putting a nice wrapper on a 7-for-10 series that upped his season batting average to .350, second in the NL to Derrek Lee. He's got 23 homers, 74 RBIs, 71 runs, 28 doubles and a 1.024 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage.

 

He's got everyone in his clubhouse amazed at his ridiculous numbers and potential.

 

"He's going to win an MVP sooner or later," teammate Dontrelle Willis says.

 

"He knows about pitchers' tendencies, and that helps a lot. But he believes in himself, and that's the greatest strength of any baseball player. He believes that every time he goes out there, he's going to do some damage."

 

"What's so impressive is the way he can go the other way," adds Marlins catcher Paul Lo Duca.

 

"He's got power to all fields. You throw the ball away, he hits it away. You throw the ball in, he pulls it. He's an unbelievable hitter and an unbelievable talent.

 

"I think the only thing that can get in his way ... actually, I don't think anything can get in his way. He's going to be a great hitter for a long time."

 

None of this seems to faze Cabrera, who's often floating around in his own iPod world while reclining on the clubhouse couch with his eyes closed a few hours before first pitch.

 

"I'm working on my swing," Cabrera said. "I've got to put the ball in play more, and I feel like I'm doing well right now.

 

"You have to hit it where the pitch is thrown, and that's what I'm doing right now. I'll hit the ball anywhere they pitch it. I know the pitchers more, but sometimes they throw me different pitches than I think. But I'm learning them better.

 

"I feel confident. You have to feel confident. You don't have to do too much. You just do what you can do and not try to do too much with the ball. Make contact and put your best swing on the ball."

 

It seems so easy when you're talking to someone as talented and as young as Miguel Cabrera.

 

Which makes it even tougher to explain for someone as old and wise as Felipe Alou.

Cabrera has filled out his frame to 210 pounds of muscle and seems a lot more grown-up. In other words, he looks like he's at least 16.

 

 

:lol I found this funny..

Cabrera is the superstar in baseball for years to come. I hope we can keep him and willis for the next decade or two. He could be the Face of Miami sports someday.

He could be the Face of Miami sports someday.

 

There's a young basketball player that may have something to say about that ,

but in all seriousness Miami is definitely blessed with some of the most exciting young talents in proffessional sports. Cabrera just seems to get better and better every game. The sky's the limit for that kid.

Miguel Cabrera is a young player playing like a veteran. hopefully they sign him long term